The best defense is a good offense. Heard that before? Well it actually applies here pretty nicely – a good daily skincare regimen will do wonders for keeping you clear from breakouts.  Our recommended system includes 3 daily steps plus another you do 1x to 3x per week. We recommend washing morning and evening, but if you can only do it once a day, then definitely pick evening. Why? Because you don’t want to go to bed and leave icky junk on your face for those extra hours. In the morning you can just skip straight to the toner step! (And as always – look for natural skin care products that are paraben-free, sulfate-free, petroleum-free and phthalate-free for best results)

1. Wash using a sulfate-free, paraben-free face wash with either Tea Tree Oil or Glycolic Acid.  This will clear out pores and remove irritating oil, grease and other environmental elements your skin is exposed to each day. Garden Girl picks: You’re Fresh with Tea Tree Oil for normal/combination skin and At Long Last with glycolic acid for oily/acne prone skin.
2. Tone with a revitalizing and cleansing toner that will leave your skin fresh and primed for your moisturizer. For oily skin, you’ll want to look for a toner that acts like an astringent as well – such as one with amazing witch hazel. Toner is an often overlooked step that is vital for keeping skin clear. It not only removes the last traces of makeup but it also clears out pores which helps them to close back up and shrink back down. Clear pores obviously means less of a chance for breakouts. And the toner prepares your skin by balancing its pH so that it will maximize the effects of the moisturizer. After you cleanse your skin, the pH naturally gets altered so if you cleanse and then immediately moisturize your skin won’t take that moisture in as effectively.  Garden Girl pick for normal/oily skin: Even Ste(pH)en with witch hazel, skin-clearing herbal extracts, and skin-firming DMAE.
   • As a side note, toner can make a great “pick me up” on hot summer days. A quick spritz can cool off your face without ruining your make-up. As a matter of fact, it even works great to set mineral make-up. For added “ahhhh” store one in the fridge.
3. Moisturize using a face cream that yes, even has some oils in it. I know, if you have oily skin the word “moisturizer” can make you a little, um, anxious. So you tend to avoid it like the plague, right? Well, fear not, because here’s the thing: if you don’t moisturize your skin properly your skin will actually start to think that it isn’t producing enough oil. Uh oh. Because that means that it will start to overproduce oils. And that is where you can get additional breakouts. So yes – embrace your moisturizer – just find one that doesn’t irritate your skin.
   • Look for one with a high concentration of hyaluronic acid which is a humectant which means it draws moisture in and traps it in the skin. It works best in combination with other emolients so provides balanced moisture and hydration. Another great ingredient to look for is Zinc PCA which can naturally help to keep skin clear.
   • Alternatively, a moisturizer with Alpha Hydroxy Acids can help to get rid of dead skin cells which in turn keeps pores unclogged and skin smooth. And I know this may seem obvious, but choose one for faces. Don’t use a body moisturizer on your face, please.
   • Garden Girl face cream picks: No Worries (for sensitive skin, with Zinc PCA) or Nature Nurture (for normal/oily/combination skin, with AHAs).
4. Exfoliate one to three times each week. If you have sensitive skin, stick to once per week, but if it is normal to oily and not sensitive, then you should be able to handle 2-3 times per week. Exfoliating is a very key step. This is where you can really see a difference. Not only will your skin look smoother, with fewer lines and wrinkles, faded/fewer age spots and acne scars (yea!) but it will keep your pores clearer and your skin less hospitable to pimples and breakouts. Nice, huh? It’s really an amazing tool – but it has to be used correctly.
   • First and foremost – exfoliating exposes “newer” skin so your skin is highly susceptible to sun damage after any exfoliation. Be very diligent about using sunscreen that day and the next day (well really, you should be wearing it every day anyway…). The other is that it can irritate skin if it is overdone or done too harshly.There are 2 types of exfoliators – chemical (by that we mean anything from harsh chemicals to natural “chemicals” like fruit acid) and physical (anything with scrubbing pieces in it – microderm crystals, crushed dried fruit pits or beans, plastic beads  etc.). Clearly Garden Girl recommends natural choices. But they should also be safe for your skin. Crushed fruit pits (think apricot scrubs etc) or similar things can be very rough on skin causing micro-tears that can damage skin. And plastic beads? Just plain bad – especially for the environment as those things go right down your drain and into the water system. Blech.
   • Both physical and chemical systems basically do the same thing – they remove the dead skin cells and smooth skin. But a physical exfoliant is something that you scrub on your face (in a gentle, circular motion), while a chemical product is something that you put on your skin and leave on, as it does the work for you. Both are great choices – it’s just up to you how you’d prefer to do it. And if you are really struggling with breakouts, the chemical peels can be a better option as depending on the product, it can be a bit stronger and more effective.
   • For example, Garden Girl’s Break Free gel and G for Men’s smooth, are both 7.5% fruit acid (glycolic, lactic,  and pyruvic acids) and it is “unbuffered” which means it is faster acting and more effective  than most fruit acid peels you will find for home use – yet it is still safe for non-professional use. Typically you will find “buffered” peels which are somewhat less effective.If you’re interested in the physical exfoliator, then opt for Garden Girl’s Starting Over microderm scrub – which has a creamy base and natural micro crystals (the same ones used by dermatologists for their microdermabrasion treatments).
5. Fight a pimple naturally. Sometimes you just can’t avoid it, no matter how well you stick to a good skin care system, once in awhile a little “spot” pops up. Don’t panic! Here’s what we recommend – and it really works! Tea Tree Oil. But be careful when you use it – it shouldn’t be used at full strength on your skin. What we suggest is to dip a Qtip into the bottle of Tea Tree Oil and dampen the tip with the oil. Then run that Qtip under a trickle of water just enough to dilute it a bit. You’ll be amazed at how strong it still is! Then dab the Qtip on your pimple. Do this after you have washed and toned but before the moisturizer. Do it morning and evening. Usually after the first 1 or 2 treatments the pimple will start to disappear. You can find Tea Tree Oil online or at Trader Joe’s (it’s the cheapest there) if you have one near you. Tea Tree Oil is a great thing to have on hand. I have written about it in the past in a post on this blog.

So that’s it. This system will work incredibly well for most people – even those that have done the whole dermatologist thing. Save yourself some trips to the doctor’s office and try this instead. You just might be amazed at the results!

The best part about Break Free is that it is a serious product – it’s far superior to many of the typical glycolic or other chemical peels you’ll find in a store. Break Free has a 7.5% concentration, with a pH between 1 and 2 it is unbuffered. Why does all of this matter? Well most of the products you’ll find are buffered and have higher pH levels which means they are less effective. Break Free is the perfect combination of having just the right levels so that it is incredibly effective, but also safe to use at home.

So you can use Break Free and save zillions of dollars (ok that might be a slight exaggeration) over dermatologist peel treatments, and get fantastic results right at home. Peels not only help your skin look smoother and younger but with continued use they also help to even skin tone, unclog pores and reduce any pigmentation issues you might have. And if you suffer from breakouts? It’s one of the best solutions for maintaining clear skin.

We typically suggest that if you have normal to oily skin you should use Break Free 1 to 3 times per week and leave it on for 1 to 3 minutes each time (depending on your tolerance). If your skin is dry or sensitive you can start by using it once per week or once every other week and build up from there.

It is vital to remember, however, if you use any kind of exfoliator, that you are extra careful with your sun exposure. You need to be fully protected because you are exposing the more sensitive layers of skin to the sun. So just be sure to be deligent with your sun screen!

Now for the good part - one lucky winner will get a full sized 4 oz bottle of Break Free for FREE. HURRY – the contest ends Tuesday, August 4th.

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

Go to www.gardengirlskincare.com an answer these questions, then email the answers to contest@gardengirlskincare.com:

1) What is the name of the customer who said “I want to tell you how much I love your products. I do have very sensitive skin and many “natural” products, like Aveda tend to irritate. I have been using my Oasis for Faces, plus toner since I received them and my skin looks and feels wonderful.”

2) What is Garden Girl’s mission? (you can cut/paste)

3) Name 2 beauty blogs or magazines that have featured Garden Girl reviews

Have FUN!!! And don’t forget to submit your entry by Tuesday August 4th!

AHA’s – or alpha hydroxyacids – are commonly found in skin care products. AHA is a group of acids often referred to as “fruit acids.” While there are many types, they all are generally used to treat hyperpigmentation, damaged skin and acne.

The beauty of AHAs is that they improve your skin with little effort needed on your part! They exfoliate dead skin which in turn helps to unclog pores, keep skin smooth and clear, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles (yes please!). Further, there is the added bonus that in doing so – they actually help to improve skin’s hydration. They have natural moisturizing properties and activate your skin’s own hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid then is able to retain more moisture in your skin.

Some typical AHA’s include:

Glycolic Acid (found in At Long Last, Break Free and Nature Nurture) which is sourced from sugar cane juice
Lactic Acid (found in Break Free) which is sourced from sour milk
Malic Acid (found in Nature Nurture) which is found in apples
Tartaric Acid which comes from grapes and wine
Citric Acid (found in Nature Nurture) which comes from lemons, limes, pineapples, oranges and other fruits
Pyruvic Acid (found in Break Free) is derived from tartaric acid

Glycolic and Lactic acids are thought to be the most effective for use in skincare and can be safely used in cosmetic products at a rate of no higher than 10%. Generally, AHA’s can be safe for all skin types, but people with sensitive skin should test the products on their skin before they use them.

So go ahead – embrace those AHAs. Your skin will be glad you did!