Is glycerin soap good for acne-prone skin? Have you ever heard that glycerin soap, charcoal or tea tree essential oil are the path to clear, acne-free skin?
If you are tired of dealing with breakouts and want to keep your skin healthy and free of pimples and blackheads, read on!
These are 8 steps that our thousands of customers report work for them.
1. Don’t mess with it!
When you feel a pimple starting to form, it can be painful, red and embarrassing. The first instinct is usually to pick at it or pop it to make it go away. Although this is a natural response, it is absolutely the wrong thing to do!
Your hands and fingernails carry tons of bacteria which will be introduced into the open blemish, furthering the risk of infection which can lead to a long healing time and possible scarring. The best thing to do is just leave it alone and keep it clean.
2. Try pimple patches.
If you find it difficult to resist the temptation to poke or prod your blemish, we recommend using hydrocolloid pimple patches. The patch looks like a small circular bandage. The patch will cover and protect your pimple and will help prevent you from touching it. It will keep the area clean and will promote rapid recovery of the skin.
The patch will absorb any pus or discharge from the blemish and will help the skin heal more quickly because it will be protected from bacterial infection.
3. Use glycerin soap twice a day.
Some of us remember using Neutrogena clear glycerin soap to help keep acne-prone skin clean and clear of blemishes. We were definitely onto something!
Glycerin is a natural humectant and resembles clear, sweet, sticky honey in its natural form. Traditional transparent glycerin acne soap keeps its promise to cleanse away dirt, oil, grime, bacteria and impurities.
However, many traditional acne soaps contain sulfates which can cause reactions and damage the natural protective barrier on skin.* Detergents like sulfates can also over strip oil, removing the skin's healthy, moisturized barrier and leading to dry, itchy skin.
Natural, oil-based glycerin soaps provide the perfect marriage of cleansing and moisture. They remove the oil you hate but leave the skin nourished, smooth and healthy.
4. Avoid artificial fragrances.
You definitely want to avoid any artificial fragrance in facial cleansers. The manufacturers of artificial fragrances are covered by copyright law, meaning they do not need to list the ingredients, mostly chemical additives, that they use. **
This non-disclosure of artificial fragrance means you don’t know what potential allergens are ingredients in your soap, skincare products, candles, or household cleaners. The chemical ingredients in artificial fragrances in some facial cleansers can irritate inflamed skin. The best choice is an all-natural oil-based, sulfate-free bar soap containing glycerin.
5. Choose charcoal additives.
The addition of charcoal to a glycerin soap will help extract and absorb toxins. Charcoal has a negative molecular charge which allows it to bind with positively charged liquids. In simple terms, it helps absorb toxins and impurities from the skin.
The best choices for acne-prone skin are either unscented charcoal glycerin soap, or charcoal glycerin soap infused with tea tree essential oil.
6. Spot treat with tea tree essential oil.
A study conducted by Clinical Microbiology Reviews showed that the anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties of tea tree essential oil can help with the bumps, inflammation and hyper-pigmentation associated with cystic acne. ***
Tea tree oil comes from a tree indigenous to Australia and is also used to treat wounds and other skin ailments. Studies have shown that tea tree oil can help to minimize the creation and appearance of raised acne scars.
7. Don’t over-strip your skin.
Don’t remove too much oil. Traditional acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can leave your skin overdried resulting in rough, itchy, flaky or even scaly skin. ****
Healthy skin needs a certain level of moisture, so don’t destroy your skin in your fight against acne.
8. Love yourself.
Stuff happens. Acne happens. Stressing and obsessing over a breakout can actually make it worse by messing with your hormonal balance and immune system. Be gentle with your skin. Be kind to yourself. Show yourself and your skin love by doing what you can to take care of yourself every day. And have patience and understanding when something doesn’t go the way you’d like it to.
Conclusion
Daily use of all-natural, gentle glycerin soaps is one of the best defenses against acne breakouts. Our small family-owned business has been hand-making all-natural glycerin soaps for 10 years. We have listened to customers and have worked with them to create the best skincare products for their needs. We’d love to have the opportunity to help you achieve your best, healthiest skin.
References
* Mohammad, Yousef. “What is sodium lauryl sulfate and is it safe to use?” The University of Queensland, Australia Faculty of Medicine. 29 December 2019,
** United States, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Fragrances in Cosmetics.” FDA Website, 22 August 2022, https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/fragrances-cosmetics.
***Carson, C. F., et al. “melaleuca alternifolia(tea Tree) oil: A review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties.” Clinical Microbiology Reviews, vol. 19, no. 1, 2006, pp. 50–62, https://doi.org/10.1128/cmr.19.1.50-62.2006.
****DM;, Feldman SR;Chen. “How Patients Experience and Manage Dryness and Irritation from Acne Treatment.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21637901/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.