Chemical means something made in a lab.
Organic vs Natural: what's the difference? Products that say they're natural most of the time don't mean they're 100% natural. In fact very few are. To be called natural they don't even have to contain much of a natural ingredient. Some products show what percentage of something is natural. Organic on the other hand means 100% natural unless its referring to a specific ingredient. Be careful when reading packaging. I will be using the word natural to refer to products that use natural ingredients for their main purpose such as active ingredients.
Cleanser
I don't often recommend using an acne cleanser unless you can pay a bit more to get something better formulated. In this case it doesn't matter whether its chemical or natural.Moisturizer
This one can be controversial. Personally I use natural moisturizers as they break down on the skin unlike chemical ingredients although shea butter is best avoided as it takes longer to break down. A natural moisturizer is also good for supplying nutrition to the skin.Treatment
In this category I'm grouping toner/liquids and serums/gels. Here are some ingredients that I like. Most natural and some chemical . I like them not because of their source but because of how well they work.
- Salicylic acid sometimes called Beta hydroxy (BHA) acid is natural as it come from willow tree bark. This is best as a leave on as will have a minimal amount of affect in a cleanser, especially a cheap one.
- Glycolic acid and Lactic acid sometimes called Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are natural. The most important one for acne is Glycolic. They both help to fade and eventually can remove acne scarring. This is also best in a leave on.
- Benzyl Peroxide is chemical. It work much better than Tea Tree and leaves your skin less drying. 2.5-5% works best. Not great for a cleanser as it can bleach clothing.
Nip + Fab pads are great as they contain Glycolic, lactic and salicylic acid.
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