Damn you, acne! One would think that by the time we are long past puberty, long past childbearing and on our way to *cough* menopause *cough* that acne would cease to be an issue. It doesn’t have to be menopausal either – PMS zits, stress hormone zits…. I’ve battled them for so many years that it feels like a lifelong vendetta. It is definitely hormonal, but is also effected by my diet. Yes. My diet. I know that sugar, lots of it, is the worst thing for my skin. Chocolate, too. Not the super dark variety, eaten in small doses, but the milky creamy evil stuff. I can guarantee a break out after sweets binge. I try to resist, people, I really do, but who is really that noble? Not me. At any rate, even when I cut out all the evil foods, a cystic zit will grow in spite of my good behaviour. Stress, hormonal swings – who knows why? But when it happens, I try to kill it immediately. I have used everything to fight it – benzoyl peroxide (oy my skin), salicylic acid (not bad in small doses), prescription creams (retin A hurts my face, prescription benzoyl peroxide works for a very short time), sulphur (works but not always). Sigh. So I decided to try the natural skincare route. And I found some natural warriors that fight acne to the death.

I started using the beautiful products from Osmia Organics a few years ago. Her products helped my daughter through a wicked perioral dermatitis (exzema, meet acne) during her stressful master’s degree program. The Osmia Organics Facial Calibration serum has brought my skin back from the brink after abusing it with the above medical treatments on more than one occasion. I had seen posts on social media about her Spot Treatment Oil and every single one hailed it as their Holy Grail Acne Killer. I say the same. When a nasty cyst starts growing under the skin – you know the kind – they hurt and you know its ONLY GOING TO GET BIGGER. You know you shouldn’t touch it, but you do. Honestly – a few days of applying her spot treatment oil to the area several times a day shrinks that bitch and shows it who’s the boss. You may have to do it again if it flares up but it works. I can feel the results sometimes minutes after I apply the oil. It’s astounding. At $22 US acne sufferers cannot afford to not have this in their arsenal.

“A surprisingly powerful blend of essential oils combats bacteria and diminishes blemishes, while evening primrose oil prevents overdrying and heals the skin. Unlike most acne solutions, this serum does not strip the skin of its oil, and does not leave blemishes flaky and crusted while healing. Used early and often, our natural acne treatment is very effective on blemishes even before they come to the surface fully, often preventing them from surfacing at all. The Spot Treatment has a very pleasant, lemony scent (and no tea tree oil), making it a pleasure to use.”

– organic evening primrose oil and essential oils of lavender*, cajeput*, lemon*, parsley, thyme, cypress*, and rosemary CO2*
– 96.5% certified organic ingredients

As with any skincare, even miracles have exceptions. So, in the case when my Osmia Organics Spot Treatment isn’t enough, I break out the BIG GUNS. Odacité Black Cumin & Cajeput Serum Concentrate  ($32 USD) is the bomb dot com and I have yet to meet a zit that is a match for this miracle in a bottle. It is part of the Odacité collection of concentrates that are designed to be incorporated into your existing skincare routine. They are highly refined, tested and full of natural science and goodness and they work. The Black Cumin Concentrate (what I call it for the sake of brevity) kills inflammation almost upon contact. I find for me it works best as a spot treatment, but it is also perfect for adding a drop or two to your current skincare routine.

– Formulated to absorb deep into pores, this active serum helps to achieve blemish-free skin and smooth the complexion
– The purifying properties of Black Cumin oil control the spread of breakout-causing bacteria.
– Therapeutic Cajeput acts at the source of the problem with potent antiseptic properties, helping to prevent further pimple eruption.
– In aromatherapy, Cajeput is known to promote clear thoughts and liveliness.

Verdict? Love. THEY WORK and I cannot imagine being without them.