Despite what you may believe, you have not been singled out to be tormented by skin that never seems to cooperate. In fact, there are a lot you changes you can make to help your situation that will actually help you in other areas as well. The very first thing we ask our clients to do is to not to give up hope and to keep an open mind. After years of trying every possible solution it’s easy to think our skin is so bad that we are beyond help and the problem is completely out of our control. That is a negative fantasy and is simply not true. What is true is that certain foods, detergents and cosmetics that may not affect other people affect you. This does not make you defective; it makes you sensitive and realizing that treating acne prone skin is similar in many ways to treating sensitive skin is the first step towards the restoration of the skin and, finally,  freedom from acne.

Fresh, ripe pineapple, mango, kiwi and papaya are all natural pore reducers. Eating them first thing in the morning is especially beneficial because the fruits cut the fat in the body, making  it easier for them to tone the skin and reduce the pores.

Here’s the ÀTOI top 10 list of dos and donts to take control and free yourself from troubled skin.

1. Use a Kind Hand: We ask our clients to make sure they develop a gentle hand on their skin. A rough hand irritates breakouts and coarsens the skin around them, slowing the healing process.
2. Avoid Exfoliants: Troubled skin is best treated with gentle care. Even though we make the gentlest most effective Exfoliant, we do not recommend using it until the skin calms down and clears. Even then it should be not be used daily. Applying exfoliant on broken out skin is like trying to heal a paper cut with sandpaper, it doesn’t allow the skin to heal.
3. Use Distilled Water and 100% Rolled Cotton: Our favorite suggestion to clients, especially those with irritated skin, is to invest in a gallon of distilled water and a spray bottle. Because of the irritating residue from the detergent and fabric softener, do not use a towel to dry the face when you get out of shower or bath. Instead, spray ÀTOI’s 100% Cotton Squares with distilled water, which is free of any potentially irritating minerals and purifiers found in tap water, and wipe the face down morning and night. This simple adjustment will result in an immediate improvement in the skin.
4. Drink Water: Drinking water is essential to the quality and the tone of the skin because it helps to flush out irritants. Our favorite drinking water is Neo Alkaline Water. Not only does it help to balance the system’s acidity, but it also tastes delicious!
5. Avoid High Acidity Fruit Juices: Tomato, orange, apple, mixed fruit juice or fruit drink can cause breakouts and aggravate the skin.  If you must have fruit juice, try Lakewood Cranberry Juice, our company favorite. It is made only from organic fruit, never concentrate, and is delicious.
6. Avoid High Iodine Foods: Iodine aggravates and can actually cause breakouts, especially those under the skin that never seem to come to a head and are painful. If your breakouts are in the lower part of the face, especially the jaw line, avoid seafood, especially tuna, swordfish, shrimp the nori used to wrap sushi. Filet of sole, salmon and whitefish are low in iodine and therefore are safer choices. Spinach should also be avoided because it is loaded with iodine.   
7. Try These Delicious Fruits: Fresh, ripe pineapple, mango, kiwi and papaya are all natural pore reducers. Eating them first thing in the morning is especially beneficial because the fruits cut the fat in the body, making  it easier for them to tone the skin and reduce the pores.
8. Avoid Botanical Shampoos: Just as the acidity in certain fruit juices is aggravating to the skin, so are highly botanical shampoos and conditioners which can cause breakouts particularly along the hairline and even the face.
9. Avoid Dairy: Fats from cheese,  butter, ice cream and other dairy products are hard on broken out skin because they clog the pores. As a butter replacement, try cold pressed oils like Spectrum Apricot Oil and Virgin Olive Oil. These oils not only keep the pores clear, they also help hydrate and nourish the skin from within, plus the Apricot Kernel Oil tastes like butter!
10. Find Happy Health Food: It is especially important that our healthy food should always taste as good as it can. Delicious food makes it so much easier to stick to a healthy way of eating. Some of our favorites for delicious health food in NYC include Hu Kitchen and LifeThyme.

At ÀTOI we believe acne prone skin needs restoration not punishment. Our process of clearing the skin, based on the French Skin care Routine, begins with a Cleansing and Moisturizing Routine that calms the skin around the breakouts so that theses areas get better and better. Then the breakouts get smaller and smaller until the skin clears and the breakouts disappear. You are left with a skin that you cannot believe is yours. Please call 212-929-2182 or email us at admin@atoiskincare.com if you have any questions. Our skin care professionals will help you start a routine that will replace your acne with radiant, translucent skin.