Every time you scrub your face, you remove the protective oils and natural defenses. This often leads to rashes. It can even burn your skin. The dermatologists advise using a gentle cleanser and follow it up with a good, reliable moisturizer. We will go one step further and recommend that the cleanser and moisturizer be natural and organic.

I know–it's hard to resist the impulse to squeeze and get rid of the pus, but the truth is that you don't get it all out. A lot of it goes in deeper, and you don't help by squeezing, you just make the condition worse. When it goes deeper, it brings on more inflammation that will spread under the skin. You’ll just get another one in a few days near the one you squeezed. Also, you increase the likelihood that you’re going to get a scar. Stop picking at your face! However, if you can't leave it alone, follow some rules for avoiding the bad-case scenario described above. First of all, don't squeeze and pop the eruption–use a comedone extractor, which you can find at most stores that sell beauty supplies. Press on the pimple and then pull the tool across it to take it out.

These are popular because the providers spend enormous amounts of money advertising them. Besides, nowadays, there's a day spa on every other corner. Recent studies have revealed that facials actually cause acne breakouts! They don't help. About the only thing they do, conclude the researchers, is to make you feel relaxed. Microdermabrasion simply sloughs off the top layer of skin and just wastes your money.

The best advice the dermatologists have is to stay out of the sun. Nothing is more threatening to a young-looking glowing complexion than the damage that ultraviolet rays can do. The dermatologists also recommend that you use a sunscreen. However, beware–many of these are loaded with minerals and other kinds of harmful substances. They may protect you from the sun but subject your body and your skin to substances that end up doing more harm than good. There are some excellent organic, natural products on the market. You may need to go online to find them.

It's just not necessary. They don't live up to their claims. In the first place, they have just as many of the chemicals and harmful ingredients as the cheaper ones. Besides, if you are serious about your raw-foods, organic lifestyle, you don't want those harmful ingredients to enter your body because if you put it on your skin, you ingest it! It's not that applying substances is necessarily harmful in itself, but what we apply should be carefully chosen to augment our healthy good looks and not damage them and to correspond to an organic and raw-foods lifestyle. There are many natural, organic products that can enhance our naturally healthy appearance. Look at “Beauty That Gives Back” on this website: http://www.lovelula.com/cat_natural_beauty.cfm.

There are ways to avoid some of the lines and wrinkles that come with aging, but putting something on your skin will not achieve that. Better–use a sun screen when you must be in the sun, dedicate yourself to an exercise program that will make your entire body healthier, and stick to your raw foods diet.

Don't get me wrong–lasers are miracle instruments, and they can do many wonderful things. They can remove sunspots and may even help with wrinkles. They don't transform you into a different person! Reputable dermatologists will tell you that if you've damaged your skin, there are limitations on what can be done with a laser in the hands of an expert. A lot of damage can be done by a laser in the hands of an inexperienced or poorly-trained practitioner. Get real and do the things that can naturally improve your skin such as staying out of the sun and using a good sunscreen, eating a wholesome diet heavy on raw foods, and dedicate yourself to a workout program that can fit comfortably into your lifestyle.

By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari