Best products fighting irritation/blemishes/acne...etc

Before even going in to the products I have to state the following:

We have to remember irritation is caused by MANY external and/or internal "interferences", so if you wake up, look in the mirror and panic because you notice a "blemish" don't necessarily assume you have bad/over oily or greasy/dirty/whatever skin!

DO NOT TRY to pick or squeeze...easier said than done? I know...it's difficult to just leave it alone, but the fact is you will probably cause MORE harm and irritation, and will take even longer to heal...so just try your hardest to accept and think tomorrow is a new day and it WILL get better!

With that said, I have to move on to another topic which is a bit of a controversy. Aesthetic extractions... a.k.a. going to the beautician and them "cleaning" out your pores.

I myself have only had this done about 3 -4 times in my life and I am a licensed aesthetician, who learned this in school to be a "basic" treatment.

I DO NOT AGREE! I feel it's ONLY ok to have this done when the pore is NOT IRRITATED and the sebum is firm and dark or soft and white...( I know it sounds awful and it is disgusting, but I just have to write it! ) If you are a believer in this "procedure" I suggest telling your therapist to only extract from NON-IRRITATED areas/pores that are "ready" for extraction and have them do CALMING therapy on irritation. By doing this you know you will not have MORE irritation than what you arrived with. NEVER ATTEMPT TO DIY!!

If you have irritations (either a few or full blown acne) and you decide to pick/extract, you will risk having the puss infect other areas of the skin and further irritate the area itself.

Now let's move on to the products to EXTERNALLY treat irritation!

PRO ACTIVE:

I know it's hard to take this brand seriously because of all the "celebrity" in your face advertising they do, but I HAVE USED THIS AND IT DOES WORK, also I know a good few other people who have as well, and agree it's a great product. It comes with a daily exfoliating face wash , toner and daily moisturizer... as a bonus they send you the mask as well. Concerning scent and packaging don't expect anything amazing...it's medicated stuff, so it's not too pleasant but if you are like I was, and had such bad skin and didn't care about "luxury", but just to get rid of the problem...GO FOR IT! If you have any where from dry seborrhea with chronic break outs to full blown acne it will make a difference within the first week or two! ( I saw results within the first week of use, I had the chronic break outs. )

What they do not tell you is, when your skin becomes "normalized" or has a significant change towards healthy looking skin STOP using this product EITHER every day to a few times of the week or fully stop and store it away to use ONLY when needed!

What happened to me is, I over used this product and my skin became so dry that that started making me break out again! It took a very long time to get my skin to recover from over drying it, so just be careful! If your skin becomes over dry it will be very intolerant and easily irritable, so it will be a horrific adventure to try and find products that your skin will tolerate and or absorb and NOT break out from it!

The products come with directions how to use them, but they are general so try and figure out the best way to use them to benefit your skin needs. The best products are the face wash and mask...the toner is good too but it can be a bit strong and the daily moisturizer smells terrible and feels a bit yucky... but hey, no pain, no gain! Right?!

CLEAN AND CLEAR QUICK CLEAR SPOT TREATMENT GEL:

Many companies are coming out with similar products today. They promise to minimize blemishes in rapid time. the key ingredient in all of these is usually SALICYLIC ACID. This ingredient can either help you or make your life miserable and it all depends on the concentration level in the product AND how many times and the way you apply it to the affected area. Salicylic acid promotes the skin cells to dry/peel away faster, thus encourages new skin cells to be born. This is why it helps blemishes dry/clear up faster. So what's the problem with that you may ask?!

The problem is this chemical strengthens it effect each time it comes in contact with the previously treated area... this means you are "burning" away the skin each time you use it. I am sure if you have ever used these products you have noticed either all or some of the following:

• dark/purple/discolored in the treated area
• burning like sensation
• severe dryness and peeling after a few uses

NOW, I am sure it all makes sense to you why these "symptoms" occur!

I find THIS clean and clear one is the most gentle out of all these types of products. My tip is to use a small amount ONLY on the blemish right when you notice it (if possible) then DO NOT use it for a full 24h. Repeat if necessary. By doing this you are giving your skin recovery time..remember SKIN=LIVING BREATHING ORGAN!

PLEASE READ MORE about this chemical here so you know what the safe amounts are and make sure you check ingredient lists on product to make sure they are safe!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid

LA ROCHE POSAY EFFACLAR A.I.:

This is a great ALTERNATIVE product if the SALICYLIC ACID products are to strong for you.

It does contain a bit of salicylic acid but significantly less than the others, as this brand it self is developed for easily irritable/ sensitive skin. The other ingredient which is key in this is KAOLIN. It's a powder like substance which absorbs oil which helps "dry" blemishes without being to harmful to the tissue and cells. Niacinamide helps to prevent more irritation and piractone/glycacil is anti-bacterial.

I would use it the same way as the previously mentioned product, though since it is white and quite dense, it's best for overnight treatment. For prices check online. This is probably more expensive but it is twice as much product compared to Clean and Clear.

TEA TREE OIL:

The brand doesn't matter just make sure you get it in oil form preferably pure and from a a pharmacy. DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR SOMEONE AROUND YOU IS! It's VERY strong and can be dangerous...read more here : http://www.livestrong.com/article/355888-risks-of-using-tea-tree-oil-during-pregnancy/ .

Tea tree oil is a very potent and strong and has antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal effects.

It is a basic product every household should have as it has many uses. Used on blemishes it helps clean the area and encourages healthy healing.

What you want to remember though are the following:

• EXTERNAL USE ONLY!
• Apply on DRY, non wet areas or else it causes strong burning sensation (SENSATION!)
• Use carefully near to the eyes as it's aroma can cause irritation

To use, put few drops on an earbud or cotton pad and dab on to the area in question.

For further information : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oil

ALOE VERA AND ALOE VERA GELS:

It's best if you can just buy the leaf, cut it and use it in it's pure form, but not all of us are able to obtain the leaves. I am using this exact product right now and I can tell you it's effects are amazing!

Aloe vera soothes and calms irritation amazingly, without taking a toll on your skin and doesn't have a drying effect. The only issue I have with this and other aloe vera products is they tend to be a bit potent...I sometimes (once every 10 days maybe) will do a "mask" with this gel and my eyes water VERY badly until the gel dries away. Again though, no pain, no gain! It's worth it though...just take a 10-15 minute nap with it on your face. Wash off and you'll be left with smoother, calmer skin.

I use it on smaller blemishes too which totally helps them to calm down and decrease in size.

Just put a little drop on the area and let it settle/dry away. It's also great for sunburns and other irritations.

ECZEMA OINTMENTS AND CREAMS:

I am not putting an image for this as there are many different types available, but the one most popular and easily obtained is SUDOCREM. When to use these types of products : When you have dry-very dry, eczema type rashes and irritation that spreads. Mostly you will have bumpy skin that feels dry and peels and looks similar to acne. The reason why these work well on this type of irritation because the texture is very rich and nourishing so it will help relieve dryness, thus already helping irritation, and the ingredients will further calm, sooth and treat the effected area.

I had contact eczema all over my face at one point a few years ago and it was awful! My nose was probably the only clear area on my face and I had no idea what the heck to try...then, when I understood WHY and WHAT I was dealing with I tried an ointment for eczema and over night 60% of the irritation was GONE!

Remember though, this method should only, ONLY be used to treat THIS type of irritation and only as long as it is needed!

ANTI REDNESS EYE DROPS:

Again, no photo needed, as there are many types available. The main thing is , purchase one to relieve redness.

This method will NOT heal anything, but it will relieve and lessen redness. Drop a good 4-5 drops on to a cotton pad then hold it on the red area for a good 30-60 seconds. This should reduce the color and will help you to conceal the blemish better.

So here you go, these are ( according to me ) the BEST ways to battle blemishes and irritation.

Obviously, if you have severe ACNE you will need to probably do more, and should start at the dermatologist's office. You need to evaluate your external routine and internal intake or products combined with what your doctor tells you. These methods above though may still help you out though!

NEXT POST: PRIMERS AND FOUNDATIONS! :)

ACNE in my life and what I have learned from it...

ACNE...

I felt this image was appropriate.

I am someone who has always had break outs...some times it wasn't too awful, just a couple...but other times it was like someone threw a pizza on my face. MORTIFYING. EMBARRASSING. PARALYZING.

Those are probably the main ways I personally felt while struggling with this "Pain-in-the-ass" chronic irritation of the skin.

I never understood why I had these flare-ups, and supposedly no-one else in my close family had this problem... also in school, most of the girls always seemed to be so perfect and that just made me feel even worse... Some of the kids would even ask "oh, what's that on your face?" when they OBVIOUSLY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS....I would have loved to tell them off and say something like "Yes you little jerk, it IS A ZIT, but guess what...It will heal and go away! However you were born like THAT! HAHH!!" Of course I NEVER said those things, usually I would get all red and sad and mumble " I don't know". Has this happened to anyone else before?? Whatever.( Eventually I came to the conclusion , that they were insecure and tried to make me/you feel bad so they could feel a little better about themselves.)

As the years went by I honestly tried everything besides Accutane or any real strong meds or treatments at dermatological centers...

I tried all the generic brands such as Clean and Clear, L'Oreal, Garnier...etc. They all did the same thing... NOTHING. They did not make anything worse, but they did not make it better either. I did use my mothers Cetaphyl brand soap bar face wash... It was okay...but also didn't do too much...

Besides external products I did sometimes do a periodic treatment with Tetracycline... that defiantly would "calm" things down, but still I would have break outs.

With all this said, I have to be honest about another thing, which I am certain we all have done or still do... spend too much time in front of the mirror, provocating irritation, picking, squeezing, putting harsh agents on the skin...etc. I don't know why we sometimes do these things, I question myself about this to this day! I think it may be a control thing. I notice this usually happens when I am bored or under motivated and/or feeling crap about my appearance. Maybe, by thinking we are in control of how "clean" our skin is or how we can try ( but then

almost ALWAYS failing ) to control and "self heal" our irritations, it gives us a momentary sense of "I AM IN CONTROL"!! Which is great...only immediately after we realize we look as red as a tomato and our skin is even more irritated then before!.... Not to mention we end up paying for it for the next few days-week(s)!!

So, with all this going on in my then close to age 20 mind, I heard a lot about Pro-Active. At this time I was going to Aesthetics school and learning a lot about skin, and initially was getting a bit smarter about how to care for it...but lets be honest...when you are that young, a 100% healthy lifestyle is usually out of the question...your glad if you hit the 70% mark.

Anyhoo... I started Pro-Active and it finally did do the job! It is a GREAT product! I kept on using it for maybe 2 months, until I started to notice my skin got so dry and irritated again..I didn't understand what the hell was going on! WHY AGAIN???? ... Basicly what happened was my skin type changed from being more of S. Sicca to Alipic... To keep the story short...If you use Pro-Active make sure you change to different "maintenance" products, or else you will push your skin type too far and will end up with overly dried , sensitive and irritated skin with ....ACNE AGAIN! (What a tangled web we weave?!)

NOW In my mid twenties I can honestly say my skin has never been better, and it is because of the following :

• Evaluating what my skin is in need of
• Understanding that Acne/Irritation does and can occur from many external AND internal symptoms...NOT from "dirt" ...as many misleading commercials say, advertising their latest products...TOTAL 1000000000% BULL SH$T!!!
• Watching my intake of ANY and ALL medication
• Eating more natural foods and preparing my OWN meals... this way I know exactly what I am consuming
• Drink water
• Read ingredient lists on products and foods... make sure the first 3-5 ingredients listed are familiar,safe and are the ones advertised.
• MOISTURE
• Exfoliate every 10 days...no sooner!
• Stay away from harsh chemicals
• Cut down on time spent in front of the mirror, thus you will not "pick" as much

These are the key points!

It's ok to go and get extractions once in a while, but I would make a point of letting the person working on you to LEAVE ANYTHING IRRITATED OR NOT "READY" ALONE!

I myself have gone to do this maybe 2 times in my entire life.

Also a great tip in general..if it is red,painful,itchy,swollen,infected... it's best just to LEAVE IT ALONE! I once had read some one writing they put peroxide on their pimples/blemishes...and did not understand why it got worse and did not dry up.... SERIOUSLY? WOW! Just be happy you still have skin!!!

I had a period where I had overly exfoliated my face, because I thought I would be getting rid of dead skin cells and my skin would breath better...bad bad BAD IDEA!! I had contact eczema all over my face for about a month before the light bulb went off in my head that possibly, THIS is the problem!...I put some eczema cream on it and by morning 60% of the irritation went away and I was laughing at myself, about why it took me so long to figure this out! Oh well, we learn from mistakes, right?

Another cause of acne can be from medication... in my family for example, we have a history of migraines ... so if I would have it for 5-6 days in a row and had to work and function as a normal human being...I took pain killers...and it helped the pain... but would show up as acne on my face. So if you are someone who takes medication often, and suffers from acne...THAT is what is causing you irritation...not necessarily your skin type.

Not just for women, for men too, hormone imbalance also causes breakouts...this probably isn't new news to anyone... usually it show up on the chin, jawline and neck area.

For men if, they use steroids this can also cause acne....(body builders!!)

And of course STRESS!!!!!!!

There are other types and causes for Acne, but I just wanted to mention the ones which are more common.

Remember, we are all insecure about something...usually that other person will not even see or notice your flaws, because they are also so worried about you noticing theirs!

So the next post will be about what products I have used and recommend!!!

Sorry if some of you are bored maybe of all this writing with no photos or fun product reviews... I just think it's SUPER important to go over the basics first!

Skin Types 101

So there are 3 main skin types, with one having 2 subtypes.

To begin with let's start with NORMAL skin type.

This is considered to be the most ideal, though it is not PERFECT! There is no such thing as perfect skin folks!

Normal skin usually is described as having/being:

• well hydrated ( no wrinkles )
• dead skin cell exfoliation rate normal (no peeling what so ever)
• circulatory system functions normal ( no broken blood vessels )
• balanced secretion ( never shiny, but glowing..if that makes any sense )
• few blackheads/pores around nose area ( usually under folds )
• pigmentation levels are balanced ( no freckles or any other type of pigmentation marks)
• no scars, or any other type of secondary skin symptoms
• no irritation ( a.k.a. blemish/acne)
• no abnormal hair growth

If you have this type, you are lucky...all you need to do is keep up and watch for signs of unusual symptoms...then you need to start using some prevention products...SOME! You do not need to change all your elements or your every day skin care products, just maybe change or use some other product(s) on target areas.

Moving on , we can talk about ALIPIC skin type.

This skin type is missing the fatty/oily substances hence the name! This skin type occurs usually in older age groups ( normal production in the glands slow down ), or overly treated dry skin ( I have had this skin type after using Pro-Active over time! ).

Usually these tend to be the most sensitive and easily irritable skin types. The hydration levels are low as a result of not having a barrier of oil to hold in the water between tissue and cells.

Alipic skin description:

• dry
• tight pores
• red, irritable, allergic
• wrinkles
• peeling, flaky skin
• irritation blemishes can occur... think of eczema
• fallen
• broken blood vessels

Briefly these are the main "red flag" warning signs!

This skin type is a MAJOR pain and can be utterly devastating...Because it is so sensitive it is difficult to treat externally alone, thus your key treatment will be in internal consumption.

If you feel you have this skin type or experience signs of it..I suggest first of all trying to ONLY drink water and TONS of it! Ideally 3 liters, though we live in a busy world so this can be difficult, try to go for 2! Try to eat as much fruit and vegetables as well to make sure you get your kick of nutrients and vitamins. In order to boost oil levels, eat nuts (if you don't have allergies) and some oily fish as well.

Externally make sure you shop at the pharmacy and you will have to stay away from "commercial"/mid-low quality generic brands. (La Roche Posay is GREAT, Avene, Aderma...)

You will have to probably spend a bit more money, but trust me, it is worth it!

Do NOT Exfoliate, use scented or overly processed products with too many chemicals... Only buy products that are for "Dry, Very Dry, Sensitive, Irritable" skin...if it says "normal" or "combination" PUT IT DOWN.

Lastly, if symptoms last too long and your skin does not improve see a dermatologist immediately!

Last but not least SEBORRHEIC skin type.

This type has two sun types. Both have over production of oil in the glands, paired with other different symptoms generally having to do with the keratinization ( rate of new skin cells forming and dead ones exfoliating off ). The most common is the DRY version (Seborrhea Sicca) and the other, less common is the HYDRATED version (Seborrhea Oleosa).

Seborrhea Sicca description:

• Oily shine in the T-Zone area
• Blackheads and whiteheads on the entire face but mostly in T-Zone area
• Open pores whole face
• Tightness and dryness of skin
• Irritation ( Blemishes/Acne)
• Sandy and/or flaky peeling
• Broken blood vessels around nose and chin
• Skin color usually looks "dull"
• Wrinkles
• Can become easily irritated

If you believe this skin type is familiar to you, your best bet will to be products to combat irritation, peeling , hydration and secretion. Because this skin is in need of hydration I would opt for a gentle cleanser...either a milky one or a watery based one...nothing that is lathery...so no strong soaps or gels. In the past I have liked Lierac, Bioderma and Biotherm most.

You can however use a tonic to help treat secretion, if you feel your cleanser alone is just not 100% "strong" enough. The next step is one of the most vital! EXFOLIATION! There are many many product on the market... "every day exfoliator" and brushes and these rubbery things that have little tiny spike-like surfaces... I say...FORGET IT! All you need is a GREAT exfoliator that you use every 10 days. Best ones are alpha hydroxy acids and ones which have tiny tiny little "scrubbers"... Ideally , you will probably use the latter one... AHA-s are great but they can be dangerous to use at home, or expensive at the salon. My FAVE exfoliators are MAC MICROFINE and LIERAC SOIN EXFOLIANT LUMIERE VISAGE....They have the best price and product level ratio!

Exfoliation will help prevent irritation ( helps dead skin cells off ) by letting secretion escape the pore, not trapping it inside to become irritated.

Then you want to use some type of serum. Serums are usually water based, so you help your hydration level to increase ... not to mention those nasty irritations also occur because of your dryness... hence the problem of abnormal keratinisation...

Serums also come in a wide variety, treating specific symptoms.

After this, you will still want to use a hydrating day cream. I would opt for a lotion, because of it's light texture. I would stay away from anything containing salicylic acid or alcohol ( THEY WILL DRY! ).

For treating specific areas/ blemishes it is safe to use either/or:

Tea Tree Oil,

La Roche Posay's Effaclar A.I.,

Natural Aloe Vera...even from the leaf!! That's the best!!

If symptoms are abnormal and become worse over time see your dermatologist.

MOVING ON ( I know...FINALLY, right?...)

Seborrhea OLEOSA description:

• Oily shine on whole face
• Face/skin looks "full" (hydrated)
• Blackheads mostly in T-zone, white heads entire face
• Open pores on entire face
• Not too much irritation
• Brocken blood vessels
• "Dull" skin color

Basically you may have giggled reading "Face looks full"...but it does. This is because there is always a substantial amount of oil on the face , it acts as a barrier, keeping moisture locked in.

The pores are open thus there is less irritation...the sebum can escape the pores easily and because the hydration is more "normal", the dead skin cells peel off at a normal rate, not trapping sebum in the pore.

If you feel this is the type that is most familiar to you, you will need to regulate the secretion levels firstly then tackle secondary symptoms..such as blood vessels...

You can use some stronger face wash, something of a gel or soapy substance...VICHY is a great brand for this skin type... and many other more "generic" brands are ok to use too...

Use a toner, it will also help to regulate secretion levels.

You should use a serum or a light lotion for the day time... I have not myself experienced this skin type, but what i would do is carry a little spray bottle with toner in it and a little bottle of a light lotion in my bag...then during the day I can evaluate which one I need to use.

Keep using an exfoliator of corse!

As with the previous, if symptoms worsen, or do not subside contact your dermatologist.

What do you think? And what should the next post be about? Acne or My skin care rutine?

I will do both but I want each post to make sense with the previous one...and not have them all over the place. What do you think?