It’s annoying, frustrating and downright embarrassing, especially when the cold season is over, and you can’t wear your cute summer outfits without feeling self-cautious. Yes, I’m talking about acne.
Acne was considered to be teenagers’ problem for a long time, but now it looks like it spreads onto the adult population as well. The most common causes of acne are hormones, excessive perspiration, stress and wearing tight clothes. But the good news is that it’s treatable. There is a huge number of high and low-end remedies out there to help you deal with acne.
FOR YOUR FACE. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel ($33) deeply cleanses without stripping skin from moisture, so it’s safe to use it twice a day. It cools and calms existing breakouts, and prevents the appearance of new ones. Special bonus – it smells great.
If you only need to target an occasional pimple, there’s a nice spot treatment for you: Dermalogica Clean Start Hit the Spot ($22). It’s concentrated, fast-absorbing and can be used under makeup.
You can combine the above mentioned treatments with Murad Acne Treatment Concealer ($21) to camouflage pimples while you are trying to dry them up. The idea here is to use this concealer together with other acne-fighting products (like cleanser) to see better results.
FOR YOUR FACE (less $$$). I find that Neutrogena Acne Wash Redness Soothing Facial Gel Cleanser ($7.99) works well for both treating and preventing blemishes. It can be used daily when you experience skin problems, and twice a week as a preventative measure if you don’t.
Neutrogena Rapid Clear 2-in-1 Fight and Fade Gel ($9.99) is a good on the spot treatment for less moola. It reduces inflammation, size of pimples, and helps to fade post-acne spots if you use it several times a day. It’s a clear, invisible gel that works under makeup too.
You can conceal the existing breakout with Neutrogena SkinClearing Blemish Concealer ($9.99) that contains salicylic acid to treat the pimple while hiding it. It has an oil-free formula, and is available in 4 shades to suit most of the skin tones.
FOR YOUR BODY. I fell for Dermalogica Clean Start Wash Off ($20) since the day I first tried it. This cleanser was manufactured for use on face and body. What can I say, it simply works. You can safely lather it up in the morning and at night, as it doesn’t dry out the skin.
FOR YOUR BODY (less $$$). You probably already know Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Body Wash ($7.99). I like this product, it smells fresh and citrusy, and with the daily use clears up body breakouts nicely.
When you experience painful and inflamed pimple, and none of the products seem to work, you can try my no-fail tip that has been working for me for years: dry it up with Iodine ($4.99). I dip a Q-tip in it and hold it on my blemish for a few seconds. It reduces swelling and redness quickly, but I usually use it 3-4 times a day. Just make sure you get ‘decolorized’ version at the drug store to avoid getting funny brown spots.
I also got used to having Scar Zone Topical Scar Diminishing Cream ($12.19) at hand at all times. It does a good job fading post-acne spots. All you need to do is massage this cream onto your spots/acne scars 2-3 times a day, until they are gone. And I’ve never experienced any unpleasant skin reactions with this product.
In general, to prevent the occurrence of blemishes on face and body, try to take a shower as soon as possible after you break a sweat in the gym or when you got sweaty from being outside in the heat. And it’s important to always take your makeup off before going to bed. Also, rinse your body thoroughly after you wash or condition your hair. Hair products tend to stay on our skin for a while, which leads to clogged pores and skin breakouts. It also helps to wear clothes made of natural materials like cotton, silk or linen in summer, to let your skin breathe.
Even after pimple is treated, numerous sufferers of pimple have to deal with the scars that it leaves. These red marks, sometimes deep enough to be termed “boxcars or icepicks,can be just as devastating to a person’s self-image and confidence as the pimple itself was. Acne scar treatment is achieved by punch techniques.
At the point exactly where the toxins are being excreted via your pores in the skin, there’s only a certain amount of prevention that a topical treatment can do – and it certainly can’t be branded a cure.