Acne Product Treatments

Maintaining a proper beauty regimen is crucial for healthy skin, so don’t rely on a haphazard system for choosing your skincare products. In order to maximize the benefits of your routine, it’s important to recognize your skin type and how to appropriately treat its specific needs. You’ll find that customizing your skincare program garners the best reward of all - a youthful and glowing complexion.
Skin can be classified into seven general types - combination/normal, dry, sensitive, oily, mature, couperose and acneic. Not sure what your skin type is? Stay tuned for more information on discovering what type of skin you have and the best way to treat the common problems you may face.

Alcohol-free toners. Choose gentle formulas that use botanicals and natural extracts instead of harsh alcohols that strip the skin. Plant-based toners are soothing and refreshing. But bare in mind, not everyone needs a toner, daily cleansing is often good enough to remove dirt and excess oils.

Gentle facial scrubs. To get soft, smooth skin, it’s important to exfoliate and remove dead, dry skin. But, harsh exfoliating scrubs can cause cuts in the skin, leading to blemishes and inflammation. Choose a finer-textured scrub that pampers the skin without scratching or irritating. Try a scrub formulated with all-natural ingredients such as honey, menthol, licorice or grape seed oil.

Sulfate-free shower gels. Because some body washes and shower gels contain SLS and thereby might irritate your skin, switch to sulfate-free skin care. Cleansers that are free from harsh sulfates and soaps are designed to soothe, soften and restore skin’s natural pH balance.

Sulfate-free shampoos. Many people dry out their scalp with a harsh shampoo, and then use a heavy conditioner to return the moisture their harsh shampoo strips away. Break this cycle by cleansing gently with natural options. Choose plant-based formulas that contain strengthening agents like wheat proteins and pro-vitamin B5.

So just what beauty products can you buy that contain all-natural, non-irritating ingredients?

In many cases, natural ingredients are gentler than synthetic ones, however, in some case, there are some natural ingredients like essential oils that can cause irritation or allergic reactions.

Non-drying cleansers. Many people mistakenly assume they have oily skin and use a harsh cleanser to achieve a deep clean. However, this only serves to dry out skin, causing and overproduction in oil that in turns leads to breakouts and acne.

Instead, help your skin retain its natural oils while removing the daily build-up of dirt and grime. Botanical ingredients are also a plus, such as grape water and sage leaf extract to soothe skin and give a gentler clean.

Also, remember that new skincare products can take up to six weeks to see results, so be patient and don’t throw in the towel on a new product just yet. Switching too often can only serve to irritate skin further.

Everyone knows by now that wearing sunscreen is a necessary step in every skincare regimen, but some products can irritate your skin more than others. For instance, physical sunblock formulas- reflect UV rays and include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide- typically cause less irritation than their chemical counterparts, which absorb UV rays and prevent them from entering the epidermis. Though rarely used today, the chemical ingredient PABA, or para-aminobenzoic acid, is known for causing irritation and staining fabrics and clothes.

Preservatives help to increase a product’s shelf life and staying power. Parabens- commonly used preservatives that include methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben- are the most commonly used preservative and help to stop bacteria from growing and prevent products from spoiling. However, parabens aren’t without their health risks. Parabens have been linked to breast cancer, impaired fertility and skin irritation, from mild itching to scaling and blistering.

There are differing opinions on the potential for harm of parabens, and some studies find no connecting of parabens and breast cancer. More research is needed to draw solid conclusions, and for now the FDA considers cosmetics with parabens to be safe for the majority of people, although those with eczema should avoid these products.

The best way to stay safe and treat your skin well? Look for natural products that don’t contain parabens.

Artificial colorants are another culprit of irritated skin and breakouts. Chances are that your favorite lavender-scented body wash is lavender-colored too- the result is unnecessary dyes and colorants that can aggravate your skin.

Don’t expect natural products worth their salt to be brightly colors; many don’t contain these harsh chemical colors and dyes, so they cause less irritation.

Also try to avoid synthetic fragrances. Despite their appealing scents and smells, the perfumes and fragrances in some skincare products can cause skin irritation — such as itchiness, dryness and rash. Instead, opt for unscented or fragrance-free products. Many people find this helps their sensitive or easily-irritated skin.

These days, being green is more popular that ever. We recycle, buy organic foods and drive hybrid cars, all to benefit the environment. It’s only natural to extend those benefits to your skin, especially if it’s easily irritated. Toss out those harsh, chemical-laden products and switch to natural products. It just might save your skin.

Your skincare products can include potentially irritating ingredients with some critics even questioning their safety. Find out which ones might be cause for concern.

Although technically speaking, everything in our beauty cabinet contains chemicals, some are harsher than others.

An especially irritating chemical component is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), commonly added to products like shampoo and soap to increase lather and make foamy suds. Unfortunately, it also affects skin by disrupting the structure of the skin to allow deeper penetration of other toxins.

The last and best thing you can do for your skin? Embrace your natural beauty.

Heavy makeup that serves only to camouflage your skin’s natural characteristics isn’t the answer to skincare woes. Foundation and self-tanner isn’t the answer either. Let skin’s natural beauty shine through by adopting a simple skincare mantra: less is more. Wearing heavy makeup only serves to highlight fine lines, wrinkles and other imperfections and makes you look years older. Instead, try a tinted moisturizer for every day wear that contains an SPF of 15 or higher to help heal, protect and prevent any further damage to your skin.

Also keep in mind, the more you switch, change and try different acne products, the more you wreak havoc on your skin. Stick with any new skincare routine for at least six weeks to get the best results. If you don’t like what you see, slowly introduce a new product. Remember, treat your skin well, it will look naturally luminous for a lifetime.

Change with the season

As the leaves fall, ice melts and temperatures boil, our skin also begins to change, requiring different products for every season. This doesn’t mean you need to alter your entire routine, but you might need to change out a few items. For instance, when winter arrives, your once normal to oily complexion can become drier. Come the summer, however, and you’re constantly running out of blotting papers.

To save dry skin during wintertime, invest in an oil-based moisturizer, while during the summer, for skin that tends to be oily, follow your soap-free cleanser with an alcohol-free toner.

TLC after topical treatments

Intense treatments, such as acid peels or Retin-A, can make skin extra-sensitive to the environment — especially sunlight. And although the most effective protection might be to stay indoors, that’s rarely an option.

Shield treated areas with sunscreen, a hat and protective clothing (i.e. long sleeves and pants). Protect any area that’s undergone treatment from sunlight — UV rays can adversely react with these treatments, causing hyperpigmentation or scars. Even indirect exposure from sitting next to a window or driving in the car can be too much. For full protection, apply a moisturizing SPF 30 sunscreen and don’t forget the backs of the hands.