1. Beware of the "spot treatment products"- If you've ever tried a 'spot' fighting skincare product before you will know that it sometimes appears to be working for a couple of weeks and then all of a sudden the problem gets a lot worse! That's because typically 'acne' or 'spot' treatment products can contain quite a lot of chemicals and acids which clear up the spots initially but then they begin to dry the skin and strip it of all oil, the skin then goes into meltdown as there's no oil there at all and just produces a lot more as a result. The answer? Choose gentle more balancing products that don't contain alcohol or salicylic acids, Elemis Lime Blossom Cleanser and Lavender Toner are great to gently remove excess oil without stripping the skin. It may take a little longer for the skin to start to clear up but in the long run its so much better. The spot pen type products are ok in an emergency, (party on Saturday and you've got a spot right on the end of your nose!!) but bare in mind that they work by drying up the spot and will leave the skin drier afterwards so not great as an all the time fix.
2.Keep the skin clear from bacteria- this sounds obvious to make sure your skin is clean but its surprising how many people I speak to that suffer from spots, but never wash their make up brushes! Keep an eye on things like changing your pillow case more often, cleaning your phone regularly if you call people alot, try to avoid touching your face throughout the day and wash those make up brushes every 2 weeks!
3. Incorporate spot fighting make up into your routine- Bare Minerals have recently added products to their "blemish remedy" make up range that includes Tea Tree, Aspen Bark and peptides in the make up to help clear problematic skin, so in theory combining skincare and make-up. The range consists of a mattifying primer, a mineral foundation and a concealer stick. So depending how bad the problem is you can incorporate all the products or I just use the primer most days and the concealer on a spot if ones appears, but don't feel the need for the foundation as I just get the odd spot. In general though think about the make up you use, its on your face for a lot of the day so choose a make up you know has good quality ingredients in.
4.Don't wear make up to exercise in or sleep in- when exercising your skin will sweat and get hot, opening all the pores and not allowing the skin to function properly, make sure you also cleanse the skin thoroughly after exercise. When your asleep this is the time the skin will regenerate and repair itself, leaving your make up on wont allow the skin to do this effectively and will also breed bacteria.
5.Look at your diet: Certain foods can have a big impact on the skin but there is not one rule for everyone so keep an eye on what it may be that triggers bad skin, dairy is quite a common food group that trigger acne. Obviously as we all know a well balanced healthy diet is the best for our skin and make sure your drinking plenty of water and try hot lemon water in the morning to cleanse the body.
6. Exfoliate the skin regularly, but not too much!- a skin prone to spots can be quite a reactive/sensitive skin so I would always recommend to exfoliate the skin to help get rid of dead skin cells that can block pores and to deep cleanse the skin, but don't do it too much, twice a week is perfect, and if you do feel using a manual exfoliator (one with bits in) makes the problem worse then try something like the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel which is a smooth exfoliator that uses fruit enzymes to dissolve away dead skin cells.
7.Use a clay based mask- A face mask with a clay base such as kaolin is good to deep cleanse the skin and rebalance, after exfoliating apply a mask (ones with clay in should normally be left on for 10-15mins) to really treat the skin. My favourite is the Elemis Herbal Lavender Repair Mask which also helps to calm red irritated spots.
Hope these help on your quest to stop those spots!
No comments
Post a Comment