Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

Acne is a very irritating skin condition to begin with, especially for adolescent girls and boys with particularly sensitive skin already. This skin condition greatly lowers their self esteem most especially when the case is severe. Such people tend to use any treatment, even if it is just too rough for those with the sensitive skin type, just to get rid of acne.

However, this is never a right choice to make. These treatments vary in terms of how strong they are and the possible effects on the skin, whether negative or positive. It is therefore important to know your skin type. People with sensitive skin should get acne treatment for sensitive skin.

The best acne treatment for sensitive skin is a natural product. Compounds like sodium lauryl sulfate which is often included in acne skin cleansers are very strong and hence inappropriate for sensitive skin.

This type of acne treatment will destroy the skin and in the long run make it susceptible to other skin infections. It is therefore important to invest in sls free acne treatment as it is gentler on the skin.

Essential oils like jojoba and tea tree are very good acne treatments. These are gentle on the skin and are sls free. The oils are just the right amount on the skin and therefore chances of having clogged pores are minimal. The oils are also easily absorbent in the skin. This makes them less sticky than other oils which trap dust.

Tea tree and jojoba oil are usually combined to provide faster and better results. The two are combined in a ratio of 3:10. These are 3 parts of tea tree and 10 parts of jojoba oil as tea tree is stronger than jojoba oil.

Tea tree mainly works as an antibiotic. It kills the bacteria that cause acne. These bacteria are also responsible for the formation of pus in the bumps. If they are eliminated early, chances of the acne developing into severe type are minimized.

Jojoba is important for its non-greasy and absorbent aspects. Aloe Vera is also a good natural treatment for acne. This works by killing the bacteria and at the same time moisturizing the skin.

Natural treatments should be used on the affected area at least twice a day. This should mainly be after a bath when the skin is fresh. It is very important to ensure that you do not use harsh soaps on the affected skin area while you use these treatments.

In conclusion, before you embark on any treatment for acne, ensure that it is good for your skin.

Acne prone skin is really one of a kind. You can’t treat it exactly as you would combination skin, or dry skin, as many of the products that would work find on these types of skin are simply too oily or comedogenic (pore clogging) to work on skin that easily falls prey to acne lesions forming.

There are many different kinds of facial masks for the treatment of acne on the market today. Some are more like scrubs, and some are masks that you paint on your face, which form a bond, then you literally peel them off of your face when they have solidified.  I’ve tried those kind, and frankly I’m not that impressed.

I’m usually more impressed with the mud-type of facial masks, as these ones really open the pores and seem to help mop up excess oil from the pores. However, you do not want to leave a mud based mask on the face for too long, because they can sap your skin of too much moisture, leaving it dry and flaky.

You should really just leave a mud-based mask on until it is no longer wet feeling (probably no more than 10-15 minutes), then once it has turned opaque for the most part, you can go ahead and rinse it off with a washcloth that is soaked in warm water. 

It’s the ideal time to really tone the skin after a facial mask, as this is when the pores are more opened and have gotten a lot of the dirt and debris deposits cleaned out.  A good toner could be witch hazel, or an all natural toner that helps to tighten the pores without over drying the skin.

An example of what not to use would be a toner loaded with alcohol, or one that is over the counter and harsh such as Sea Breeze.  Those ones with a strong medicinal scent are usually a warning that they are loaded with moisture-stealing alcohol, which can actually further irritate acne by over stimulating the oil glands into producing excess sebum. 

Also beware of chemical-filled facial masks, as there are several harsh chemicals that can be used in commercial facial masks that you can buy anywhere.  These chemicals can dry out the skin, and make it appear red, rather than calm and even toned.  Masks are often filled with synthetic colors, fragrances and more, so I’d always recommend natural acne masks, when possible.

I know that a common concern for those with acne prone skin (trust me, this includes myself), is that most SPF-infused day creams may irritate the skin and clog the pores. This can be true if the base of the cream, sans that SPF part, is heavily laced with mineral oils and other pore clogging ingredients.

However, if you buy a higher quality SPF day cream to protect your skin against the UV rays it comes up against during the day, and you make sure it is a lighter, less heavy formula, you will be doing your skin a great service by both keeping it moist and supple and protecting it from every day damage, and by protecting it from the aging and potentially cancer causing rays of the sun, also known as the different spectrums of UV light that are emitted from the big glowing ball in the sky.

For a long time, I hesitated to use any type of facial lotion that had UV protection in it, because I thought it would surely clog my pores and lead to another breakout. I was wrong. Not only was I wrong, I was doing damage to my skin by letting it be exposed to UV rays every day, even if only for a little while, totally unprotected.

Every time your skin is exposed to the UVA and UVB rays of the sun, particularly UVA, the skin cells endure DNA damage and photo aging. UVA rays are particularly worrisome because they penetrate deeper into the layers, causing more cell damage and damaging the elastin and collagen building blocks that make you look youthful.

UVA light not only penetrates deeper into the dermal layers, but it also penetrates through glass, which UVB light does not.  This is why, even indoors, you need to protect your skin from UVA light as well on sunny days.

When shopping for a lotion for the face during the day with sun protection, look for the words “broad spectrum”. This means that the lotion has SPF in it which protects from all spectrums of UV light, so it is a catch all, all inclusive formula which gives you greater protection from the damaging effects of the sun.

Also choose a formula that says something like “light” or “oil free” if you are particularly worried about ti clogging your pores and leading to breakouts. Typically though, anything that is labeled as  a “day cream” is going to be a lighter, more skin-friendly formula since the night times creams are the more intense and emollient kind.

I’m always on the lookout for new ingredients that can give my skin that natural luminescence that makes you look so young, fresh and energetic. I think that’s what we’re all looking for, after all, isn’t it!? There are a number of ingredients which help to keep the skin looking fresh and young, probably one of the more notable ones for helping you look bright and luminous is vitamin C in a very concentrated form.

However, there are other ingredients that will also infuse your skin with that coveted natural dewiness that usually are an indicator of youth and vibrance, but of course, they are also an indicator of a healthy body and healthy skin, so eating right is vital if you want your skin to look it’s very best from the inside out. See a great skin care vitamin here for more info on that.

Well, one of the other ingredients that I like in my skin care products is kind of a weird one to find in skin care, but Aveeno has been using them quite abundantly in their skin care line, and they’re very popular because they’re very mild and anti allergen, and they also happen to make your skin look very good. They also have a high SPF in them, 15 to 30 depending on the product, which is awesome because many day creams don’t offer sun protection, and they also tend to irritate the skin if they do.

Soy is a great ingredient to help blend the skin tone better and bring out the natural glow because of it’s naturally polishing and antioxidant values. With continued use, it can really make a difference in the texture and tone of your skin and give it that all around natural glow you’re looking for as well. Another good thing is that soy skin care products usually aren’t outrageously expensive because soy is such an easily made ingredient, and it is grown right here in the US with manufacturers having easy access to it, so it’s cheap to make.

What is a retinoid?  Chemically, a retinoid is any compound that is related to the vitamin A.  Retinoids are considered a class in themselves, and they are all somehow a derivative of this vitamin.  Some examples of retinoids are Retin-A, which is used both to treat wrinkles and aging skin and also is used to treat acne topically, any over the counter or prescription skin cream that says it has “retinol” in it means that it has a retinoid in it, hence a derivative of vitamin A, and also many times AHA’s or alpha hydroxy acids have retinoids in them, which are all somehow related to this vitamin family.

The basic mechanism behind vitamin A derived topical skin products is that it accelerates the turnove rof topical skin cells, which helps to treat a variety of skin disorders.  These skin diorders can range from age spots and different types of acne to aging skin and wrinkles, since speeding the turnover of epithelial skin cells helps to unclog the pores and remove the debris and bacteria that helps to form acne lesions on the skin.  Many women, and men, love retinoids and retinol based products for anti aging purposes, including me.  My favorite anti aging cream right now contains a retinol, and I believe that not only does it help my skin look brighter and younger, but I also believe it helps keep those little bumpies and unevenness at bay.

Retinoids have also recently been an interest to those studying how to topically help treat certain types of skin cancer, so that’ll be interesting to see if it can help people who have been diagnosed with skin cancer.  What’s really interesting is that retinoids can be a double whammy tool for those of us in our adult years trying to fight both acne and new fine lines and wrinkles, since what comes with getting older as a woman is an increase in androgens and decrease in estrogen, which often leads to hormonal acne breakouts as an adult woman.  Now, as far as retinoids and different kind of acne, here’s how it can help you.

Retinoids, such as products with retinol in them or Retin-A prescription cream or gel, help all kinds of acne to clear up.  This includes every kind you can think of.  Those little annoying bumps that you’re not even sure are acne, the kind that almost looks like baby acne, it helps those.  It also helps to clear up whitehead (ah, my favorite, and probably the most common kind I get, since I rarely get blackheads), and blackheads.  Also those cystic, under the skin ones that usually come to a whitehead, it can be useful for those as well, helping to bring them to the surface and heal them faster since it speeds the cell turnover.

I was researching to find out what topical products might be best at helping to sort of resurface bumpy skin areas or patches, since this is one my personal pet peeves about my own skin.  It seems to always come back on me, even though I do all kinds of microdermabrasion treatments, chemical peels and I also try to avoid caffeinated beverages and products which seems to make my skin worse as far as the bumpiness goes.

So I’m always on the lookout for topical products that might help with the bumpiness that is on my chin from years of suffering acne breakouts as a teenager and in my adulthood as well.

I found out that one ingredient that is used in a lot of anti aging product now called Retinol, may actually help with this because it helps to thicken the skin up and smooth it out, which is contrary to the products that I usually use in this arena, because they usually do the opposite – they strip away layers of superficial skin, leaving the newer skin cells exposed, which helps the skin look fresher, cleaner and brighter.

Not that I don’t like that either, and I think that there are purposes for both thickening the skin as well as stripping it away to help facilitate faster cell turnover, but I wanted to try something different so that I could see which method might work better both for my aging skin as well as for the remnants of my acne scarring (aka bumpy skin texture) on my chin and right by my nose.

So, I decided on a product that I’m going to try, but I haven’t gone out and purchased it yet because I’m waiting to use up my other cream before I buy it, like a good, financially responsible girl!  It’s the RoC product called Deep Wrinkle night time cream, and has one of the higher concentrations of retinol in over the counter that I read, so I’ll let you know how it works on my skin.

One of the things I’ve sort of backed away from over the years as my skin has matured, is using a lot of topical acne treatment products, whether they are drugstore brands, online herbal higher quality brands, or prescription.  The reason is, I hate the fact that most acne treatment products that are topical in nature are also drying by their very nature. I’ve tried scores of topical products over the years, and unanimously my favorite I’ve always come back to are products that are made with a salicylic acid base.

I just personally find salicylic acid to be much less drying and irritating, with an added benefit of exfoliation and skin renewal, when compared to it’s other common acne fighting counterapart, benzoyl peroxide.  Benzoyl peroxide tends to be a little more drying and irritating, at least for me, whereas salicylic tends to be a more gentle alternative.  Some people may feel conversely, since all skin reacts differently to different products depending on the thickness of the skin, ethnicity and other factors such as sensitivity.

Because I live in Northeast Ohio, we have very rough, long winters here.  With long, cold winters comes another undesirable – dry skin.  My skin gets very dry during the winter months since the humidity in the house is virtually nothing (I know, we really need to look into getting a humidifier, I’ve thought about it plenty of times), and if I even put a topical acne treatment product on one blemish, that area tends to get very irritated, red and flaky.

You really want to try to use topical products for acne sparingly in the dry, cold winter months since your skin doesn’t have that extra moisture barrier that is provided by humid environments.

I just got done reviewing this line of products, or at least one of their products in particular, the Virtual Laser Wrinkle Eraser lotion, for another site about beauty reviews, and then I thought, why not share this with anyone who, like myself, suffers occasional acne breakouts, and/or has a history of severe teenage or adult acne? 

The reason I say that is because sometimes, having acne prone skin makes it tricky to find a moisturizing lotion that isn’t either irritating to acne prone skin, or doesn’t contribute to the clogging of the pores, as many of the heavier moisturizing lotions, serums and creams can do as we all know. 

Well, I feel that Virtual Laser has a product that is made for wrinkle appearance reduction that is very reasonably priced, and also helps to dramatically illuminate aging skin, even skin that is still acne prone, like mine, without clogging pores or causing breakouts, or irritating the skin and creating bumps and redness for those with sensitive skin. 

It’s not really a well known product line as far as a I know, but Virtual Laser has a cream that is called the Wrinkle Eraser, and I really love it because it helps to make the wrinkles around my eyes look less noticeable, and helps to also illuminate the rest of my face (yes, I apply this everywhere, and generously, even to my T zone, and have had no problems with it making me break out).  So, I thought I’d share this with those of the readers who are dealing with both aging skin and acne at the same time. 

I have been using the same old trick at night for years when it comes to a blemish that I can just feel blanching the surface of my skin, before it becomes a full on red, erupted and scar-worthy zit on my face.  It’s really nothing special.  All I do is apply my mask, whatever kind it happens to be that I have laying around.  For a while it was a zenmed acne mask, then it was an anti acne mask, and now I have a mini sized Murad acne mask that has lasted me forever that I got free with my face wash last time I purchased from them.

They are all a mud type mask, that is very thick and almost a chalky consistency, so thick that it will stay put as soon as you slick it on over a zit, or a burgeoning zit, as I do.  You should just need enough so as to cover the zit itself and only then the immediate surrounding area, careful not to put too much on around the radius fo the bump itself so that you don’t accidentally overdry the skin around it, which can end up looking worse than the zit itself.

I do this at night and then I leave it on all night long, and sometimes it works to clear it up, but if it’s a really hormonal zit that’s destined to come through the surface and hasn’t stopped gathering inertia toward becoming a full fledge boil sized zit on my face, it will only make it a tad bit more dried up, and I’ll still have to go through the motions of caring for the zit once it completely breaks through the skin’s surface.

If you catch a new zit when it has just started to hurt a little bit, and you can see a faint bit of red and a very beginning of a bump or irritation in the spot where the bumpd is about to sprout into a full fledged zit, then you can often catch it and get it to go down if you just apply some sort of reputable acne cream, or my favorite is a thicker mask because it stays put and doesn’t come off all night until you wash it off, as long as you don’t accidentally rub it while it’s still wet.

As I sit here typing this, I have a dot of the mask on my face, on a brand new bump that surfaced today because of the massive stress I’ve had to deal with today getting things organized and looking over documents that I didn’t understand for hours, as well as catching up on many things for work that were on deadline.  One minute it wasn’t there, the next I happened to look in the mirror and there it was!  Oh well, what are masks for.  Hopefully this one will be tamed by the mask!

Well, I had promised to keep you posted on my newly purchased everyday moisturizer, the very popular Aveeno Positively Radiant lotion for the face with SPF 15 in it.  I really liked the fact that this particular lotion was expressly made for both improved skin tone and clarity as well as additional protection from the sun’s damaging rays. 

I get a little bit of sun protection from my Bare Minerals makeup, but after I found out that powder SPF may not be so effective, I decided I wanted additional protection in my daily moisturizing lotion.  I also found out that with Bare Minerals, your Mineral Veil does not contain any SPF, only the actual colored foundation, and since I use way more Mineral Veil than I do the actual foundation color, I figured I needed additional SPF quickly, because I wasn’t getting the kind of sun protection factor that I thought I was when I initially started using the foundation.  Don’t get me wrong, I still like the Bare Minerals, but I need something a  little more.

Anyways, didn’t mean to get off on a tangent like that, so back to my original point now.  I purchased the Aveeno Positively Radiant daily moisturizer, and was a little leery, as I always am of new moisturizers on my skin, that it might do more harm than good and cause me to break out, especially because it has SPF in it, and many times any type of SPF will make my skin break out faster than you can snap your fingers.

It’s been about 4 weeks now that I’ve been using the moisturizer, and so far so good, I haven’t had any breakouts or even an increase in bumpiness on my chin as I many times do when my skin gets irritated.  I can’t say it would be noncomedogenic for everyone, but it appears to work pretty well on my personally acne prone skin.