I know that I go over this every spring and summer, but again I’m going to reiterate the importance of wearing sunscreen. Especially on your face, since it’s the first thing exposed to the sun’s harsh rays when you step outside, and your poor face is the first one subjected to every other environmental ravage as well, which is precisely the reason that facial skin is one of the first parts to show the signs of aging and photodamage (damage caused by the sun).

This is unfortunate, since your face is the very thing by which so many people judge and view you.  That’s why skin care is so vitally important, and making sure that your facial skin is protected at all times from sun damage is of the utmost importance.  Just the tiniest bit of sun an really dry out your facial skin and magnify wrinkles. I know this from personal experience since I’ve accidentally let my sunscreen wear off or I’ve been in the sun a little too long when I thought I’d only be outside for a few minutes, without sunscreen.

My face almost always looks worse for the wear the very next day, which is a true testament to me that it’s important to keep your face out of the sun as much as possible.  Of course, the sun’s rays are necessary to produce vitamin D, but there are plenty of other body parts that are larger that can soak the rays up for you.  That is one party the face always has to miss out on.

So, without further delay, I wanted to again tell you the various facial sunscreens that I’ve compiled and tried over the years which I have found to be both very effective and also totally noncomedogenic. That’s right, they blocked the sun’s rays effectively with SPF of 15 or higher, and they moisturized really well too, without clogging my sensitive pores or causing any type of irritation bumps or rashes.

The first one is my favorite because it’s cheap and it’s a great moisturizer. It’s Aveeno’s moisturizers, in both calming and soy formulas (I like them both). They both have 15 spf and they also come in a generous sized bottle that lasts me two months or so for about $15.  There is also one by Avon that is a face perfector. It’s a powder/liquid that is translucent and has an SPF of 20.

I like to mix this with a little bit of tinted moisturizer or glow lotion for great SPF coverage and a nice, even but light coverage for the summer time to help my skin look more even. This product is called Avon MagiX Facial Perfector.  You’ll love the texture, it’s a velvety mix of powder and tiny flecks of light reflectors for great sun protection and a light foundation coverage for summer time.

You get UV expsoure in your car, walking outside during the day, and simply being outdoors at all during the winter, even though you think you are safer because the days typically get shorter and there is much less sunlight.  There’s still enough to warrant covering your face from their harmful exposure, so it’s good to just get in the habit of wearing a good moisturizer that also acts as a sunscreen all year round, then you  don’t even have to worry about it or think about applying one of each.

I know that the thought of sunscreen immediately turns you to thoughts of breaking out.  Of smearing on some goopy, smelly, thick and unpleasant cream that turns your face white because of it’s consistency, but sunscreens that are a 15 which are also doubling as a moisturizer aren’t this way at all. I found a great one in the Aveeno products which doubles as a moisturizer and also happens to come in a larger 4 oz. size. It’s non irritating and I also feel that my face is protected with it, and it’s not heavy.

It acts wonderfully under my makeup, just like any good moisturizer would, but I’m adding an extra layer of SPF 15 under my SPF 8 foundation, which gives me a better, more even covereage against the sun.  If you have acne, find yourself the right product for you.  Look in the facial care section of your drugstore, not the sunscreen section. More and more of the better day creams are adding SPF to them, so it’s easier to find something that’s both good for your skin, wears well with makeup, and protects you vehemently against the sun’s UV rays.

It’s in a larger bottle too, so even though I bought it over a month ago, I still have over the half the product left, and I don’t apply it sparingly either, so you can generously apply it and ensure that you are getting proper skin protection against the sun’s rays, without worrying about wasting too much product and having to run out and buy more right away.   It’s got chamomil in it.  It’s actually made for people who’s skin gets red easily, and also is good for those with rosacea and acne rosacea.  I love that you can wear it comfortably under makeup, and that it’s not heavy at all.

It does add a bit of the dewy effect to my skin as well, so it adds a nice base for your foundation, and is sheer, so you feel like your natural skin comes through nicely.  It’s about sixteen bucks where I found it, so it seems like it’s a little more pricey for a drugstore brand of daytime face cream, but when you consider the considerable value because of the SPF 15 protection, and the fact that it really does not clog pores or cause any issues for problem skin and protect you from the sun, it’s quite a good deal, and much cheaper anyways than expensive noncomedogenic brands of SPF which are probably the same type of product, just with a more expensive label.

If you buy this Aveeno Calming lotion, you will have it for a while, trust me.  It’s a great deal, and if you apply it liberally, and also have SPF in your foundation, you can rest assured that your face has full protection from the sun’s rays all day.  Just make sure you reapply if you’re going to be in the direct sun for an hour or more, that’s important, and even though you think the sun may help “dry up” acne, in fact it irritates it more by stimulating your sebum to produce and further inflaming acne.

I almost settled on a bottle of retinol infused daytime moisture cream by Neutrogena, which cost about fourteen bucks, because I figured that not only would it offer me the SPF I was looking for, but it would also help sculpt and lift my fine lines since I happen to be in my thirties.  However, I was concerned that this would just irritate my face more since Retinol is a potential irritant, and I only put potential irritants that are anti agin on my face at night, when the skin tends to repair itself.  I just wanted a more straigtforward, multi purpose moisturizer for the daytime.

So I settled on the Aveeno product, which is supposed to be good for those with rosacea and redness to their skin as it is “calming”. It advertises that it is calming to the skin and contains feverfew and chamomile, which is a great skin soother.  Although I don’t have rosacea or acne rosacea, I thought that a nice, calming cream would be nice for during the day, and to boot it has a SPF of 15.  I’ll let you know how I like the Aveeno Calming moisturizer after I use it for at least a week.  I’ll be reporting soon, so stay tuned.

I happened to find the line Noticeable Difference when it was on sale at a TJ Maxx type store by where I live for even less than drugstore prices I’m sure, and thought I’d use it this summer on my face as a light moisturizer under my foundation which also has an SPF of 15 in it to keep sun damage at bay during the harsh sunlight months of the summer here in Ohio. 

The one I chose is a simple moisturizing cream that helps to keep moisture in, and is not any kind of intensive moisturizer or intense anti aging cream, sometimes of which can be harmful to acne prone skin since they contain way too many heavy emollients that can clog the pores and cause acne postules to form on the face, namely in the chin, nose and forehead area where oil tends to form the most to begin with.

It’s a very light formula, and it has no artificial coloring in it which is great for the skin as well.  It is almost a whipped consistency.  As far as moisturizing I would say it doesn’t do any better than any other drugstore brand and there is nothing really miraculous about the way it makes my skin look, but I love that it has the SPF in it, so I use it primarily as a sun proection factor and not really as a skin improvement cream.

For that reason, I am constantly trying new moisturizers, because contrary to what some may think, people with acne or oily skin still need to moisturize, especially when it’s winter time and the dry heat starts to make our skin dry and flaky, or if we live in arid climates where humidity is a rare commodity. 

So I’m glad I tried a recent one that seems to be working fine on my ultra oily skin (by the way, if you’ve read this blog before you may know this already, but I am 33 years old and still have very oily skin).  It’s by L’Oreal and honestly the only reason I even bought it is because it was on clearance at a local Marshalls store to where I work here in Ohio, so I bought it on a whim, thinking it might be good, although I already have plenty of other moisturizers that are half used that work fine as well. 

I only use this one in the morning though, since it contains an SPF in it, and I’m still a bit leery of using creams with SPF at night, even though I can’t be certain SPF can cause breakouts.  The L’Oreal cream I bought is in the Visible Results line, and it is labeled as a “skin renewing moisture treatment” that is supposed to provide visible results from using it within days, creating a more youthful, dewy and glowing appearance to the skin. 

I like it because it has not caused any breakouts, but as for improving my skin’s appearance, the jury’s still out on that since it’s only been a few days.  All in all, I think it’s a solid product, and I love that it has an SPF 15 in it without making your feel like you’re wearing a heavy mask, which often happens in day creams with SPF in them since the SPF can have a thicker consistency to block out the sun’s harmful rays. 

 

Mineral oil is extremely comedogenic, meaning it will and does clog those hopefully clear pores.  This is why when you are searching for a foundation (if you’re a woman, foundations that are liquid), make sure you steer clear of any liquid foundations that contain mineral oil. 

Believe me, although mineral oil has proven to be bad for the complexion, some foundations still have mineral oil in them.  Opt instead for “oil free” or look at the ingredients on a foundation you may find intriguing to make sure it doesn’t have mineral oil in the ingredients. 

I remember one of my first experiences with mineral oil was when I was very young, probably only 15 years old, and was just beginning to experiment with foundations and powders, and purchased a really cheap foundation, it may have even been Wet ‘n Wild for those of you who’ve ever purchased the notoriously inexpensive and cheaply made cosmetics. 

The foundation, it turns out, had mineral oil in it and I broke out almost instantly from putting the stuff on my face.  Most well made, higher end foundations today will not have this as a main ingredient, but it’s still worth checking so something you use to make yourself look prettier doesn’t, in the end, make your face break out like never before. 

One thing I noted is that I got the smaller bumps allover from the mineral oil instead of the larger more infectious zits, but it still made my face look terrible and rough. 

I’d like to discuss this in depth over the next posts, but unfortunately I’m running low on time right now. I’d like to especially focus on the three big no no’s of summer acne skin care :

1. Using the wrong sunscreen
2. Wearing the wrong types of moisturizers for acne prone skin
3. Overdrying our skin in an attempt to have less surface oil and shine throughout the day.

Until next time….

Unfortunately, acne is right on your face for everyone to see, and sometimes we even get it on our backs and chests, which are very visible in the summer when we wear less clothing. People with terrible acne tend to exhibit more outwardly signs of self consciousness and lack of confidence, since every glance in the mirror is a reminder that the skin is working against us and not with us. 

Clear Pores is a comprehensive acne treatment system that actually works in tandem with your body’s chemistry to calm the skin internally, via an all natural supplement, and then treats your skin topically, with a special cleanser and a protective cream. 

Their websit boasts many before and after pictures of successful use from clients, and literally PAGES of testimonials.  That is why I recommend the Clear Pores system so highly.  See here for multiple testimonials and reviews : Clear Pores Customer Reviews and Testimonials

This may seem a bold or trite statement to make, but in a world obsessed with physical perfection and social interactions, acne can be a sometimes unbearable burden which affects us emotionally, physically and socially.

Early breakthroughs in the use of various substances and the large number of patients willing to try anything has been the basis of finding new methods of curing acne, whether permanently or temporarily.

One of the best ways to fight mild cases of acne is to speed up the natural exfoliation process of your skin. Exfoliation is the process by which the topmost layer of your skin, which contains many dead cells, is removed by mechanical or chemical means. Clearing away dead skin helps prevent the clogging of pores by a combination of excess sebum and dead cells. 

Not only that, but exfoliation is the number one recommendation to get rid of acne scarring such as ice pick scars, pock marks and depressions in the skin. 

Exfoliation is not meant in the visible sense of the word, since you won’t see skin peeling away as in the case of shedding. The topmost layer of your skin is too thin to be seen with the naked eye.

The recommended procedures for speeding up the exfoliation process feature the use of mechanical means or chemical means. Salicylic Acid is actually the most recommended exfoliation agent, since it also helps to unclog pores whose openings have already been obstructed by sebum and dead skin cells.

Over-the-counter Salicylic Acid solution or cotton pads soaked in Acid should be available in every pharmacy or drugstore. You can safely and easily use these at home to take care of acne flare-ups. If you want a complete and comprehensive system that employs the use of this pore-unclogging acid, you can try the ClearPores system.

The effective comprehensive system combines the cleansing and pore-purifying power of  salicylic acid and alcohol SD with herbal acne pills as well as a protection cream in order to get rid of acne now and prevent further inflammation and flareups in the future.

The herbal acne fighting pills kill bad bacteria which tend to multiply in clogged pores, while the deep facial and body washes open up the pores to release pent up dirt, grime and oil that causes blackheads and those all too familiar whiteheads.  Finally, the acne protection cream acts as a protective environmental shield for your skin.

The thing I like most about this acne cleansing system is it targets multiple areas of acne fighting, including deep cleansing treatments, daily gentle cleansing and internal causes of acne (with the pill) , ClearPores is not a single product, but a full solution designed to destroy acne with the utmost effectiveness.