Acne

At the request from my lovely roommate I decided to do a blog about skin care. Your face is a funny thing as you get older. When I was in high school I NEVER got pimples. I was a very lucky girl in that sense. Then, about a year ago, my skin went a little haywire. I'm pretty sure it was the birth control that I was on but MAN it made me break out! I remember thinking, "you've got to be joking me. I'm well past the teenage pimple years..." And me being me, I would just hibernate. If I ever (and once in a while I still do) get a zit I refuse to be social. Even though I'm sure it's a delusion I can't help but think everyone is talking to me about whatever but really just thinking, "zitzitzitzitzit." It sucks. On top of that is the fact that it's generally a bad idea to put makeup over it unless you have to, so hiding out with my anti-acne medication is all the company I want to have.

This has been the scenario with lots of women. I know it must be because of the rising number of companies doing "acne+wrinkles" product lines. And just when you think you've successfully blown through that stage of your life...

And so here I am telling you what I know, personally, about skin care and acne. I am not a doctor, and none of this information is anywhere near a professional opinion. But for me at least, it works. I read a LOT of magazines while I'm hiding out in my room with my zapzit, and I'd like to think I've learned a thing or two.

There are two types of pimples: surface (although I think there's a much more medical name for those) and cystic. Surface pimples are those little guys with a white head, and they usually develop overnight. Those are the easiest ones. Cystic pimples are the ones that you feel coming DAYS before their actual arrival. These suck and can take a week or so to go away.

Surface pimples are easy-breezy. The number one rule of zit murder is DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE. Do not squeeze it, do not pick at it, do not touch it in any way. Think of your hands as oil and dirt machines. Almost like they have thick, sticky honey on them and whenever you touch your face that honey sticks to your skin and just sits there on your pores. Yuck. Another good thing to keep in mind is to be sure that you are changing your pillowcase regularly, especially if you are a stomach or side sleeper. Any dirt, oil, or leftover product from your face or hair goes right on your pillowcase and pressed into your skin when you lie on it for 8 hours.

So case scenario what do you do when you get a surface pimple? Well, for me, I usually make sure my hands are totally clean, just in case I touch my face. Next I get my trusty pimple-popper (another thing I'm sure has a more professional name) from Sephora. It looks like this:

Once I have released the pressure of the pimple it usually goes down in a day or less and I'm good to go. During that time I will usually cover up any redness with a concealer that has Salicylic Acid in it to continue depleting the pimple until the bitter end. Almay makes a GREAT one of these called Almay Clear Complexion Concealer. I also like that it's made with all natural ingredients.

Cystic Acne is a whole 'nother ball game. Where surface acne is usually triggered by oil, dirt, or some other outside source- Cystic Acne is hormonal. These little buggers will show up when you are stressed, depressed, or when it's "that time of the month." Basically they like to come around when life already sorta sucks, which is nice of them. Now I have never had a severe Cystic Acne problem, but when you're getting more than one of two at a time it's time to see your Dermatologist. I've heard Proactive is fantastic and know it has a huge fan base. There are other options as well but I haven't really encountered this issue so I recommend just talking to your Derm about it. If you are only getting a few of these every so often, my advice is better suited for you. In my experience, there isn't a whole lot that you can do once Cystic acne comes to town. As such, the best defense is a good offense. First of all, keep up the good work you've been doing of not touching your face. Think honey-thoughts. Secondly, wash that pretty mug of yours every night! Some people may need to wash their face twice a day but it's been my experience that a little of your natural oil is fine and washing in the morning isn't really essential- so long as you're using that clean pillowcase. While we're talking sleeping habits- tell that man of yours to keep his pillow under his own head and not take yours! Most guys use some sort of sticky gel or balm and you do not want that on your face at night. If your man is sleeping with his shirt off, be sure not to rest your head directly on his chest if you're prone to cheek breakouts. No, I'm not saying you need to put up a curtain between the two of you, just make sure you're putting a (clean) pj top or a sheet between your face and his skin.

Especially with Cystic pimples, the absolute worst thing you can do is to try to pop them. If it doesn't have visible sebum (that white part) that means it's not near enough to the surface and squeezing it will only worsen your problem. Ditto for picking at it. The only thing worse than a big red mountain on your face is a big crusty red mountain. Sorry to be graphic but ew. The best thing you can do is to just relax. Stressing over it will only make it worse. I usually use a really great face mask with drying agents like Sulfur in it. I swear by Murad's Clarifying Mask, pictured below. Another great one (for more product for your buck) is DDF's Sulfur Theraputic Mask.

I use a face mask about once a week. The best way to use a face mask is to use it right after you get out of the shower. Not only will your pores be opened up from the steam, but it's time-efficient to let it dry while you're picking out what to wear. I also use a Facial Peel once or twice per week but I think that's more to add sheen to your skin and prevent some aging issues, so I wont get into that.

It's also important to use a Facial Scrub almost every day. I use mine in the shower, where I also always wash my face. I like it because I remember to use it as a part of my daily routine, and also you just stick your face under the nozzle to rinse it off as opposed to taking forever to get it all off at the sink. My favorite scrub is also a really inexpensive one. It's the Blemish and Blackhead Control scrub from St. Ives.

After the scrub I always, ALWAYS use moisturizer. Women with oily skin, like mine, sometimes think that by skipping moisturizer they will eliminate oil from their skin. This is totally untrue. Your skin needs moisture, and if you don't give it to it then your skin is going to go into overdrive to hydrate itself. Ironically enough, by not using moisturizer you are actually increasing oil production on your face. I really really love Cetaphil for my sensitive skin. They offer a lotion as well as a cream for those dry winter months. In the mornings I normally don't wash my face, but I will almost always use a face spray. Evian offers one, as well as many other companies. It's just the right amount of mist for your face to get a little moisture kick. If my skin is feeling particularly oily, I may use a serum, such as the Vitamin C serum from The Body Shop. I just went to their site, though, and it's looking like they may have discontinued it. I'd say go for a serum that feels silky in your hand, and usually one with some kind of skin benefit like Vitamin C to keep out free radicals. They do offer a Vitamin E one, I may try that next. Another fantastic one is Patricia Wexler's MMPi20 Skin Regenerating Serum. It's pretty pricey, though, so I don't normally buy it.

Past that you just kind of have to sit and wait. The one good thing about Cystic Acne is that it's not usually very high off of your skin, so unless you're aggravating it it's not as noticeable to other people as it is to you. A little of that Almay concealer should do the trick, maybe followed by setting it with an oil-free loose powder. Usually at night I will Monster out and use a drying lotion, like Bye Bye Blemish. You can get it at most grocery stores even though it's an "As Seen On TV" product. You have to be sure to follow the instructions, though, or you're wasting your time. It's important not to shake the bottle but only to use a q-tip dipped in the pink portion of the medicine. The clear part is not going to do anything. It sort of looks like an unshaken bottle of Salad Dressing Vinaigrette, only use the bottom half. You look like you got attacked by mosquitos and used calamine lotion on your face but it gets the job done.

So now you know everything I know about pimple care. We all get them, they suck, and we hate it. But it's good to know there are things you can do to prevent and treat breakouts when they come along. Enjoy!

Love,

Lula Mae