Have acne and not sure how to get rid of it? A dermatologist should be your last resort. Many factors go into the presence of acne, and tweaking certain things in your routine can help you get to the bottom of the issue.
1. Know your skin type. I cannot stress this enough! If you do not have an acneic skin type and use a harsh acne cleasner, you will get acne. If you start getting oily within 3 hours of cleansing, you have an oily skin type. A gentle foaming cleanser should be used (I like Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel). If your skin stays dry most of the day, a creamy non-foaming cleanser should be used (I like Dermalogica’s UltraCalming Cleanser). If your skin has large, painful blemishes 75% of the month, a medicated cleanser is appropriate (Murad’s Acne cleansers are my favorite).
2. Wash your skin morning AND night. Throughout the day, makeup, oil, and debris build on your skin. This needs to be washed off before laying on your face all night! Washing your skin in the morning also insures a fresh makuep application.
3. Always use moisturizer after cleansing. Cleansing skin inevitably strips oils. This moisture needs to be replaced or your skin will over-produce oil (not to mention look red, flaky, and irritated). Look for moisturizers without salicylic acid or other AHA’s. Don’t think you have to get oil-free, most oils do not cause acne. (Skin Smoothing Cream by Dermalogica is my HG moisturizer and absolutely perfect for all skin types).
4. Exfoliate! Salicylic acid exfoliants are great for acne. They speed up recovery by removing dead layers of skin, (this can get lengthy, so I will explain more about it in another post!) Avoid harsh scrubs as they can exacerbate acne. Chemical exfoliation is best for acne (I like Origins’ Modern Friction and Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant).
5. Weed your “skin cabinet.” You could be making your skin angry by harsh products. Limit your exfoliants (ANY salicylic acids or other AHA’s) to one daily product and one weekly product. Do not under any circumstances use ProActiv, Origins Checks and balances, St. Ives Apricot Scrub, or anything with soap. These products severely damage skin.
6. Examine your daily habits. Do you touch your face alot? Is the acne along your hairline? (could be caused by dirty hair or hair products). Do you switch your pillow cases frequently? Have you started new medication? Could you be pregnant? Are you keeping up with the above routine daily? Do you have digestive or other internal issues? These are all questions to ask yourself to get to the root cause of your acne.
If the steps above lead nowhere nowhere, you may be a candidate for medically prescribed exfoliants or antibiotics that can be prescibed by a dermatologist. They are not products to mess around with as they can cause other issues, so take with caution and follow ALL of your doctors instructions!
Heres to curing acne! - :) Brittany
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