Like most women I struggled with acne here and there as a teen. In college it got a little worse (uh, hello stress and a super bad diet) but after I had kids and was well into my 30s my acne, now the lovely 'adult' acne, was slowly getting out of control. At first it was a blemish here and there but then I noticed I was never blemish free anymore. The acne was often the deep cystic type that just wouldn't go away and then the final insult? Because my age was "advanced" the scaring was worse than ever. Months after a blemish was gone I would still have discoloration. Have you ever experienced the same? It's downright annoying on top of being painful and embarrassing. The crazy thing is that most dermatologists or aesthiticians don't really know the exact scientific reasons for acne. There is a lot of advice out there and I am no professional but after (many) years of dealing with it I now have it mostly under control and these are some of the things that have helped me.
1) Go for high quality beauty products and if you can, choose "safe" beauty. I've found that integrating brands like Juice Beauty and Beautycounter into my beauty routine has helped tremendously. In general "safer" beauty means that the brands avoid potentially harmful and harsh chemicals like parabens, mineral oil or mineral oil derivatives, fragrance and dyes (although that is just the short list). My skin reacts much better to these skincare lines vs a general drugstore buy. A few of my favorites are this cleanser, this pricey but very effective serum, this at home peel, this mask and this oil (I know it doesn't sound acne related, but it's great at calming my skin). These products on their own and together seem to work magic for my skin.
2) Watch your diet! Sugar and dairy are the triggers for my acne, personally, and a lot of research I've read confirms this. Often times sugars and dairy are sneaky ingredients too... I once found that my probiotic contained dairy after two straight months of incredible breakouts. Simply swapping out almond milk for cows milk in your daily latte or similar swaps can make a huge difference. Avoiding sugar and sweets can help a ton - which isn't easy for this sweet toothed gal! I've also found that adding lemon water to my diet has helped. There are tons of benefits from lemon water (google it!) that are too many to name here - but I have found it's great at keeping your skin clear too!
3) Bring in a professional. Many dermatologists want to put you on prescriptions for acne and in some cases this is the best, however in other cases it can be avoided. In general I shy away from prescriptions, but there are lots of other ways a professional can help you besides a good old RX. I get regular facials at my dermatologists office and these have made a HUGE difference. I like going to the dermatologists office for this because I know that the aestheticians are vetted by a doctor and usually the facialist really means "business" instead of getting a facial for just "relaxation" (which is also amazing). Also, I've found the pricing to be much lower at my derms office which is always a perk. A good facialist can use tools and extractions to get the clogged pores BEFORE they become blemishes. I started getting facials about 4 times a year maybe 3 or 4 years ago and now I go about every 6 weeks. I can always tell when it's time to go, my skin always seems to be on the verge of a breakout the week of my appointment. Another way a professional can help you is by injecting a large or cystic blemish. Dermatologists don't advertise this as much as they should, but if I feel a big one under the surface I call the office right away and they can usually get me in that day - don't touch it yourself! A small injection of a steroid can make the pimple go away in as little as 12 hours, but usually in 24. It's a miracle worker!
4) Exfoliate chemically instead of manually. Manual or gritty exfoliating washes are great if your skin isn't prone to breakouts, but I personally have found that those types of washes irritate my skin and my acne more. On the recommendation of my facialist I now use a chemical exfoliator regularly and have seen a huge difference in my skin. There are two types of chemical exfoliators I love - retinol and glycolic acid. They sound scary but they aren't at all. Just ease into using them by starting once or twice a week and slowly working up from there. For retinol I really love THIS product and for glycolic acid I really like THIS product. Also mild to moderate chemical peels performed by a skilled aesthetician once or twice a year can make a HUGE difference in keeping away the breakouts and also for treating the scars left by breakouts.
5) Spot treat, spot treat, spot treat! Now that my skin is used to both retinol and glycolic acid I also use them as spot treatments if I wake up with a blemish (usually you want to use retinol or gylcolic acid at night because it can make your skin vulnerable to the sun. Always wear a sunscreen after use!). While you can layer retinol or glycolic under your makeup for the day there are other treatments I like that aren't as easy to pull off during the day and I recommend them for the night. This weird liquid/solid spot treatment works great, this mask can be a spot treatment as well and lastly these patches get incredible reviews and are made to wear all day long, but I would probably only wear them around the house or at night. (these patches are the only product here I haven't personally tried, but I seriously keep hearing about them so I had to include them)
Remember, I'm not a doctor or skin care professional! These are just what have worked for me personally, I hope they can be helpful to you!
