Acne is common and to some extent preventable. Simple things can be done to quell your skin's deepest needs without going broke, but please remember only an aesthetician can really analyze your skin for cleansing and anti aging products and only a dermatologist can address serious issues like skin moles or changes in skin health.
I am a trained aesthetician but have struggled with acne forever. In the past, as a model and actress it was really important to have consistently good skin. I was constantly trying new products to help the break outs but not really learning to prevent them.
Well dames and dolls I have taken care of business and these days my face looks clear most of the time because I use a brand name micro-exfoliant with benzol peroxide, 2.5% and I keep my skin moisturized and yes I still wear my sunscreen 7 days a week. The trick I learned was that my exfoliant choices were always too rough (the grains were too large) and did not provide the medicine to cure the pimples. What you should look for is a micro-exfoliant. Micro-exfoliants are so tiny that the grains are almost too small to see with your eyes. The treatment that I use has suspended micro-exfoliant in a benzol peroxide solution. I can't recommend a specific brand for you, only suggest that you look into the products available by reading the label for "active ingredients" which will list ingredients like benzol peroxide and the percentage used. Please, by all means visit an aesthetician! The solution that I found seems to do the trick for me but not without an occasional facial.
The reason why is that only thorough deep cleansing gets rid of the oil (sebum) in your facial pores and follicles (peach fuzz). So regular steam and deep cleansing treatments provided by an aesthetician can almost completely remove this nasty stuff and make the other acne treatments much more effective, thus saving money and concealor in the long run.
It boils down to this folks; If I trust my aesthetician Elena with my face, my money maker, my brand stamp to the world shouldn't you try one, too?
Here is the mini facial guide approved by myself and Elena:
Steps to giving yourself a mini facial, and please remember this is not a replacement for a real facial, just an in between maintenance step:
1) Before you begin use a makeup remover or PreCleanse solution from Dermalogica to massage into your face and neck in little circles with your fingertips all over your oily hot spots, nose, around the nose, forehead, brow t'ween, chin and jawline. This really does the trick and should not be left out!
2) You'll need clean hand towels or wash cloths and a bowl of steamy hot water. There are two ways to do this; either dip hand towels into the steamy water and test them on your wrist or neck first, we do not want to burn skin, keep it steamy not boiling. Lean way back in a chair or on your bed, now lay the hand towels around your face avoiding your nostrils and eyelids in a complete cirlce but don't leave out the tip of your nose. Leave the towels on until they cool to the touch.
Second option; take a large towel just like you do when you have a cold and create a tent around your face while leaning over the bowl. Seal yourself in there for about five minutes or until the water begins to cool and quits steaming.
3) Now you are ready to cleanse and exfoliate. Do not use a rough granual exfoliant, this is key. You actually do more damage than good when you either exfoliate too often or with an overly rough product. Look for a micro-exfoliant. Ask your aesthetician if you are unsure which to use. Remember she sells these products so will be familiar with what will work for your special skin type, but beware the hard sell, a good aesthetician won't over sell the product, it's her knowledge and service you are there to buy.
Begin by using small amounts (nickel sized should do) of exfoliant in circles in your oily hot spots and move outward with your fingertips. Don't strip the paint, just massage the skin evenly.
4) Rinse completely with cool water and use a moisturizing toner to shrink your pores back down. You opened them up with the steam and now need to close them to keep dirt and sebum out. Toner and cool water do this for you. A very important step!
Now stop touching your beautiful face with your dirty, acidy, oily fingers!
Don't forget a little moisturizer with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide to protect your freshly revealed skin when you go outside.Just so you know, aestheticians usually give deep discounts when you buy several future facials at once, so now you know what to ask for for your birthday; a pretty face! If you live any where near Phoenix, try Elena
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LenaWalkerSmith