Let's Talk Acne

I want to start by saying, the topic of acne is a tough one. People experience acne in many ways and respond to treatments differently. Not all faces are created equal. In my opinion, there is no right answer telling why your skin breaks out the way that it does, but there are probable causes. I would also like to say, if you have acne, your best option for the skin you are looking for, is going to be found in the hands of a skincare professional. Please don't ask your bestie (unless your bestie is me) what they are using to treat their acne because their skin is not yours! You need a personal consultation to figure out the best treatment for YOU. And it will take TIME.Your skin does not change over night, in a week or even in a month! But trust me, it will be worth it when you're using effective, professional products fit for you.

So what is acne? Well if you're reading this, you probably already have an idea of what acne is, and I mentioned it in my last post. Acne is when a pore is blocked by oil or dead skin cells, creating a lovely home for p. acne to get a job, get married, start a family and eventually take over your whole face. Just kidding. There a few different types of acne that I am going to breakdown and explain, I'll show you some products that I like, and then we're going to talk about the different areas these babies might appear.

• Clogged pores: hardly noticeable, non-inflamed, painless, yet still a pain in the butt. These guys are like those people that show up at your birthday party, without an invitation, just for the food and drinks. People with dry skin tend to experience these and they can usually be taken care of with regular exfoliation 3-4 times a week. I personally like to use an exfoliating mask like GlamGlow Supermud because it contains charcoal and kaolin clay draw out the impurities. I would use this as a spot treatment too, maybe twice a week. Sold at Sephora or glamglowmud.com.

• Whiteheads: also known as pustules or papules, inflamed, sometimes painful and red, literally a pimple with a white head. Most acne sufferers experience these and strive to prevent them. The problem with whitehead is that they are hard to treat because its difficult to find what exactly causes them. Once you do find what is causing them and you find your holy grail products and regimen, they are treatable. Just don't pick at them! Your beautiful face doesn't want scars, girl. Instead of picking, as soon as I see that little red dot forming, I dab on some Acne Spot Fast Fix from Murad. I am not kidding you, that baby will be gone in 72 hours. Apply as needed, spot treat only. Can be found at most Massage Envy Spas, Ulta, and Murad.com.

• Blackhead: a pore plugged up by sebum (oil) and darkened by oxidation, not painful, but not fun either. Since these are due to excess oil build up, exfoliation is key as well as sometimes using products with ingredients such as Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide. And like I always say, it doesn't help to skip the moisturizer. Use it. Juice Beauty has an awesome serum for oily or problematic skin. It has willow bark, salicylic acid, and fruit acids to help control oil and reduce breakouts. Plus, it's organic, yay! You would use this after your cleanser and toner, and before your moisturizer. Now since I'm not letting you skip the moisturizer, the next two products are great daytime and night time moisturizers for oily/blemish prone skin. And yes, they're Murad. Oil control moisturizer has spf so you'll use it during the day. Skin Perfecting Lotion is used at night and will help sooth, hydrate and minimize appearance of pores. Both are Oil free. 

• Cystic: Ughh.. wanna-be besties. These puppies are painful, big, tumor-like, and anchored deep in your skin. Unfortunately, they are usually caused by an internal issue, hormones, allergies, or food sensitivities. They take a long time to heal and they will get extremely worse if you pick at them. I hate saying this, but if you think you might have cystic acne, see a dermatologist. 

Now that you understand acne almost as well as I do, let's see where our unwanted friends like to show up and WHY. According to Chinese Medicine, your face correlates the internal health of your whole body. Whether you believe this or not, in my work, I have found it to be quite accurate. Here is a picture of the face and the regions that reflect your body.

Starting with the forehead, these are the reasons you may be breaking out in certain areas:

• Forehead- Digestive problems (hard time breaking down certain foods), small intestine issues, liver issues, irregular sleep schedule, stress, bad temper, too much worrying, to many sugary foods, toxin build-up, hair products, bangs, wearing hats.
• Temples- Poor lymphatic circulation, diet high in fat, gallbladder issues, too much McDonald's- I mean processed foods..
• Between Brows- Weak heart, too much alcohol (uh-oh), too much tobacco.
• Left Cheek- Liver, overeating, nutrition having a hard time absorbing, stress, stomach problems, dirty cell phone, dirty pillow case, dirty make up brushes (Gurrrll...) 
• Right Cheek- Lungs, allergies, stress, stomach problems, too much sugar, dirty cell phone, dirty pillow case, dirty make up brushes.
• Nose- Poor diet, constipation, bloating, gastrointestinal imbalance, indigestion. Poor blood circulation if the skin on the nose peels.
• Lip Area- Constipation, irregular bowels, too much spicy or fried food, toothpaste, ovulation in women.
• Chin and Jaw- Hormonal problems, Gynecological issues, kidney imbalance, resting hands on face, toothpaste.

Remember that these are just a few possibilities. Try to pay attention to your skin and figure out what could be causing your breakouts. Is it that time of the month? Have you been eating a lot of junk food? Do you change your pillow case often? If you can change some of these things and if you use great products in your regimen, your skin may improve!

Like I said in the beginning, not all skin is created equal. But if you have acne, you are not alone! Take some of these thoughts into consideration and see a skincare professional. Acne can be hard work but believe me, taking care of it the proper way is worth it! 

Please keep in mind that the products I mentioned are examples of things you may use. Since I can't give you a skin consultation through the computer screen, I cannot be sure these products will work for you.
Also, my last post brought a lot of questions so you if you don't know me personally you can e-mail me at urestiebestie@gmail.com

Thanks for hanging out!

XO Lindsay