Product Watch: Fighting acne
Follow your nightly cleanse/exfoliation with an antioxidant-enriched benzoyl peroxide product (La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, €17.50, is excellent) to kill acne-causing bacteria and promote skin repair.
A burning, cold or tingly feeling is a sign an anti-acne product is working.
These sensations are the skin’s response to irritating ingredients, such as alcohol and fragrance. Products that prompt such reactions can worsen acne scarring, cause collagen and elastin breakdown, and increase the growth of spot-causing bacteria.
Ingredients that feel instantly cool, such as menthol, mint and camphor, are counter-irritants that create local inflammation in an effort to reduce inflammation in deeper or adjacent tissue. In short, they don’t soothe irritated skin but bother it in a whole new way. Irritation and inflammation strongly impair skin’s ability to repair itself.
You can “scrub” away spots and blackheads.
Acne does not form because you don’t wash enough and scrubbing your face is no cure. In fact, the rough particles in facial scrubs can damage skin’s natural moisturise barrier and stimulate oil production, creating more blemishes and increasing skin’s vulnerability to UV rays. You should certainly cleanse and exfoliate skin regularly but gentle products are best. Clean&Clear Advantage Clear&Soothe Foaming Wash, €6.45, is a great way to start your skincare regime.
Exfoliate with a Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) lotion, such as Clinique Acne-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel, €26, or Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment, €34.50. These are oil-soluble so can clean deep inside our (sebum-filled) pores. They have the bonus benefit of reducing inflammation.
Follow your nightly cleanse/exfoliation with an antioxidant-enriched benzoyl peroxide product (La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, €17.50, is excellent) to kill acne-causing bacteria and promote skin repair. Benzoyl peroxide poses little risk of irritation and, unlike prescription acne remedies, cannot create bacterial resistance.
Icing a spot makes it less noticeable.
Never use extreme heat or cold to treat spots. Hot washcloths or ice cubes will not reduce blemishes or encourage healing. Both extremes inflame the skin. Pores do not open and close with very hot or cold water, so a temperature change won’t make a face mask or acne treatment more effective. Steaming skin (especially with very hot steam) can worsen redness and break capillaries, resulting in spider veins.
Only junk food causes spots.
The major causes of acne are hormonal activity, excessive oil production, bacteria build-up in pores, inflammation (exacerbated by irritating skincare products), and irregular or excessive shedding of dead skin cells. Food allergies are rarely the sole cause of acne but can certainly worsen breakouts and inflammation. Sugar and refined carbohydrates should not be your only suspects. Dairy, shellfish, wheat, cured meats and fruit juices are all potential culprits. It is tedious, but the easiest way to avoid food-related flare-ups is to keep a diary of your skin’s reaction to dietary choices. Enhance your diet with a good prebiotic or probiotic (in-vitro studies show both have a positive impact on acne-causing bacteria). Try Optibac Extra Strength Probiotics for Every Day, €28.59 for 30 capsules.
Acne-prone skin does not need a moisturiser.
All skin types benefit from irritant-free products formulated with anti-oxidants, soothing agents and other repair-supporting ingredients, including moisturisers. The best oily-skin options are the lightest in texture and emollients. Look for gels, serums and oil-free creams. Olay Regenerist Regenerating Lotion SPF50, €28.19, and Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Supplement, €59, are great choices.
SPF products are generally too greasy for spot-prone skin.
Daily sun protection is vital for skin cancer prevention and skin repair (including the healing of spots and red marks). It is important to find a form of protection that feels comfortable and looks good. Save time with a matte-finish liquid foundation or powder foundation with broad-spectrum SPF. Try MAC Prep+Prime BB Cream SPF35, €31, or bareMinerals Ready SPF20 Foundation, €30. Clinique City Block Sheer SPF25, €22, is great for no-makeup days.
Do collagen tablets and drinkable collagen supplements really smooth skin?
A: No. The collagen that you produce naturally is among your skin’s greatest supporters. Sagging, wrinkles and crepiness occur when this resource is diminished by UV exposure, irritation and poor lifestyle choices. The body can only process collagen supplements the way it would any other protein, no matter what the glamorous ads for these products imply. It is impossible for shop-bought collagen (which is usually fish collagen) to travel to your dermis (where your own collagen lives), bond with your natural reserve and smooth your epidermis. A low-sugar diet rich in vitamins and antioxidants is the best way to support collagen production from the inside.
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