Skincare Q&A: Pregnancy-Related Acne Issues

As an online esthetician, I'm always answering questions about adult acne, ingrown hair problems, rosacea, or general skin sensitivities. So! I thought that I would feature a skincare Q&A on my blog to address some of these issues.

There are some questions that are sent to me via email or through ChickRx, a now-defunct site where anyone could ask questions that relate to various lifestyle topics and experts (like myself) can offer valuable advice or suggestions. If you have any questions that you would like to ask (or have featured on the blog), please don't hesitate to speak out in the comments below! If you would rather have a question be answered privately, I am always available by email. :)

This week's Skincare Q&A features concerns of pregnancy-related adult acne and beauty issues. 

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"I recently found out that I'm pregnant. Do I need to worry about what's in my skincare and beauty products? Should I switch to all-natural? What about the products that contain Salicylic Acid or BPO?"

Dealing With Acne Scarring & Hyperpigmentation

Since I specialize in adult acne, just about all of my clients, all of whom are in their late 20s all the way up to mid 50s, suffer from the lasting effects of pigmentation issues from healing acne blemishes, commonly called "scarring". 

So how can you get rid of the scarring on your face from acne?  Well, we first have to be specific on what we mean by "scarring".

Skincare Q&A: Treating Adult Acne With Drugstore Brands

As an online esthetician, I'm always answering questions about adult acne, ingrown hair problems, rosacea, or general skin sensitivities. So! I thought that I would feature a skincare Q&A on my blog to address some of these issues.

There are some questions that are sent to me via email or through the now-defunct ChickRx, a site where anyone could ask questions that relate to various lifestyle topics and experts (like myself) can offer valuable advice or suggestions. If you have any questions that you would like to ask (or have featured on the blog), please don't hesitate to speak out in the comments below! If you would rather have a question be answered privately, I am always available by email. :)

This week's Skincare Q&A features questions about drugstore brands, why it's so difficult to find products that work for getting your skin clear, and how to pick the best acne treatment suited for your skin type.

How To Give Yourself A Great Facial At Home

The best way to maintain the results of your facials is with regular care at home. With the right products, you can achieve fabulous skin with this weekly regimen. This facial is also great right before a special occasion or an evening out, as it will ensure a more even and longer lasting makeup application.

The wonderful thing about this facial is that most of the steps can be done in the shower or the bath. For extra relaxation, try an aromatherapy bath. Massage oils or pure essential oils are perfect for a calming soak, especially when mixed with dry milk beforehand to  better disperse the oils in the water. For the shower, simply place a few drops of essential oil with water in a small bowl and place it on your radiator or heating vent.  Try putting on some Celtic or Native American music, or sounds of nature, like ocean waves or thunder storms.

How To Determine If Cleansing Wipes Are Right For You

There always seems to be a new beauty product that caters to the woman-on-the-go who has such a busy life with managing work, socializing, and personal or family time that setting aside a few moments to wash her face at the beginning or end of the day is a terribly daunting task. 

And even if there are a few precious moments, it's just way too easy getting caught up being lazy or tired!

This is where the facial cleansing wipe comes in. I'm often asked about cleansing wipes and how they might be a substitute for washing your face with cleanser from a bottle.

What To Look For In Anti-Aging Products

An often-asked question amongst my late-20s, 30s, and 40-year old clients is, "What's the deal with anti-aging products, and when should I start to use them?"

Well, I'm here to tell you the Big Dirty Secret about anti-aging... 

Of all the anti-aging ingredients, there are only two that are preventative and corrective at the same time: broad-spectrum sunscreen and topical antioxidant serums. 

("Broad-spectrum" means that the sunscreen filters out both UVA and UVB rays -- and must say so on the product label.)

All other anti-aging products are corrective and not preventative, which means that if you don't have any fine lines or wrinkles yet, no corrective product will prevent them. The only thing that will prevent wrinkles, besides a broad-spectrum sunscreen, is something with multiple forms of antioxidants.  Having only one form of antioxidant in a product usually doesn't do the trick because different types of antioxidants interrupt the cascade of skin damage at different points. 

Some of the best antioxidants to look for are: 

Soothing Your Scary Skin

Halloween festivities have come to an end, and everyone had a great time, but why is your skin still in scary mode?

In the day or two after Halloween, you might notice that your skin has broken out in little red bumps or has become irritated. If you wore face paint, costume makeup, or even used lipstick on your face as part of an outfit there is a huge possibility that the oils and dyes in those products are causing your scary skin.

Face paint and costume makeup are chockful of oils and waxes that can be highly pore-clogging. When the natural oils in your pores aren't able to be freely distributed and are instead clogged by other oils or waxes from beauty products, this excess oil will become stuck in the pores. The result of this oil abundance creates inflammation inside your pores and can then lead to swelling, redness, and, sometimes, pain.

Skincare Q&A: Birth Control and Adult Acne

As an online esthetician, I'm always answering questions about adult acne, ingrown hair problems, rosacea, or general skin sensitivities. So! I thought that I would feature a skincare Q&A on my blog to address some of these issues.

There are some questions that are sent to me via email or through ChickRx, a now-defunct site where anyone could ask questions that relate to various lifestyle topics and experts (like myself) can offer valuable advice or suggestions. If you have any questions that you would like to ask (or have featured on the blog), please don't hesitate to speak out in the comments below! If you would rather have a question be answered privately, I am always available by email. :)


This week's Skincare Q&A will feature questions about birth control and its relationship to breakouts, adult acne, and more...

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Corporate Acne and Stress: Part 2

Yesterday, I discussed why you might be more likely to be stressed at work and why that gives you breakouts.

When we talk of an acne breakout being "hormonal" we usually mean breakouts that occur with PMS, changing or stopping birth control, or having an emotional freak-out. What do hormones have to do with acne?

As I mentioned in "Corporate Acne & Stress: Part 1," it's all about the male hormone, testosterone.

Testosterone is responsible for oil production in the skin. There are two main places where this hormone is produced in women -- the ovaries, and the adrenal glands. Any time there's an adrenaline rush, there is also an accompanying testosterone rush. Conflict stress (from the fight or flight response) can produce this rush.

Corporate Acne and Stress: Part 1

"How Can I Stress Less About Work?" (Part 1 & Part 2), talked about managing the stress that many of my clients ask me about, as the economy has produced a new kind of work force that is full of women under pressure. The subject of workplace stress is especially pertinent to my business. As a specialist in Adult Acne, I get quite a few clients coming in to see me because of the stress caused by their jobs.

Contrary to what conventional wisdom would hold, since the economy blew up in 2008 not one person has come to me for a facial to feel better or to prepare the skin to look better for an interview. Everyone who has come to me for help with Adult Acne is typically working a 9-5 (or later) job. So why did my business as an Acne Specialist boom after the 2008 recession?

What makes this recession different from all others are the layoffs that created a smaller workforce doing double to triple the work. This is what has affected the average client who has come through my door in the last 4-5 years. As middle management with MBAs were laid off, those working under them got promoted from within, at very little above their previous salary. Having no real experience in leadership or management, these (usually) women are under tremendous pressure to turn out numbers like their predecessors while supervising former colleagues.

The result?

Days on end of terrified supervisors behaving badly, creating an environment where if someone willing and able to do the work of more than one person wants to keep her job, she'd better comply. She may be more valuable than the supervisor, but she's not irreplaceable. She wants to flee or fight back, but she can't. As valuable as she is, she can still lose her job. And with companies enjoying this new found money-saving work force doing more work at less pay, why should they hire anyone else? No wonder there are little-to-no job openings. So! The worker has to keep her fight or flight response inside and take that stress home.

Toner, Orlando & Dawn

When you think of essential skincare products, what comes to mind? Cleanser, SPF moisturizer, spot-treatment... ? Actually, one of the most important products for troubled skin is very often missing from skincare regimens!

So, queue up some Tony Orlando and Dawn, and let's get to talking about the importance of toner. :)

I had a colleague in Florida named Dawn. (I say "had" because this sweet, amazing woman sadly passed away last fall after a long battle with cancer. May she rest peacefully and be a continued inspiration to her friends, family, and other skincare colleagues.) Dawn had a set-up in Miami much like mine. (Ok, so it's not Orlando, but what else was I going to call this post, considering it's about toner?) We were having a discussion about the role that increased water consumption plays when it comes to hydrating skin that lacks moisture. 

My correspondence with Dawn got me thinking about toner and how most people are still unclear on what it does and why they should use it.

Firstly, two facts about water consumption:

How Can I Stress Less About Work? Part 2

I'm back today with Part 2 of my Acne and the Economy series about Work Stress! 

Yesterday, I shared my observations as a small business owner being asked advice about workplace stress. Today the focus is on how to win the battle against that stress.

When I was in beauty school we were told,

“Treat the salon you’re working for as though it were your own!” 

Well guess what.  I’m not the only one who got bit in the b-hind for following that advice!  Treating the business you work for (remember - which doesn’t belong to you!) as though it were your own is a recipe for not one, but two disasters. 

How Can I Stress Less About Work? Part 1

This is the first part of my Acne and the Economy series where I speak about the issue of stress in the workplace and how it can effect your emotional and physical well-being, as well as how it could be negatively affecting the clarity of your skin.

As an independent woman with her own business, many of my clients ask me about how to become less stressed out about work.

Here in Chicago, my clientele generally work in the corporate world, holding positions in the sales, advertising, consulting, marketing, and public relations fields. They see me not only as independent, but also calm and serene much of the time. I clearly love my work, I am an enthusiastic expert in my field of esthetics, and I don’t have to follow anyone else’s orders since I run my own show. Naturally, my clients want to know just how I do it all by myself, and especially, how I stay so calm!

Welcome To The Acne Whisperer Skincare Blog!

Hi! Welcome to my new blog. :)

My name is Daniela, and I am the owner of Daniela's Facial Studio, located in the beautiful area of Lincoln Park in Chicago, IL. 

As an Esthetician for over 15 years, I have been specializing in the areas of Adult Acne, Rosacea, and Sensitivity. You can read more about my background on my About page.

This blog is where I can share information and insights about skincare concerns for adults with acne -- including info about non-comedogenic products, how stress and hormones relate to this skin condition and what can be done to treat this often embarrassing problem. 

It is my belief that most of the battle with breakouts is accomplished at home, whether your issues are with Adult Acne, Rosacea, or Sensitivity. Facials are great for cleaning out pores, but are much more effective after the skin has been softened and calmed enough to let matter in the pores loose. Much of the time, skin clears up with just skin-safe products and a consistent, personalized routine.

As an esthetician committed to providing quality service and care, I carry my own skin care line, which can be found in my webshop. 

These products, along with Mark Lees Skin Care, are manufactured with the best, skin-safe formulations for adult acne and sensitivity in mind. They use the purist, most standardized ingredients using the latest scientific technologies at lab-consistent levels, all without any pore clogging ingredients.

I have recently developed a skincare consultation service, called the Eval by Email Online Skincare Consultation, which has worked tremendously well for people all over the United States. If you're in your 30s, 40s, or even 50s and still suffer from Adult Acne, you've found the right place!

Anti-aging and sensitivity products that are appropriate for adult acne and oiliness issues are incredibly hard to find.  This blog, along with my website is where you can find out more about products that are suited to your skin type.

I'm here to answer any questions you have about your personal skin care issues and to tell you the truth about what works and what doesn't -- without treating your skin like it's 16 years old!