How to streamline your skincare routine for Adult Acne

Crazy busy? Multi-tasking Your Skincare Could Be The Answer!

Last week I sort of brushed against the multi-tasking trend with the idea of multi-masking different areas where your skin is having different parties on multiple parts of your face. 

Multi-tasking with your skincare is quite different in that where we’re trying to use fewer products at a time to address different issues rather than using more.  

Having said that, properly clearing and soothing adult acne and sensitivity is somewhat difficult with just a “three-step” Cleanser-Toner-Moisturizer program.  

Serums may be optional, but there really is no way around an acne remedy, an exfoliator and a mask if you really want to get clear.  

However, it is also true that each of these three can be found in a single product, which is the subject of this post.  But, goes without saying, this very much depends on the particular acne issues you have.

Thing is, my hope is always to get your skin to a point where you no longer need an acne remedy, and where one mask can accomplish exfoliation, acne clearing and oil control all at the same time, usually clay, sometimes gel with salicylic acid.  There is a way to get the most out of a few items, we just have to put our heads together.

So what is this trend based on, and why now?  

Antioxidants.  

Antioxidants are actually what makes the Multi-Tasking trend even possible.  There are so many different antioxidants that work in different ways, you can have an entire regimen of antioxidant products working together to give you the best results without having to buy tons of products.

Whenever you hear of a product making claims of curing multiple ills, whether aging, acne, dark marks or redness, it’ll almost always be a product that has either one or more types of antioxidants.  If they’re talking about firming as well, this means there an addition of a class of ingredient called peptides. 

Whether or not this product will work will depend on whether there is more than one antioxidant playing the field, and whether the antioxidants and peptides are present in adequate amounts.  Most often neither is in place, although sometimes the first criterion is.  Drugstore, department store and celebrity endorsed brand serums and moisturizers are almost never formulated with the second criterion in mind.

Having said that, even though we want to streamline your routine by making sure every product you use packs a good punch so you don’t have to use so many, there really is nothing like a well-formulated serum.  The reason so many out there are able to make such seemingly wild claims about clearing acne and dark marks and smoothing fine lines and waking up dullness, is because all of these issues are addressed so beautifully by topical antioxidants!

I need to point out here that you cannot take for granted that any product with multi-tasking involved will work for you and your particular skin issues.  In fact, it actually took me a long time to decide to write on this topic, because everyone’s skin is so different, you can’t assume something on trend is going to be ok for you.

So, using the products in my web store as reference points, here’s a view of Multi-Tasking Skincare -> Daniela Style!

Cleanser

Cleansers can be formulated with OTC meds, like Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide, or antioxidants like Vitamins C and E, to begin treatment as well as to clean.  The meds loosen impactions and over-accumulated dead skin cells, while antioxidants help begin the healing and protection process.

This great Sal Acid cleanser for inflamed congestion, is concentrated so a little goes a very long way. 

This very thorough antioxidant lotion cleanser is great for dehydrated skin with discoloration issues and no breakouts.

Toner

Toners balance hydration and pH levels at the same time.  They’re technically not really considered part of the multi-tasking trend, but they should be.  Why?  Because no matter what other products are used, you will not get nearly the hydration and balancing that any treatment moisturizer offers without a well-formulated water-loving toner.  Your dry, dehydrated, and/or breakout-prone oily skin, will thank you.

Serum

If there is one thing you should purchase as the center of your skincare routine, if you insist that everything has to be inexpensive but you want to spend good money on one miracle product, it would have to be a broad-spectrum, high potency antioxidant serum.  For sagging, uneven texture and expression lines, antioxidants are paired with a class of ingredients called Peptides. 

These three below are the best I’ve ever seen, and are the primary reason I look the way I do at nearly 50.  Seriously.

This basic broad-spectrum multi-vitamin serum soothes and hydrates, as well as repairs oxidative (especially sun) damage and helps prevent blackheads from becoming too dark and from turning into blemishes.

This Vitamin C Serum contains the best form of vitamin c for ant-aging, called Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate.  I have seen it fix a dark mark problem and make the skin look amazingly younger when paired with an alcohol-free multiple AHA serum like nothing else.  It also enlivens dull complexions.

This is my go-to powerhouse for anti-aging; a firming serum used at night with the vitamin c serum mentioned above used in the morning.  This amazing liquid gold contains powerful peptides with potent hydrators, skin correcting beta-glucans, and anti-redness mega-antioxidant alpha lipoic acid.  I credit this gem for me looking 40 while not breaking me out in the process (yes, I still do break out).

AHA

Alpha Hydroxy Acids exfoliate pigmented cells, flush out excess cell build up from inside and outside pores, and kill bacteria especially when mixed with BHA (Salicylic Acid).  They pack such an incredible punch, I eventually get all of my clients onto an AHA, or at least a BHA, product.  This BHA mask can be used to exfoliate, hydrate, soothe, and even as a spot treatment.  I have used it to overnight spot treat inflamed buggers which went away in a day or two.

This multi-tasking AHA does all of the above without alcohol, which means it's great for skin that suffers with dryness, but also contains skin lighteners and antioxidants to do the job of an exfoliant and a serum in one!

My arsenal :  (L to R)  AHA with antioxidants, Hydrator with firming peptides,
calming, hydrating Sunscreen.  All without a single clogging ingredient.

Moisturizer

Moisturizers make multi-tasking easy; one well-formulated moisturizer can help heal breakouts, sooth redness, firm sagging, and hydrate like crazy, or, prevent new breakouts after clearing, lighten blackheads and discoloration, calm skin down and prevent sun damage from leaving you with a mess of fine lines.

For sagging, dehydration, fine lines and calming, this hydrating firming lotion is the one I use myself.

And finally, the ultimate in multi-tasking, my own invention, The Papaya-Pumice Clay-Scrub Kit, the exfoliating, calming, moisturizing, oil absorbing, antioxidant wunderpowder product you mix yourself at home to create the effect you need depending on what wet ingredient you decide to put in it.  Cleansing scrub, clay mask, hydrating ultra-treatment, you name it!

Sooooo, how would we put all this together to save you money and time?

• Step 1) We would decide what the core task must be for your skin's issues.

• Step 2) We would then decide on the core main ingredient to get the job done.

• Step 3) Choose between my array of potent, results-oriented products focusing on the main ingredient needed, and find the ones that have the most in common, and therefore eliminate any possibly superfluous products.

A word of caution :  This method could lengthen the time it should take to get your adult acne under control.  We need to decide together based on your skin’s issues and history.  Multi-tasking may be a premature concept for those struggling with problem skin.

What experience have you had with this Multi-Tasking trend?

 

Have you found that it has worked better for you then larger routines in the past? 

Do you think it’s the multi-tasking that’s better, or perhaps the quality of the particular products you’re using? 

Please share in the comments below!

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Your acne problem has a source, and clearing your skin requires finding that source and either eliminating it or healing it.  You can start that right now by filling out my Eval by Email® Online Skincare Consultation Form created specially for ages Gen-Y to Baby Boom!

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