Adult Acne Tip - Are You Oily or Sweaty?

At this particular time of writing, it’s the end of August in Chicago.  This month has been hot and muggy.  Of course, you could be reading this during another season altogether.  But, if you’re in a hot climate, you’ll still benefit from the info I’m about to share, so let’s put aside the “summertime” designation for this post.  What I’m talking about is sweat vs oil, and what happens when you have Adult Acne and think you feel greasy when it fact what you’re feeling is perspiration.  Or, both at the same time.  So, what’s the story?

Do I need an eye cream with oily skin?

One of the first things I was taught in Beauty School (where I went in my early 30s in 1997) was that at that time, just in the United States alone, the skincare industry boasted $3.2 Billion in sales annually.  The reason stated?  "It’s incredibly easy to sell moisturizer."  I’m not kidding, that’s really what they said.  Frankly, I think it’s extremely impressive.  Everyone needs moisturizer.  There’s a reason there are so many out there to choose from.  Like I always say, “Everything works for somebody, nothing works for everybody.” 

My job in specializing in Adult Acne is to make sure my clients are getting adequate healing and hydration in their lotions while avoiding pore clogging and irritation.  In addition, my job especially is to make sure they’re getting anti-aging concerns taken care of without clogging pores and causing breakouts unnecessarily.  Prevention is a big part of anti-aging consciousness these days, and it comes up a lot in my practice.

So what about eye cream for prevention?  

Gimmick, or necessity?

Is Benzoyl Peroxide The Devil ?

In my 23 years of helping to clear Adult Acne, I’ve heard differing opinions about Benzoyl Peroxide, aka BPO. Some say it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread when used properly and under a very specific protocol.  Others believe it damages the skin leaving it thinned out and oxidized, contributing to pigmentation issues and aging.  Some don’t like it just because it’s a “drug”, preferring a more “natural” approach.

 

But learning exactly what BPO does, how it works, and how it can actually help rather than hurt, took more than just hearing an opinion or two.  I’d like to share what I’ve learned with you, and perhaps demystify, and even shed a positive light on Benzoyl Peroxide.

How to Control Oil During Summer

How do we Control Oil During the Summer? Plus my very first ever book review.

Who doesn't love laying out under a tree, shaded from the beautiful summer sun, reading a good summer book?  Surrounded by flowers, enveloped by warm breezes, listening to kids playing in the park with their dads.  Spending an afternoon like this with a bottle of ice tea? Pure. Bliss.

How Much of Each of My Skincare Products Should I Use?

After filling out the full Eval by Email® form for Adult Acne and Sensitivity issues, a sample packet of an entire skincare regimen is sent to your home to check for likeability, but mainly for any adverse reactions, after which full sizes are purchased from my web store.  

Of course, accompanying this sample packet is a full set of instructions with the order in which the products are to be used, and how to use them.

However, in addition to daily and weekly instructions, I also include a special post card with information on how much is used at a time, and how long each product should last when used in the amounts and frequency they're meant to be.

For your convenience, there are full step-by-step instructions in my web site’s Advice Section for an entire skincare routine for every skin type.

Every time a client comes to get a facial at my skincare salon, Daniela’s Facial Studio, or when a remote client checks in when they need to order more product, I check on their previous product purchases and the date they purchased last, because that's how I can tell if they're been using the products the way they've been instructed to.  Then I check whether they might need to repurchase, or tweak their routine. 

"Can I Use the Same SPF for Face and Body?"

As an online skincare coach, a great many of the Eval by Email® forms I receive on a day to day basis reveal a pretty substantial number of Adult Acne sufferers who use the same moisturizer for day and night, or the same SPF lotion for face and body.  It may seem like this wouldn’t have any part in acne formation, and indeed, the part that moisturizers play in worsening acne is the same for all types of lotions; the presence of pore-clogging ingredients.  But there are other things to consider as well.

So, this week I'd like to tackle the question of Face vs Body SPF, and next week SPF vs Night lotions.

Is there really that much difference between 

Face and Body SPF lotions?

 

Let’s consider a few things.

SPF lotions for body are more likely to be pore clogging

This is true even of “sensitive skin” brands, and brands whose advertising implies that their products are healthy for the skin.  Since most people forget how much the hands and arms can touch the face every day, it’s easy to see why so many skincare formulators would use moderately to highly comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients in body moisturizers, figuring it doesn’t really matter. 

Does a Change in Weather Mean a Change in Skincare ?

This is SO typical me.  Yes, it’s confession time. 

Nutrition that Might Help your Adult Acne?

With summer coming, Adult Acne sufferers know there are two types of “glow”...

There’s the glow of better health from finally getting outside and into fresh air and exercise, more fruits and veggies in one’s diet since it’s no longer uncomfortable eating cold foods, and the rosy glow that can come from sun exposure (we want to avoid that, though, don’t we!). 

The other glow is one we don’t like so much.  The glow of excess oil from increased exercise, heat, and goopy SPF lotions that clog pores.  Not to worry, though, I’ll be discussing solutions to all of those in upcoming blog posts !  In the meantime, you can check out the best SPF product in the world that I carry at my web store, which is not only guaranteed non-clogging, but is hydrating and really comfortable to wear.

A Changing Of Seasons... For Your Makeup?

Ah, seasonal changes... Going from summer to fall brings us pumpkin-spiced goodies, mugs of warm tea, time to spend with loved ones, and... swapping out your makeup? It seems that changing out your skincare or makeup products by season is a universal thought -- often backed by bloggers, fashion magazines, and perhaps even your own family!

In my most humble opinion -- no matter what season you're in, the type of foundation you use (whether it's a cream, liquid, a tinted moisturizer, or a BB cream) really depends on your preferred coverage. Our skin certainly changes with different weather conditions, but should makeup even be involved? If you're concerned about hydration, sun protection, and pore minimization it would seem that any changes in your skin from one season to the next should be taken care of with quality skincare products.  

I've never really been a fan of using makeup as skincare considering that makeup products are designed to sit on top of the skin and not penetrate, where as skincare products are supposed to penetrate. Another way to look at makeup-as-skincare is that if foundation (that is not supposed to penetrate the skin) has skin-enhancing ingredients, how much effect is it actually going to have?

Healthy Skin From Head To Toe: Part 3

Spring is finally here! And it took long enough... The warmer weather means shedding those clunky winter layers and letting your skin breathe! In this Healthy Skin series, I'll be talking about what you'll need in the coming months to protect your skin from head to toe. (This means a lot of sunscreen!)

You know about what ingredients and claims to look out for when buying SPF sunscreen and you now know how to apply it effectively (and when to reapply!), but what about the rest of your body?

Healthy Skin From Head To Toe: Part 2

Spring is finally here! And it took long enough... The warmer weather means shedding those clunky winter layers and letting your skin breathe! In this Healthy Skin series, I'll be talking about what you'll need in the coming months to protect your skin from head to toe. (This means a lot of sunscreen!)

I already touched base on what kinds of ingredients and claims to look out for in your SPF to make sure that you won't break out from your product.

My clients often ask me, "How much sunscreen do you need for the face?" The answer is pretty simple.

Healthy Skin From Head To Toe: Part 1

Spring is finally here! And it took long enough... The warmer weather means shedding those clunky winter layers and letting your skin breathe! In this Healthy Skin series, I'll be talking about what you'll need in the coming months to protect your skin from head to toe. (This means a lot of sunscreen!)

First of all, you know that your body skin is not the same as the skin on your face. If you suffer from breakouts or have even slightly oily skin, most sunscreens just feel gross. The creams are either goopy or greasy and even the ones that say "oil-free" often don't feel so great.

One thing you need to know about sunscreen for the face, is that for a long time manufacturers thought consumers wanted to have a moisturizing sunscreen, since the sun has a slightly drying effect on certain skin types. This has caused way too many SPF moisturizers to be formulated as though everyone has super dry skin. Watch out for labels that talk too much about the cream having moisturizing qualities. What skin really needs is water, not lubrication. 

Sometimes the claim of "oil-free" can actually be a red flag.  Many base ingredients that are meant to replace oil are waxy substances that clog pores until they're totally stuffed.  If you like natural or organic brands, check in with a knowledgable Esthetician (like me! :)) to make sure the ingredients are suitable for your skin type.

People email me all the time with ingredient lists, and what surprises them when I respond is that some of the most pore-clogging ingredients are natural!  Raw materials like cocoa butter and coconut oil are known to be very pore-clogging. Shea Butter is another comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredient.