8 Steps To Reducing Redness

In my previous post, "Adult Acne? ...Or Is It Really Rosacea?" I went over the differences between adult acne and rosacea and how to tell exactly what kind of breakouts you're experiencing.  I also mentioned lifestyle changes that could help to manage rosacea flare-ups.

Of course, not everyone with redness issues has rosacea.  Rosacea is a vascular disorder, usually inherited, usually shows up around the age of 30, and is marked by a chronic redness that gets worse with age when left untreated.

Surviving Winter Dryness with Adult Acne

Did you know that only 10% of the world's population has truly dry skin?  As in, genetically does not produce enough oil to maintain its acid mantle, aka natrual barrier.  We call this skin type "Oil-Dry" because it doesn't produce enough of the natural oils skin needs to function properly.  10% of the world's population has skin that produces so much oil, their pores are so large and free-flowing, the skin actually never experiences acne.  The rest of us have combination skin, with oil production occuring along a spectrum.   This is why I believe there are 4 skin types, not three - Dry, Slightly Dry, Slightly Oily, and Oily.  As my instructor at beauty school (may she rest in peace) said, "There ain't no such thing as normal skin."

Oiliness and Dryness at the Same Time??

Winter dryness actually affects everyone’s skin, not just those born with a genetic lack of oil in theirs.  However, for people with acne, or even just skin on the oilier side, dryness can be quite baffling, becuase we're just not used to it.  On top of that, this kind of dryness can have many people breaking out more in the winter than in the summer, even though the opposite may seem to make more sense.  Dryness isn't not just about itchiness, flaking, tightening, or redness.  Personally, my skin always used to look far worse in winter as an adult, with more breakouts, dullness and redness.  My oily adult skin always looked its best in summer. 

Knowing what to do about winter dryness starts with an understanding of how it happens in the first place. 

The Year Of Maskne: An Adult Acne Expert's View

COVacne!  The Scourge of the Year

Most people call it "maskne", of course, but I call it "COVacne" because it's obvious to me that more is involved than just the physical wearing of masks.  There is no question that friction and heat from mask wearing play the greatest roles, but there has to be meaning in the fact that for so many the acne also gets bad in areas otherwise designated as "hormonal"; the jawline, sides of the chin, inner cheeks, and lower central forehead.  Stress must play a roll, too!

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?

Stubborn Acne Around the Chin and Mouth

As an Esthetician specializing in Adult Acne and Sensitivity, acne in pores where oil glands are larger due to being located in the “T-Zone” but where pore sizes are smaller due to facial contours, is the most common problem I see in my clients, both in the salon and in my online adult acne coaching service across the nation.  Excess oil from all kinds of hormonal changes rush into pores causing inflammation of pore linings, resulting in swelling, redness and pain.

These areas of larger glands and smaller pores are located on the sides of the chin, around the mouth, the inner cheeks, and between the brows.  Sometimes, the sides of the chin will also extend to the inner jawline and lower cheeks.  

Working Out with Adult Acne

We’re edging toward the end of winter, and your workout resolution is well under way.  Or, your regular workout routine has been under way for a long time.  Either way, this is often the time I get asked about the best way to keep acne clear with a workout schedule that seems to interfere too often with keeping skin healthy.  How do you avoid over- or under-washing the skin with workouts, and how to keep skin hydrated enough?

Wedding Prep for Adult Acne

The fact that right now is not “wedding season” is precisely the point of this post. 

In the 20+ years that I have been specializing in Adult Acne, I’ve had people contact me just a few weeks before their wedding (a few people, even just 2 weeks ahead), to book a facial to get rid of their breakouts.  

If someone tells me her breakouts are very recent from stress, that’s one thing.  In that instance I tell her a facial will exfoliate, calm and hydrate her skin to prep for better makeup application, but when it comes to clearing her breakout, I tell her it’s actually best to treat it at home with my Ice Therapy technique twice a day.

Enjoy Your Chocolate This Valentine's Day!

I wrote about the connection between various foods and Adult Acne breakouts. Naturally, the time around Valentine's Day brings up questions about the chocolate-breakout connection. Dermatologists have long poo-pooed the idea that there is a connection between the two, and I think it's because the focus was always on the chocolate -- that is, the cocoa.  There's more here than meets the eye!

Think about this: when are you most likely to eat chocolate? Around your period!  And when do you break out the most? You get the idea...

However, and this is a big however, with mounting evidence that there is indeed a connection between dairy and some acne conditions, and between sugar and increased inflammation in the body leading to worsening of existing acne conditions, chocolate is starting to be seen under a new light.

Scarf Attack! How Your Winter Breakouts Can Be Prevented

Do you have new jawline and neck breakouts that are bad enough to have you running to your doctor?  Don’t go making an appointment just yet… This winter is cold but the weather keeps fluctuating.  Sometimes it's humid with snow, sometimes bitter cold and dry. Nothing else bears the brunt of freezing cold like your skin. But you know what, while everyone is familiar with the drying and chapping effects of frigid winds, very few people take into account how the weather might affect adult acne.  What makes winter different, why would adult acne breakouts be any different than now?

The answer is friction.

AcneWhispererTV - Removing Eye Makeup the Right Way

If you think the task of removing eye makeup is a simple no-brainer, my experience with hundreds of adult acne clients over the years shows a different picture.  Why?  It’s just removal of makeup, what’s the big deal?

Removal of a stubborn coating of mascara involves quite a bit of rubbing.  Thing is, depending on the material used with makeup remover, it can also involve microscopic scratching.  This results in two really important problems.

Cornstarch! Adult Acne’s Best Friend!

Mineral Veil, HD Microfinish Powder, Light Reflecting Setting Powder.  I see these a lot among my clients’ makeup arsenals, chiefly because my clientele all have breakout issues.  Summer can really be gross.  There’s very little that’s worse than a greasy mess over layers of makeup.  These powders are not just setting powders, they do serve a great purpose for oily skin; they absorb oil like no one’s business and the white ones don’t clog pores or irritate inflamed skin.

Thing is, considering they run anywhere from $20-50, and considering most are made with just one ingredient, the white ones in particular, do we really need this?  In my opinion, this is really one of the things we can indeed save money on.  Like I said, these powders are great.  But they’re not all there is.

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?

Adult Acne Tip: How to Wash Your Face

You would think washing your face is a complete no-brainer, but consider this: on more than one occasion, I’ve been prompted to ask clients with congestion and breakouts on their entire hairline if they tend to avoid those areas when washing.  Often people will avoid the area not wanting to get it wet. This can sometimes be why I see such congestion there.  

Now granted, someone who washes their hair every day will not have this problem no matter how they wash their face.  But not everyone does that.

Demystifying Large Pores in Adult Acne Skin

As an Adult Acne Specialist, I get asked all the time how to get rid of large pores - slash - make them smaller - slash - make them disappear, etc.

The answer is pretty disappointing (no, they cannot be shrunk), but also kind of fascinating.  

There is, however, a way to prevent them from looking bigger than they already are.

What does Comedogenic mean?

For those of you with Adult Acne, this is real information you don't want to miss!

I’m sure you’ve seen this term before.  
Comedogenic.  
Let's break it down;  

comedo = an impaction of varying size containing a mixture of sebum (fancy name for our skin’s oil) and dead skin cells, often known as a “blackhead”;  

genic = creating.  

 

Cheek Breakouts and the Blush Brush Conundrum

Have you ever experienced breakouts along your cheekbones that just don’t go away no matter what you do?  While there are several possibilities that could explain this annoying problem, my first go-to in diagnosing the problem is to look at your blush and bronzer.

You may have also come to a similar thought, but from a different angle.  After asking at Sephora, or perusing Pinterest, there's no doubt that you've come across the advice to wash your makeup brushes.  It only seems to make sense that your dirty makeup brushes would cause breakouts, right?

Actually? NO !  

As I always tell my clients,

 "It's  the blush, not the brush!"

Allergies and Adult Acne

What is the Allergy-Acne Connection?  If you have environmental allergies or even food sensitivities, they could provide clues to your persistent breakouts.  Sensitivity in one area can contribute to sensitivity in another area.

As part of my online skincare coaching service, Eval by Email^® Adult Acne Clearing Program, vital information about your skin’s history is gathered along with full names of all the products you use from head to toe. 

One section that may surprise you is dedicated to listing your allergies -- anything related to food, environment, cosmetics and even medication.  Why do I need such details about everything topical or ingested?  Is there a connection between allergies and acne breakouts?

Kitchen Esthetician or How to Navigate Acne DIY

Working on my Adult Acne Online Coaching program, helping people adjust their home routines to clear their breakout issues, coming across some kind of DIY facial oil, mask or cleansing oil is an almost daily occurrence.  Between Instagram, TikTok, and beauty blogs, the skincare consumer is bombarded with all sorts of advice on how best to deal with acne in general, but particularly on how to save money and health by making your own products right in your own kitchen.  I can’t blame anyone for trying these things.  Who can possibly object to saving money and guarding their health?

There are three problems with the logic here.

Causes of Springtime Ingrown Hairs

As the winter weather transitions into spring, chances are that while wearing jeans, yoga pants, leggings, etc., you may find yourself perspiring just a little more than usual, most likely in an on-and-off kind of way. 

Since I began performing waxing services over 20 years ago, I have noticed that the frequency and severity of ingrown hairs along the bikini line and butt breakouts seem to increase during changes in weather, particularly from colder to warmer months.

Now, there are changes in weather other times of the year, why is spring so special?  

All About Blackheads plus Tips for Adult Acne

What is a blackhead exactly?  And why are they black?  Is it dirt?

No.  It’s not dirt.  If you have blackheads, it does not mean you have a dirty face.  And it certainly doesn't mean scrubbing the hell out of your face is going to do one bit of good.

Exactly what is a blackhead?

A blackhead is an impaction made up of various oils and waxes made by your skin, mixed with skin cells that have died and have dislodged from the very top layer of your epidermis.  The same top layer that makes up the surface of your skin lines your pores as well.