Summer Ingrown Hair Remedies

New swimsuit, check.  New sandals, check.  Wide-brimmed hat, check.  Electronic ticket, check.  If only you could check off getting rid of those pesky things on your bikini line, but there they are, staring you right in the face!   Check.  Mate.

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.  

 

Multi Masking Skincare for Adult Acne

Multi-Task?  Multi-Mask !

I’d like to talk this week about a kind of multi-tasking, from the perspective of dealing with skin that seems like it's in some sort of identity crisis. How do we deal with different parts of our face doing different things, even when our skincare routine is as optimal as can be? 

This may surprise you: only 10% of the world’s population has truly dry skin, ie, doesn’t produce enough oil to keep it lubricated and healthy, while only 10% of the world’s population produces way too much oil.  Everyone else falls into the wide spectrum in between. 

This is why my clinical instructor in beauty school first introduced us to the world of skincare with this adage:

 “There ain't no such thing as Normal Skin”

Adult Acne Tip : You really do need a moisturizer !

There are often times when a new client fills out my Eval by Email® consultation form, and they leave the Nighttime Moisturizer field blank.  It seems many people think they don’t need a moisturizer because their skin is oily, or they’re uncomfortable with the idea because they’ve broken out so much from them in the past.

I’d like to shed some light on moisturizers, why they seem to break you out, why you actually do need one, and how to obtain the right one for you.

A big part of the problem is they way most moisturizers are made.

What can I expect after starting a better skincare routine ?

I get asked this question all the time, and rightly so.  A great deal of trust is being put in me.  The focus of my skincare practice is acne and sensitivity experienced by adults aged late-twenties on up.  Why is that?

There are two reasons for my focus on clients in their late 20’s and older. 

One, I believe that those of us who are looking for anti-aging products that won’t break us out and acne products that won’t dry or irritate our more mature skin, are being largely ignored.  I want to fill that void.

How to Prevent Butt Breakouts !

I’ve been telling you for a long time now, dear readers, that body breakouts are usually caused by friction and/or pressure.  Ill-fitting clothes, sitting for long periods, textured fabric rubbing against sweaty skin, long term exercise with no skin protection.  How much more is this true of butt breakouts??

There are actually two issues with breakouts on the behind, as well as the backs of the thighs.  

Does a Change in Weather Mean a Change in Skincare ?

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

Introducing an Ingrown Hair solution you can't resist!

Summer’s Coming !

Get your skin bikini-ready before summer !

I’ve been waxing bikini lines for the better part of the last 23 years.  Along the way I’ve not only become quite expert at the famed Brazilian Bikini Wax (thank you veddy much), I’ve also honed an expertise in Adult Acne.  Both of these have given me tremendous insight into the formation, and treatment, of the dreaded ingrown hairs and body acne, whether formed as a consequence of waxing or simply an oily skin condition. 

March is Mask Madness Month at The Acne Whisperer !

Yes indeed, folks, it’s Mask Madness time here at The Acne Whisperer! The entire month of March will be devoted to the masks offered at my main web site, what they do, how they work, how to use them and how to choose them.

With so many choices and benefits, I thought I would start out with a simple lesson in the best way to apply a mask.

Adult Acne and Acne Medication: Why Not Meds?

In last week's post, I discussed a few of the various types of medications that are sometimes prescribed for acne.

As an Virtual Skincare Coach specializing in acne conditions in adults 30+, I've noticed for years that many people who come to me for help have been disappointed by prescriptions that either simply didn't work or actually appeared to make things worse.  I have indeed seen skin clearance with medications as well - after all, prescriptions are not given based on nothing. They do sometimes help.

So why do medications disappoint so much of the time?

Adult Acne and Acne Medication: Why Meds?

As an Online Esthetician working exclusively with Adult Acne for people 30+ for the last decade or so, many clients come to me after being disappointed by doctors. From differing hormone levels to greater dead skin cell buildup as we get older to a plethora of anti-aging products, there are so many new issues that arise over the decades, it baffles me how often people seem to get treated medically the same, irrespective of age!  

In general, I feel that throughout much of the medical profession, adult acne is not really well understood for one very simple reason - pore clogging and irritating ingredients in most skincare are not paid much attention to, and there is very little recognition of the differences between adult acne and teen acne.  It's no accident that so much of the time a client will start out telling me that she had very little acne in high school, if any at all - a definite indication her acne problem is not genetic! What this means is that bacteria, genetic overproduction of oil, or abnormally fast cell turnover may not be the key problems in most cases of adult acne, as it is in every case of teen acne.

So why prescribe medications to an adult ?

Adult Acne in the Presence of Dehydration: Part 2

In Part One, I discussed how dehydrated skin can contribute to adult acne breakouts and blackheads. Blackheads, also known as “open comedones,” are made of a mixture of oil and dead skin-cells.  

Within the area known as the "t-zone” they're not only normal, but blackheads are actually beneficial! The oil of your skin is slightly acidic, which kills a lot of bacteria that hit your skin from the air - more oil in the t-zone means protection for your eyes, nose and mouth from bacterial invasion. The mix of dead skin cells makes this all stay in place, as oil and dead skin cells that are not mixed together also come out to the surface.  

Over time, this mix exchanges itself as cell turnover and constant release of oil get pushed out of your pores every day onto the surface of your skin joining other substances your skin makes to provide your skin’s entire protective barrier known as the “Acid Mantle”.

Thing is, there are microscopic blacks all over your face.  In any acne condition, these tiny things can get larger, and in certain conditions, inflamed.

So, what if this mix has difficulty coming out? What if blackheads keep building up more and more inside the pore? What if the separate oils and dead skin cells also can’t come out?

Adult Acne in the Presence of Dehydration: Part 1

As an online Esthetician and a virtual skincare coach through my Eval by Email® Adult Acne Clearing Programs, I often don’t get a chance to feel the skin of a client with my own hands. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see what’s going on. Even without the use of a magnifying lamp - you’d be surprised what can be seen in a good web or phone cam photo. 

Since I have over 20 years’ experience giving facials, I know very well what dehydrated skin is like, what it feels like, what it looks like, and what causes it to occur. 

In cases of Adult Acne and Sensitivity, which are my specialized focus, dehydrated skin appears in the vast majority of my clients. If it seems like a contradiction - acne in the presence of dehydration - remember that there is a difference between having “dry” skin that doesn’t produce enough oil and having dehydrated skin where there is plenty of oil but too much water loss. 

Perfect Your Selfie: Banish the Blemish!

There are three things that can really ruin a great makeup application for a special occasion:

1) A sudden breakout
2) Flakiness from dry air
3) Oily shine that pops through your makeup and lights up your face like a disco ball.  

With the holidays and New Year parties approaching, be sure to follow these tips to blow each of these makeup busters to smithereens! Perfect your self(ie) for some great pictures. ;)

Banish the Blemish!

The quickest and easiest way to clear a sudden breakout is actually the best way to soothe inflammation. This method called Ice Therapy, and it's imperative that you start this procedure as soon as you feel or see a new zit.

The video below demonstrates just how easy this process is to reduce inflammation in a breakout!

AcneWhispererTV: Ice Therapy

A sudden breakout before a big event. A recurring undergrounder right around your period that never seems to go away. An ongoing acne condition that plagues you every day of your life...

One simple thing -- a deceptively simple thing -- is integral in clearing up your breakout problems no matter the severity -- ice.

Why ice?  

In all cases of breakouts, inflammation plays a great role in acne formation. Even bacteria can't bother a pore without the pore becoming inflamed first. If we first attempt to calm the pore down by cooling it off, we can prevent bacteria from becoming involved while also reducing pain and swelling at the same time.