How often should I replenish my skincare products?

Why the worst thing you could do while clearing Adult Acne is let yourself run out of product.

I hope it doesn’t seem like I’m repeating myself.  :)  This is really just a follow-up to a previous post where I talk about how much of each product you should use at a time.

I started it out with a conundrum I often experience when facial clients check in, where we don’t see as much progress in their acne clearing as I think we should.  I take a look at when they last purchased.  I know approximately how long each type of product should last when it's used properly (which I will go over a little later), so if it’s been a while, it's not always the case that they’ve stopped buying their products and let their skincare go; often the client has either stretched the products out for budget reasons, or stretched them out figuring they have an upcoming appointment so why not wait. 

The truth is, using too little of each product renders them pretty much useless.

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.

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.

Is it OK to Use the Same Moisturizer for Day and Night?

SPF vs. Night Lotion

Last week, I covered the question of whether the same SPF lotion can be used for face and body.  This week I discuss the topic of using the same lotion for both morning and night.

As an online skincare coach, a substantial number of clients from across the country, people in their late 20s all the way up to their 50s, ask me if it’s really important to have two moisturizers, one for day and one for night.  Why can’t we just use the same moisturizer, why do we have to buy two?  There are several reasons, especially when it comes to Adult Acne.

"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. 

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.