Clear Up Your Skin...For Good!
These simple expert strategies will help you get the flawless complexion you deserve once and for all.
By Colleen Moriarty
If you're still battling pimples long past your high-school years, here's some good news. By targeting the source of the problem, you can finally start to rely on clear skin every day. What that means is you need to get a handle on your stress first. It's the number-one trigger of adult acne, says David E. Bank, M.D., a dermatologist in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. "Stress boosts cortisol and other hormones that increase oil production," he explains. (Oil plus dirt and bacteria equals breakouts.) So make time for exercise or other relaxation every day. Then try these measures to put a stop to your breakouts:
Rethink Your Cleanser.
You know to suds up morning and night, but when was the last time you really examined your cleanser? You need one that deep-cleans without stripping moisture. Steer clear of creamy products; they clog pores. Instead, use one of the new products made for adult acne, with antiaging/antiwrinkling and antiblemish ingredients. Be sure it has salicylic acid (the gold standard of pore decloggers) to slough off dead skin, which can clog pores. We love Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish Daily Cleanser ($7; at drugstores) and Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser ($15, mariobadescu.com). Or try one of the new acne kits that contain a blemish-fighting cleanser (plus toner and moisturizer), like Rodan + Fields Unblemish Regimen ($85; rodanandfields.com). For body acne, try Murad Acne Body Wash ($35; murad.com).
© 2008 Weider Publications, LLC, a subsidiary of
Submit a comment
READER COMMENTS
I BELIEVE THAT GETTING GOOD SKIN COME FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND A GOOD SKIN CARE, I HAD TERRIBLE SKIN WHEN I WAS GROWING UP UNTIL I BECAME ABOUT 20 AND IM 23 NOW. I DISCOVERED THAT DRINKING LOTS OF WATER AND GETTING ALL OF MY OMEGA-3 'S WERE HELPFUL AND USING NATURAL FACIAL CLEANSERS SUCH AS KEYANO LEMON FACIAL MILK FOLLOWED BY A GOOD QUALITY WITCH HAZEL TONER CLEARED UP MY SKIN AND NOW PEOPLE TELL ME I LOOK LIKE IM 18 WITH FLAWLESS SKIN. I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE .
— anonymous
I totally agree with the first comment! All derms do is make you spend ridiculous amts of money on pills and creams that dont do anything. For someone with acne snice age 15 (over 10 years!) I wish my derm had realized years ago that topical creams just WONT work, I could have saved a ton of money and time. Instead my new derm FINALLY realized my acne was hormonal and switched me to the same combo mentioned above, Yasmin and Spironalactdone (only once a day!) and it has totally worked! Thank god and who knew that a simple hormone pill could work wonders. I now use only natural ingredients such as tea tree oil and rarely breakout. I think anyone who has suffered for years and tried everything with no results, should ask their derm about the combo I mentioned above, it really works!
— Babs
One thing that really bugs me is how articles on clear skin, dermatologists and spa estheticians only approach acne from an oily-skin/bacterial point of view (i.e. use the right skin line or take antibiotics or accutane or use the right topical cream to combat it). I had sudden awful cystic acne onset at age 23 even though I have small pores and dry skin. I didn't want to leave my apartment because I felt like bad skin was somehow a reflection that I wasn't eating or cleaning right or exercising enough. It was a mystery to all and I unsuccessfully tried a million skin care lines and every pill and cream for 3 years while eating healthy and exercising, and was finally about to try Accutane when someone recommended going to an endocrinologist and allergy doctor first.
THAT was it! None of the dermatologists (I tried several) prescribing me all these expensive pills and creams or none of the estheticians at the various spas I was getting expensive treatments at and of course being pushed expensive product lines at even mentioned that it could be hormonal or an allergy. Turns out I had a bunch of allergies like to wheat, most nuts, cow's milk, brewer's yeast, avocados, strawberries and carrots- things I was eating every day. Also, I discovered that I have hyper-sensitive dry skin (no fragrances in my lotions or fabric softener for me!) AND my hormones were off- I had slightly higher levels of testosterone.
For my sensitive skin I tried many lotions till I discovered Eucerin Calming Cream for my body and Dermalogica brand cleanser and facial moisterizers for my face... the only things that don't make me break out! (Natural products like Body Shop and even baby cream even irritated my skin with bumps.) I never wear a shirt twice and change my pajamas every 3 nights, my pillowcase every night (I flip sides) to prevent irritation from body/face oil buildup.
My endocrinologist put me on Yasmin which has higher levels of estrogen (I now switched to a similar cheaper generic) AND also gave me a prescription for Alactdone (I take the generic Spironalactdone 50mg 3x/day), which blocks the effect of male hormone in your body to allow the estrogen to kick in better- i.e. clear glowing skin -and even plumps out your chest a tad too :)
This was my first lesson in how doctors and people specialize in their one area and might not think to attack a problem from another area of medicine. It has been 4 years now since this, and my skin has been back to flawless thanks to these changes.
I really wish more skin articles would mention at the bottom of each that if the cleansing routines suggested don't work, to look into allergies and hormone levels! That would have saved me 3 years of heartache.
— Aleesa
see all comments>