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Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Wellness Wednesday: How To Treat Adult Acne


If  I could wave my magic wand, and could get anything in the world it would be to get rid of my adult acne. Now my acne isn't horrible, but I will get a flare up once a month. When I do break out it will usually be around my forehead, and around my brows from waxing. 

Annoying..... Isn't my skin suppose to stop doing this after 21???

My skin is a combination of oily and dry, and has a mind of it's own. I have spent so much money trying to find products that work for my face, and I am still on the hunt....

Here are some of the products and methods that have worked to clear up my skin.

Skin Care


The basis for good skin is good products. I discovered the Ole Henkrisen product line a couple years ago, and ever since I have been hooked. The first product from the Ole Henriksen line that got me hooked was the Vitamin Plus Moisturizer. I will never use another moisturizer because this my favorite product of all time. I've tried a bazillion moisturizers before trying the Vitamin Plus, and nothing seemed to work. I needed something that was light weight, oil free, acne friendly, could wear under foundation without movement throughout the day, and is hydrating. I've never had a moisturizer that meets all my requirements until I bought this one. BUY IT!

This African Red Tea cleanser is my absolute favorite because it clears my skin without being drying. I've tried using "acne" cleanser, but they have all left my skin feeling dry and tight after a single wash. I use this face wash with my Clarisonic, and both of them together eliminate the grime off my face to minimize breakouts. Please note that just like a tooth brush, you need to replace you Clarisonic heads. 

When I do get a pesky zit to appear I use one of my favorite spot treatments Bosica Clear Complexion Willow Bark. This is such a great product because it's not an irritant. Lot's of acne products contain Salicylic Acid which is super drying on me. The willow bark in this products reduces redness, and inflammation. 


Makeup

Foundation 

It makes me sad to think that I have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars trying to find makeup that will a) match my skin tones, b) give good coverage, c) light weight, and d) won't make me breakout. After years of searching I finally found products that work for me, and the formulas that are friendly for my skin. Whenever I try a foundation the number one thing I look for is that it needs to be OIL FREE! Anything with oil trends to clog my pores, and makes me break out. My two favorite foundations are the Laura Mercier Oil Free Silk Creme, and the Urban Decay Naked Skin. I love both of these foundations because they both have yellow undertones, which is perfect for my skin. I wear the Laura Mercier foundation typically if I am going to do a shoot, and wear the Naked Skin on an everyday basis. 

Primer

I like to wear primer when I want my skin to be extra smooth, and have my foundation last longer. The problem here is that tons of primers contain SIlICA. I have noticed that if I use anything with Silica it will not only make me breakout, but also irritate my skin. I just started using this primer from Makeup For Ever, and so far I really like it. Since it's water based my skin doesn't get clogged or irritated, and I'm left with a smooth look. 

Pillow Sheets

You have probably heard of changing your pillow sheets regularly to prevent your face from breaking out. I will admit I am horrible at doing this, and should do it more often than not since I don't wash my hair for a week. I notice that when I change my pillow case every other day that my skin clears up during a break out. 


Diet

For some reason or not the one food I have noticed that will cause me to break out is CHOCOLATE. There isn't much scientific evidence behind this, but it definitely makes me flare up. While my poison is chocolate, try eliminating foods during a breakout to pin point what might be causing the flare up.

Water also plays a huge role in keeping my skin clear. I notice that when I drink tons of water everyday, that my skin will be less prone to flare ups. 


Medications

My adult acne is due to multiple factors: genetics (on my dads side), and the fact that I got the Mirena IUD. Prior to getting on the Mirena I was on Accutane, and let me tell you "IT WAS HELL!" When I finished my round of Accutane I was acne free for 4 months until I got the IUD because I was getting married. A week after I got on the IUD I broke out in huge pustules a week before my wedding!!! You can imagine how devastated I was thinking I was going to get married looking like a pizza. My dermatologist loaded me up on some steroids, which cleared me up just in time for my wedding. I  started breaking out from the IUD because I am part of that 1% that will produce androgens while being on the IUD, and thus leading to acne. To control the effects of my IUD I currently take a diuretic called Spironolactone.



6 comments:

  1. Thank you for this post! And thanks for mentioning Mirena. Would you mind sharing other side effects? I'm due to get mine in 2 weeks and I'm nervous!!

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    Replies
    1. I did a blog post here that talks about my experience. Hope it helps :)

      http://www.thejpetite.com/2016/02/wellness-wednesday-mirena-iud-questions.html

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  2. Why does adult acne have to exist!? I also started to break out once I got my Mirena as well, never saw that coming! Love all these tips and thanks for sharing!
    xox Tess | Sequins are the New Black

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ughhh I'm sorry that happened to you too. Adult acne is the pits

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  3. Adult acne sucks! I got mine under control recently by switching to a Korean skincare regimen, and it's been magic! This article helped me figure out what products I needed - http://seoula.co/guidetoacne

    ReplyDelete

 

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