Caring For Your Sensitive, Acne Prone Skin September 26, 2011

Someone who has both sensitive skin and suffers from acne faces a dilemma when it comes to finding effective anti-acne treatments since most anti-acne products can be quite harsh on the skin.  So what options does someone have who needs a soothing, yet effective acne treatments?

Two of the most effective ingredients for treating acne are salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide both of which can be quite drying on the skin.  Depending on how severe your acne is, for instance if you just have a few breakouts at a time or just clogged pores, using one of these ingredients but not the other would work for you.  Now anti-acne ingredients can be sensitizing and make your skin sting or turn red, but for most people these side effects are temporary.  Once your skin gets used to the products those side effects go away.  Keep in mind that if the redness, stinging, and uncomfortable dryness continues for a prolonged period, months for example, than you definitely have to modify your routine.

I am a strong believer in using salicylic acid cleansers for acne prone skin since salicylic acid unclogs pores, helping to prevent breakouts, reduces inflammation, and keeping your skin smooth.  One way to use a salicylic acid cleanser is to have it on hand to use a few times a week instead of every day.  Or if your skin can handle it try using the salicylic acid cleanser in the evening and a gentle cleanser in the morning.  Additionally, another way to try salicylic acid is with a lotion like Paula’s Choice Exfoliating 1% BHA Lotion.  Depending on how your skin reacts you could use the lotion a few times a week.

As for benzoyl peroxide there a few ways to use it.  First off try using the lowest possible dosage you can find like Neutrogena’s On the Spot Lotion which is 2.5% benzoyl peroxide.  If even that is too irritating try building up your use of benzoyl peroxide by applying your benzoyl peroxide product of choice for 15 minutes in the evening after cleansing.  Then wipe off the product.  Do this for a few nights, and then build up to using benzoyl peroxide for two hours before wiping it off for three nights.  If you find you can tolerate the benzoyl peroxide after the third night then try using it overnight.

Make sure you have a soothing moisturizer on hand in order to help calm any irritation.  Since you are acne prone don’t go for a super heavy product instead look for products that are labeled “oil free”, “won’t clog pores”, and “non-comedegenic”.  Hyaluronic acid moisturizers are a good choice people with oily skin since they tend to be light.

If salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are too irritating for your sensitive skin look for ingredients like tea tree oil and sulfur to treat your breakouts with hopefully less irritation.  Ingredients to look for that sooth and reduce inflammation include aloe vera, chamomile, cucumber, green tea, feverfew, colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, and zinc.  Look for these ingredients in cleansers and moisturizers.  Since you always need to use sunscreen your sensitive skin may benefit from a mineral sunscreen, a sunscreen whose main ingredients are titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide, as opposed to a chemical sunscreen.

If your acne is persistent and your skin can tolerate it consider using an OTC retinol.  OTC retinol causes less irritation than prescription Retin-As.  There are also gentle prescription Retin-A formulations like Refissa that some people with sensitive skin may be able to tolerate without much irritation or with minimal irritation when you first use them.

Lastly, avoid using steam on your face or a hot washcloth.  Even put ice on your face is not a good idea since rapid temperature changes will just cause you more inflammation which is something people prone to blemishes never want.

There are products out there meant for sensitive skin, aging skin with acne, and sensitive skin with acne.  They are worth considering trying.  If you can get your hands on samples before purchasing an entire product that is the way to go.

Most of all – don’t give up!  It might take some time to find the right balance of products and ingredients to treat your sensitive, acne prone skin, but you will succeed in the end.

Sources and Further Reading:

• The Skin Type Solution  by Dr. Leslie Baumann – pages 47-65
• The Clear Difference by Laura Cooksey – Skin Deep Magazine September/October 2011 issue
• Simple Skin Beauty by Ellen Marmur, MD – page 75
• For general tips on caring for sensitive skin please see – The Best Soothing Ingredients for “Sensitive” Skin – The Skin Type Solutions Library – Tips Section

Dos and Don’ts for Acne Sufferers September 8, 2011

One of my favorite sections of Glamour magazine is the “Dos and Dont’s” section where the magazine editors show you the right and wrong ways to wear trendy fashions as illustrated by real women.  (Glamour even wrote a whole book about dos and don’ts)  I’ve used this idea of dos and don’ts in my blog before (I wrote a post called Dos and Don’ts of Winter Skincare), but since I love the format so much I decided to use it again in another context.

Caring for your skin when you have acne can be very perplexing.  First off, there are so many different anti-acne products for sale (at stores, online, and through infomercials) that it can be extremely puzzling to understand what to buy and how to use it.  Secondly, everywhere you turn someone seems to be giving advice about how to prevent and heal acne, and a lot of that advice can be contradictory.  All of the advice can add up to even more confusion.  And lastly, figuring out what combination of anti-acne products work best for you in order to cure your acne can be a long and arduous task.  Now having said all that there are some very basic things that all acne sufferers should do or not do in order to keep their acne under control.  So lets jump in!

Do wear sunscreen!  Everyone needs wear sunscreen daily.  There are plenty of sunscreens that won’t clog your pores or feel heavy and greasy on your face.  Two of my favorites are:  GloTherapeutics Oil Free Spf 40+ and La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid.

Do wear makeup if you want!  Look for makeup that is labeled “oil-free” or “non-comedegenic” which means it won’t clog pores.  Mineral makeup can be particularly good for acne prone skin.

Do use moisturizer!  It simply isn’t true that if your skin is acne prone you can’t use moisturizer.  When you use strong anti-acne products your skin dries out and cries out for moisture.  As with makeup be sure to look for “oil free” moisturizers or products that say they are meant for oily skin.  Some of my favorite moisturizers for normal to oily skin are:  GloTherapeutics Oil Free Moisturizer, PCA Skin Clearskin moisturizer, and Skinceuticals Daily Moisture.

Do seek professional help!  There is no need to battle your breakouts alone particularly if you have tried different home care products and you are still plagued by acne.  Visit a dermatologist for a consultation and go for a facial in order to get advice from a qualified esthetician.  Seeking professional help will make sure that your breakouts go away and stay away.  A doctor or esthetician can also perform facial peels which will help your acne heal.  Peels are wonderful for acne prone skin (for all skin types actually).

Do wash your pillowcase weekly and clean your phones with anti-bacterial wipes regularly!  Acne causing bacteria can linger on your phone (which you press up to your face daily) and pillowcase and just cause more breakouts in the end.  Be sure to keep both of these clean on a weekly basis in order to prevent new breakouts.

Do figure out your acne triggers!  Each of our skin reacts differently to a large number of acne causing factors.  Figuring out if stress or diet is causing your acne is something that only you can determine.  Look at Chapter 3: Targeting Your Acne Triggers from the book Healing Adult Acne by Richard G. Fried, MD, PhD for help in determining your specific acne triggers.

Do educate yourself!  Two of the best resources out there on acne are online and free.  Check out:  Acne.org and AcneNet

Don’t follow someone else’s anti-acne regime!  Each of us is unique and so is our skin.  Don’t be swayed by celebrity endorsements, TV informercials, magazine ads, and TV ads in order to try a new anti-acne product.

Don’t give up!  I’ve suffered from acne for over 20 years.  I know just how frustrating and depressing it can be look in the mirror when you have acne.  The good news is that there are so many great products and resources out there for people with acne.  Keep your spirits up – you will find a solution for your acne!

Further reading:  Coping with Acne:  Your Care Plan – WebMD

Do You Have Porexia? June 13, 2011

Thank goodness forThe New York Times because sometimes they just publish the perfect article.  Case in point – the article entitled Do My Pores Look Big to You?.*   One of the biggest complaints estheticians hear from their clients is that the client wants to minimize the appearance of their facial pores.  It turns out that this obsession with one’s facial pores actually has a name – porexia.  The article explains:

Some fret about fine lines and sun spots; others are fixated on pores. High-definition television has arguably upped the ante. Consider the celebrity with glistening teeth and yogic arms, but a jarringly pock-marked nose in close-ups. Viewers think, “If her pores look like that, what do mine look like?” said Dr. Mary Lupo, a clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine.

Like home renovators who overhaul the kitchen only to then find fault with the master bath, some dermatology patients feel that, once their wrinkles are relaxed and their brown spots treated, their pores stand out. Such is the level of worry that doctors have nicknamed the condition “porexia.”

“There’s a level of obsessiveness,” Dr. Lupo said. “Instead of looking at the global picture, they overfocus on an individual component of the picture.”

It’s not just women who are concerned about large, perpetually clogged pores. Tony Silla, an owner of the Face Place and the head aesthetician at its Los Angeles flagship, said men vent about the craterlike look of enlarged pores more now than when he got into the business 16 years ago. “They don’t want their nose to look like their grandfather’s nose,” he said.

Now for those of you who might have porexia or for those who will admit that they suffer from this condition here are a few things to keep in mind:

Pore size is mostly genetically determined and grows with age, despite the conventional wisdom that only teenagers are swiping their noses with Stridex. The more collagen lost, the looser the pores’ natural support structure becomes, making them great nets for dead skin cells. “Loosening that girdle over time” makes them look bigger, said Dr. Amy Derick, a dermatologist in Barrington, Ill.

And most importantly remember the following:

No matter what marketers might lead the gullible to believe, pores cannot be shrunk permanently. But they can look smaller, temporarily.

Don’t get disheartened by the above statement.  First off there are tons of products on the market that will help minimize the appearance of your facial pores, but before you go investing in such products I want you to ask yourself  the following question:  are my pores really that big or am I obsessing about them needlessly?  There is a reason that I selected the photo above to illustrate this post.  Unless your eye sight is poor please throw out your magnifying mirror – those mirror just make people obsess needlessly about their appearance.  If your pores appear big because you examine them nightly in your magnifying mirror keep in mind that your facial pores probably aren’t large at all.  If you can’t see your facial pores without a magnifying mirror don’t go looking for them.  You’ll only find them because you looked for them.  Keep in mind that no one’s skin can look like the skin on models in cosmetic ads and fashion magazines.  I call those photos – “the tyranny of perfect skin”.  Rarely, rarely does anyone’s skin look like that in real life – including the model’s skin.  They airbrush the hell out of those photos.  I find that many people think they have large pores when they do not so please take a moment to really assess the appearance of your skin.

OK –  so what can you do to minimize the appearance of large pores if you really do have them?  Here are a number of suggestions:

Dr. Fredric Brandt, a dermatologist in Manhattan and Coral Gables, Fla. [says] “Keeping pores cleaned out is going to make them look a lot smaller,” he said.  …

But like exercise, physical exfoliation even once or twice a week can seem an unpleasant task. “Most people surprisingly don’t exfoliate,” Mr. Silla said. “It’s laziness.”

Even the lazy, though, can use a cleanser with salicylic acid or glycolic acid routinely, or get a prescription for a tretinoin like Atralin or Renova, if it doesn’t irritate their skin (causing redness and flakes on top of the pore problem).

Dr. Rendon added that there is another reason to fear sun damage: “It leads to bigger-looking pores,” she said. She recommends daily, year-round use of a sunscreen. If the damage is already done, treatments that aim to stimulate collagen — for instance, intense pulsed light (IPL) and certain lasers or peels — can improve the appearance of pores for 4 to 12 months at most, Dr. Lupo said.

But “it will require constant maintenance,” she warned. Alas: “We have no permanent solution to make pores appear smaller.”

And don’t forget the power of a good make-up primer and powder.  Both will temporarily help minimize the appearance of large pores.  For tips on how make-up can disguise your large pores see my post Large Pores – Can You Shrink Them?.

 Further Reading:

• Can I Make My Pores Look Smaller?  –   Leslie Baumann, MD on her blog The Skin Guru on Yahoo! Health
• How to Minimize Your Pores – The Skin Type Solutions Tips Library

*I’ve actually written about this subject in my past in my blog (see my post Large Pores – Can You Shrink Them?) which included much of the same information that is in The New York Times article, but I loved The New York Times article so much I wanted to write a post about.

What is Sebum? It’s More Interesting Than You Think April 21, 2011

If you suffer from oily skin, shiny skin, or acne you’ve probably given the amount of oil or sebum your body produces some thought.  Probably that thought is: “Why does my body produce so much oil and how can I stop it?”.  Well before you try to entirely rid your skin of oil keep a few things in mind. 

According to the Skin Type Solutions  blog:

In simplest terms, sebum is just oil secreted by your skin’s sebaceous glands. Sebum is actually Latin for “fat,” which makes sense, and every square inch of your skin—with the exception of the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet—has it.

Most of us tend to focus on the negative side of sebum, such as its ability to make your face look shiny, and its connection with acne. But the presence of sebum is actually good for your skin since it protects the skin from losing moisture. Yet another good thing about sebum is that it contains a lot of vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects the skin from aging as well as cancer. (The skin on the lips does not make sebum, which is why this area is more prone to skin cancer.)

Dermatologists are intrigued by the components of sebum, which seems to be determined by your individual genetic makeup. Upon taking a closer look, researchers have found sebum contains triglycerides, diglycerides, fatty acids, wax esters, squalane and cholesterol—why is why cosmetic chemists incorporate some of these ingredients in anti-aging creams. It was once believed that squalane levels in the sebum contributed to acne, but again, no definitive link has been made. Squalane is often added to skin creams so those with oily and acne-prone skins should avoid this ingredient to be on the safe side.

 

If you have acne then you have to deal with the excessive production of sebum by your body which contributes to breakouts.   According to the book Breaking Out (page 20):

People who are prone to acne tend to produce higher-than-average amounts of sebum.  This gives them oily skin – seborrhea, as it is called.  Seborrhea has no direct link with what you eat; the fats and oil in your diet are broken down by the digestive system, and there is no pathway from there to the skin.

Nor is sebum production influenced by anything you apply to your skin.  No matter how dry or tight they may make your face feel, astringent soaps, lotions, or cosmetics that mop up oil on the skin’s surface cannot retard sebum output.  Nor, contrary to popular belief, do they stimulate the sebaceous glands to overcompensate by stepping up oil production to lubricate the dried-out surface.  Sebum output is strictly under the domination of hormones that are indifferent to cleansers, toners, and other topical oil-control treatments.

The connection between hormones and sebum does not necessarily mean that if you have excess oil on your face, your body is producing an overabundance of testosterone, or that your skin boasts an excess follicle-stimulating DHT.  It is instead, typically, a sign that your sebaceous follicles are super-sensitive to these hormones and that they overreact to them, sending out the gush of shine-creating oil that is the most common feature of acne-prone skin.

 

So perhaps the next time you look at your oily face try to turn a negative into a positive and remember that the sebum in your skin can be beneficial.  But if your shiny face is bothering you, and I sympathize greatly since my face can look like an oil slick by the afternoon, follow my tips in my post Shine Free: How to Deal with Excessively Oily or Shiny Skin  for solutions.

Why You Should Never Pick or Pop Your Pimples March 21, 2011

I have a confession to make – I pop my pimples.  Yes, I tell my clients all the time that they shouldn’t ever pop their pimples or pick at their skin, and though I truly know how bad it is for my skin to pop my pimples I still do it.  Anyone who has ever popped a pimple knows how addictive that act can be.  Once you do it is hard to stop.  But here’s why you should avoid popping pimples and why you should never pick at your skin.

This is the thing – if you pop or pick at your pimples they will take longer to heal and could get worse, you risk damaging your skin by pressing and pushing on it aggressively, you could push the bacteria from the pimple deeper into your skin instead of expelling it, and you really run the risk of having the pimple leave a mark or even a scar.  Believe me I’ve been there – every time I pop a pimple I am left with a post inflammatory red mark in the area of the pimple that sticks around for about six months.  Concealer is one of my best make-up friends.

Having said all that I know how hard it can be to keep your hands off of pimples, particularly the red ones with pus.  Believe me I know – I still have trouble keeping my hands off the ones with pus.  So is there a safe way to pop pimples?  Truthfully – not really.  BUT if you insist on squeezing your pimples you can look for some suggestions on how to do this in the book Breaking Out by Lydia Preston on page 151. 

The bottom line is this – hands off your pimples!  Be patient, apply topical anti-acne products to your breakout, and wait it out.  Your skin will thank you later.

Rethinking Accutane? December 13, 2010

I’ve already written about Accutane (or isotretinoin as it known medically) twice in this blog (see my previous posts:  Why Was Accutane Taken Off the Market? and New Information about Accutane), but when I saw the following article online on Skin Inc. I knew that I wanted to address the issue once again. 

AADA Updates Position on Isotretinoin explains how The American Academy of Dermatology  reevaluated and issued a new position statement on the use of Accutane.  Basically the AADA says that isotretinoin is still the most effective treatment for severe acne, but it needs to be prescribed and used safely and responsibly.  Furthermore, AADA does address the link between isotretinoin and depression and inflammatory bowel disease and finds that there is no conclusive evidence that links taking isotretinoin to either of those ailments/diseases.

William D. James, MD, FAAD, president of the AADA and its sister organization, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) said:

Isotretinoin continues to be considered a critically important drug for treating patients with severe acne who fail other therapies.  Isotretinoin offers our patients with severe acne significant, life-changing benefits. Providing this medicine safely is our top priority.

 

I suspect that the controversy over isotretinoin will continue for some time, but it is important to be aware that, as stated above, it a medication that is prescribed when all other acne treatments fail.  Ultimately, it is the only product on the market that actually comes close to offering a cure for severe acne.  Used responsibly and correctly isotretinoin can change someone’s life.  Take it from someone who has been there.

Further reading:  American Academy of Dermatology’s position statement on isotretinoin

New Information about Accutane October 14, 2010

One of the first posts I ever wrote for my blog was called Why was Accutane Taken Off the Market?  in which I explained that while generic versions of the anti-acne drug were still available the original, non-generic version of Accutane had been taken off the market by its manufacturer for “business reasons”.  Speculation was rife at the time that while it was true that the Swiss drug maker Roche could not compete with generics on the market they were also busy fighting off lawsuits from users who blamed their severe stomach problems or depression on Accutane.

Certainly Accutane has been controversial for a number of reasons including the fact that taking the drug while pregnant will cause terrible birth defects.  Another controversy about the drug has been that it can cause depression.  But Norwegian researchers have recently concluded that the depressive side effects long thought to be associated with Accutane are actually a side effect of having acne.  According to the research, which included 3,775 18 and 19 year olds in Oslo, young people with acne have levels of depression and suicidal thoughts that are two to three times higher than those without acne.  Subjects of the study had those thoughts regardless of what type of anti-acne medication they were on.  While not all researchers agree with the findings in the Norwegian study I think it is a very interesting bit of research to share.  I think it makes it abundantly clear that the psychological effects of acne should never be forgotten or dismissed. 

Source and further reading:  Is Accutane as Dangerous as Initially Believed?   Skin Inc. 

How To Get Rid of Blackheads September 1, 2010

Blackheads are a scourge.  I think I’ve had the same blackheads on my nose for the last 20 years; I gently squeeze them out and they come right back.  When I do facials I find that most people, no matter what their age, have blackheads, especially on their noses.  Luckily there are a few different methods for getting rid of blackheads but persistence and patience is needed in order to see results.

  

What Are Blackheads?

 

Simply put blackheads form when sebum (oil) and dead skin cells clog the inside of the sebaceous (oil) glands and form a cyst.  Blackheads are open comedones, the word doctors use for blackheads and whiteheads, which means that the dermis has not covered the clogged pore over, and the comdone oxidizes in the air and turns black.  Just because the comedone is black does not mean that it is dirty or that there is dirt there.  This type of blockage starts deep inside the pore and builds up until it reaches the surface.   Blackheads typically grow to between 2 to 4 millimeters and can remain in place for months and even years. 

 

What Causes Blackheads?

 

There are few different contributing factors to the formation of blackheads.  One is that your body is producing excessive amounts of sebum or oil and that oil does not exit the pore properly.  Another contributing factor are dead skin cells that also do not exit the pore properly – rather they stick together and get stuck in your pores.  This, by the way, can be a genetic condition.  Certain make-up and skincare products can contain ingredients that can contribute to clogged pores.  Not removing all your make-up at night certainly doesn’t help to keep your pores clear of debris.

 

How Can You Get Rid of Blackheads?

 

Two things are important to remember about blackheads when you go to treat them.  One is that the oil and dead skin cells that are blocking your pore and have lead to the formation of a blackhead have accumulated deep inside your pore so you need pretty powerful ingredients that penetrate deeply into pores in order to dislodge the stuck debris.  Simply cleaning your face with a scrub or rubbing away at your blackheads will not help dislodge them since the debris is stuck deep down in your pore.  Secondly, as I wrote above blackheads can stick around for months or even years which means that you need patience and persistence when you want to remove them.

The two best ingredients for getting rid of blackheads are salicylic acid and retinoids.  Salicylic acid is oil soluble which means it can penetrate into your clogged pore and help to dissolve the oil trapped in the pore.  Retinoids help to regulate skin cell turnover and prevent the dead skin cells from sticking together and staying in your pores.  Many people might find it too strong to use products simultaneously with those ingredients so I would choose one or the other ingredient.   But be sure to be patient!  The blackheads formed over time and it will take time to remove them.  (For more information and product recommendations please see my earlier posts Ingredient Spotlight: Salicylic Acid and All About Retinol).

 

Should You Squeeze Your Blackheads?

 

It is extremely tempting to squeeze your blackheads, but if done improperly you can actually cause quite a bit of damage to your skin.  Ideally if you want to get rid of blackheads go get a facial.  During a facial the esthetician properly prepares your skin for extractions and then knows how much to squeeze and for how long.  For instance, don’t go squeezing your skin for more than 10 minutes since that will just end up causing trauma to the skin in the end.  If you insist of doing your own extractions at home I suggest doing them immediately after getting out of the shower and after having washed your face.  Make sure your hands are cleans and wrap your fingers in clean tissues.  Squeeze gently and don’t keep poking at your face for more than 10 minutes.  If you can’t dislodge the contents of a clogged pore easily leave it alone!  Pushing and pushing will just damage your skin.  Finish your extractions by wiping your face with toner or witch hazel oil. 

 

Sources and Further Reading

 

• Simple Skin Beauty by Ellen Marmur, MD – pages 204-205
• Breaking Out by Lydia Preston – pages 21-25
• For further instructions on how to do at home extractions see Kate Somerville’s book Complexion Perfection! – pages 138-140
• Getting Rid of Blackheads – Paula Begoun

• 5 Blackhead Products to Avoid—Learn What Really Works! – Paula Begoun

Body Acne June 15, 2010

 

For many people acne is not just a problem on their face – they experience breakouts on their chest and back as well.   Of course, this can be as distressing as facial acne particularly as summer approaches and you want to wear a bathing suit or more revealing clothing.

The above illustration does a great job at representing the most common areas of on the body that breakout .  Why do the red areas above break-out the most?  Because that is where the sebaceous glands, or oil glands, are most concentrated on the body.  The above illustration also highlights the groin and buttocks area which can experience breakouts as well or what appears to be breakouts.  If you breakout in your groin or buttocks area it is important to see a dermatologist in order to investigate what exactly the breakouts in those areas are. 

The reasons for breaking out on your chest and back are the same reasons why you breakout on your face – clogged pores and bacteria.  To understand more why one breaks out see my earlier posts:  How Acne Forms and What Causes Acne.

  

Treatment Options for Body Acne

 

Treat your body acne like you would your facial acne.  The main frustration with treating back acne is not being able to properly reach the area that you want to treat.  There are a few ways to get around that issue.  You can use a loofah or sponge on a stick to reach your back when cleansing in the shower.  Acne.org sells a buddy body that helps you apply lotions and creams to your back.   Or if your anti-acne product is in a liquid form (like a toner) transfer it to a spray bottle so you can reach your back with ease.  If all else fails enlist someone in your household to help you apply your anti-acne products on your back.

Some body acne can be brought under control just by gently cleansing the skin and then applying a benzoyl peroxide cream or lotion in the evening.  I suggest using benzoyl peroxide in the evening since it can bleach fabric, and you don’t want to ruin your clothes.  Remember to exfoliate those areas like you would your face a few times a week.  Using an exfoliating product with salicylic acid would be perfect for body acne.

If your chest and back acne is more severe I suggest cleansing with a salicylic acid cleanser and then applying a benzoyl peroxide lotion or cream nightly.  In the morning you could tone those areas with a salicylic acid toner. 

Make sure that your body wash or soap doesn’t contain ingredients that can clog your pores like coconut oil.  And never use any form of alcohol to treat your body acne!  Alcohol is far too drying for anyone’s skin. 

When you use sunscreen on those areas be sure to use an oil-free one.  For instance, just use your facial sunscreen on those area. 

Shower immediately after exercising so that sweat and grime doesn’t have a chance to settle in your pores and clog them.  Make sure that you wear breathable fabric clothes so that sweat doesn’t get trapped on your back and chest.  Avoid irritating those areas or rubbing those areas too much.  There could be a small chance that your fabric softener is leaving a waxy residue on your clothes and aggravating your acne.  Experiment – forgo using fabric softener in your next two or three washes and see if that helps your body acne.

For those of you with long hair make sure that when your hair is covered in conditioner it isn’t sitting on your back while you shower.  After applying conditioner to your hair clip your hair up on top of your head until you are ready to rinse it out.  Conditioners contain a large number of heavy, fatty ingredients that can clog pores.

If none of the above suggestions help your body acne be sure to see a dermatologist for prescription products.

 

  

Recommended Products

 

• Clearasil Ultra Acne Clearing Gel Wash
• Acne.org 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel
• Paula’s Choice Clear Extra Strength Targeted Acne Relief Exfoliating Toner

 

 

Sources and Further Reading

 

• Treating Body Acne – Skin Guru Yahoo! Health – by Dr. Leslie Baumann November 1, 2007
• Body Acne – acne.org

June is National Acne Awareness Month June 3, 2010

It turns out that June is National Acne Awareness Month. 

Did you know?

Nearly 80% of people will experience some form of acne during their lifetimes. Acne is the most common skin disorder in the United States, affecting 60 million Americans at any one time, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Here are some resources to find out more information about acne, its causes, and treatment options:

• Acne.org – my hands down favorite online resource for all information about acne
• Acne Month is a website set-up by the makers of  Differin and Epiduo.  This site is pretty good with lots good, basic information about acne and its causes.  Of course since it is sponsored by the manufacturers of prescription acne medications the site continually recommends that you go see a doctor for acne treatment.

 

Since I’ve suffered from acne ever since puberty I have a great personal interest in the topic.  No surprise – I’ve written about it a lot on this blog.  Here are some of my previous posts about acne:

• Hidden Acne Causes
• Can Over Washing Your Face Cause Acne?
• How Acne Forms
• What Causes Acne?
• Recommended Reading for Information about Acne
• Is Your Diet Causing Your Acne?
• Why was Accutane Taken Off the Market?
• Ingredient Spotlight: Benzoyl Peroxide
• Ingredient Spotlight: Salicylic Acid

 

If you have acne – don’t despair.  There are so many different treatment options available for acne.  There is a solution out there for your acne woes.