Today, I am going to be answering another reader question. Loryn from Erie, Colorado has the same problem many of us seem to encounter, including me. Loryn is a mentor to high school students, and she feels she should be advising them on how to rid themselves of acne rather than having to battle it herself. I can relate. I made it through junior high and high school with hardly a zit, but now that I am an adult I find myself in a never-ending battle with the little pink demons. Loryn wants to know how to combat her acne, and I am sure many of us find ourselves in the same battle.
I want to share my personal unusual battle with acne as an example for the different reasons acne can occur. As I already mentioned, I went through my entire adolescence with very little acne. When I moved from a humid climate to an incredible dry climate a few years ago, my formerly tame skin began to break out constantly, and nothing I did seemed to help. It was so bad my boyfriend bought me Proactiv as a “gift.” Yet, no product on the market seemed to calm my aggravated skin. I attributed the acne to the drastic change in climate; the dry weather just wasn’t doing my skin any favors. Yet I couldn’t live my whole life with acne now that I had moved.
After a long, losing battle with my skin, I decided to visit an aesthetician, Erin, about the problem. Erin started with the most obvious treatment for my acne: chemical peels. These harsh (and painful) treatments are supposed to rid the face of the impurities that cause acne. They worked wonders for my slightly acne prone husband, but they just made my skin worse. I was embarrassed to be in public because my skin was so blotchy and red.
Erin realized chemical peels were only going to continue to make my skin worse, and she decided to give me the mildest facial she could, a soothing mask. She also put me on a regimen of mild, gentle Sanitas products. To my amazement, the acne began to disappear quickly. My old zits weren’t being replaced by new zits. My skin was just clearing up.
After my skin began to clear up, I ditched the heavy MAC Studio Tech foundation and powder I was using to attempt to hide those zits. More gentle make-up cleared my skin up even further.
Regular treatments with Erin several years later, mild products, and gentle make-up products keep my acne under control. I still get occasional zits (especially during the extremely dry winters), but the problem is mainly manageable.
Figuring out what is causing acne is the trickiest part of finding a skin care regime to combat it. Acne can be caused by a number of different things. Let’s go through them one by one. Loryn and others who want to figure out what is causing their acne may want to note which of these seem to fit into their lifestyle.
Stress – Stress can cause a number of health problems, and it can also contribute to acne. When you are stressed, your body just doesn’t behave how it’s supposed to behave, and the effects can show up on your skin as well.
Diet – Contrary to popular belief, chocolate does not cause acne (everyone can breathe a sigh of relief now), but excess dairy products can. Not everyone will be affected by dairy, but some people will notice a difference in their skin due to dairy. Conversely, there are some supplements that can help your skin. We’ll cover that later in this article.
Hormones – The reason acne starts occurring in teenagers is because their hormones kick in. It’s also the reason birth control pills can be prescribed to combat acne. Since hormones cause acne, different points in a woman’s menstrual cycle can cause breakouts.
Climate – Some people may be sensitive to dry climates, and other may react to humid climates, but skin can be sensitive to the climate around it. Note how dry your skin can get in the winter. If you have moved from one climate to another, your skin may be adjusting.
Travel – If you have a lifestyle that requires you to travel significantly, it can cause your skin to react negatively. Airplane air is awful for skin (note how many flight attendants seem to have drawn, tight skin), and constantly switching climates can take a toll on your skin.
Inappropriate Skin Care/ Products – If you want to truly combat acne, you must be diligent about your skin. Good skin care products (they don’t necessarily have to be expensive) and good skin care can help your face. Bad products can aggravate your skin no matter how hard you try. Too many products can do the same thing. Don’t use every product you find to combat acne; you will just confuse and frustrate your skin (and consequently yourself). Heavy make-up can also cause clogged pores and therefore acne.
Did you say yes to any of these? You may be closer to finding the problem causing your acne. Tomorrow we are going to cover some of the solutions to acne. There are lots of ways to combat it if your acne just isn’t going to go away on its own. Be sure to check back.
Do you have a beauty question you want answered? I would love to hear from you. Please include your first name and town along with your question. Please e-mail me at explorefashion@gmail.com. I would also love any feedback on the blog or ways to improve it.
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3 comments:
Hi! I have found the same problem since having moved from Maryland to Denver. It has wreaked havoc on my skin, and I use Mac makeup as well. What makeup did you switch to? I never know what to use.
I am using Hourglass Cosmetics. It isn't any cheaper than MAC ($60 for foundation), but it's the only thing I've found that doesn't break me out. I have tried just about everything on the market, and this is really the only foundation I trust. You can find it both online and at Sephora.
If you aren't willing to invest that much in make-up, there are some drugstore brands that may help you. Neutrogena, for instance, has a foundation that contains salicylic acid. Additionally, Loryn, who originally asked the question, started using Origins make-up and has had quite a bit of success with it.
No matter what you choose to do, switch from MAC. I think MAC has some of the most interesting, exciting make-up on the market, but their foundation, concealer, and powder are not meant for anyone who has sensitive or acne-prone skin. It's too heavy and thick.
Denver's climate is extremely dry, and especially if you are moving from a climate that has some humidity like Maryland, your skin has a major adjustment to make. Be sure to supplement any skin care routine with plenty of water. An additional tip for Denver readers is to be sure to use sunscreen. The combination of the 300 days of sunshine and the high elevation are lethal for your skin if you aren't careful.
Your post was so encouraging! I've recently moved from Taiwan (incredibly hot and humid) to S.Korea (much colder and drier). I couldn't figure out what was causing my acne because so many things had changed (food, environment, work, stress...) that there was no way to isolate each factor. I've been so disgusted by my skin and really discouraged because nothing seems to make a difference. I haven't read your follow-up entry about solutions yet, but will as soon as I post this!
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