I’d been pretty lucky with my skin. I wasn’t a spotty teen; I somehow managed to escape the acne that plagued my brothers, but when I started uni I started to get clusters of angry, red spots in the area around the corners of my mouth. Nice. This was pretty easily explained when I look back - high alcohol intake, cafeteria food, and very late nights. Hardly rocket science.
Not long after, I went on the pill, and kind of by magic, I had four years of grace. That was, until last October when I decided I was done with the pill and by February the spots were back, which, when you’re 24 and looking after your skin better than any other part of you (I rarely wash my hair, sue me) is bloody frustrating.
The thing I hate most is being a slave to make-up. I love beauty stuff, I love it a sickening amount tbh, but feeling like you have to wear a thick layer of foundation and concealer every time you run to the shops for an emergency pack of hobnobs is no fun. I just can't leave the house without it.
I’ve now even got into the (terrible, bad, do not do this) habit of stroking them, like some kind of pet, to check if any have popped up over the last hour.
That’s why I decided to speak to some experts who really know their shit, to find out what we can all do to help our skin out.
Stress = Spots
Every specialist I spoke to stressed the importance of thinking of yourself as a ‘whole’, because if you’ve seen a sudden change in your skin, something in your life must have changed too. Aveda Skincare Specialist, Georgina Osny, emphasised this; ‘You’ve got to think about what’s happened recently to cause this, because there can’t be a change in your skin without something influencing it.’ Have you just started a new job? Maybe you’re really stressed? Has your diet changed? If you can pinpoint what’s changed in your lifestyle, you might be able to find your solution more easily.
Diet Plan For Your Skin
We need to talk about diet. Dr Murad, dermatologist and founder of Murad Skincare, says ‘80% of your skin’s cells can only be reached through the bloodstream.’ Which means you can put endless products on your skin, but ultimately, you’re going to have to address what’s going on inside too. Most of the potential spot inducing food groups are pretty obvious - I’m talking processed food, red meat, and sugar. Dairy comes up a lot too because the hormones it contains can have an impact on our our skin, so take a look at what you’re consuming and how much of it. Sarah Brown, the founder of Pai Skincare, recommends starting a food diary: ‘You can start to track any links between what you’re eating or using and how your skin is behaving.’ Supplements can really help too; a good place to start is Omega 3 (Sarah says most people are lacking in it), Vitamin A and zinc (it’s said to help reduce sebum (basically, oil) production in the skin) but do your research because everyone’s different.
Nail A Skincare Routine
Sorry to be a mega bore, but you’re going to need a proper skin care regime because face wipes aren’t going to cut it. It's also mega easy to go completely the other way and slather on any product you can get your hands on, but go easy. Start with a cleanser like Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, £22, and if you want to be extra good, do a double cleanse. Next, exfoliate to get rid of dead skin and dirt but Dr Murad says to avoid 'mechanical exfoliators' (i.e. ones with beads or grains) - they can make your skin angry and might damage it further. Aveda’s Outer Peace Blemish Relief Pads, £23, are really quick and easy and mask’s can do a good job too; try Pai’s Copaiba Deep Cleanse AHA Mask, £30, which exfoliates without being too harsh. Spot treaments like La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+], £11.62 and Avene TriAcneal, £23, can be used to target the specific breakout areas, whilst the Murad Blemish Clearing Solution, £39.50, can be used all over the face followed by a moisturiser.
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Illustration: Karolina Burdon
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.