Our skin story: Tips for fighting acne/blemishes
"I believe that all women are pretty without makeup - and can be pretty powerful with the right makeup." - Bobbi Brown
For those of you who are new followers, this year we've been blogging the process of our new skincare routine. It's been so exciting to work with Clinique these past few months and we decided to put together a sort of 'round-up' of all our skincare videos, as well as our top tips for preventing and helping with- blemishes. Whether you have blemish-prone skin or just get blemishes sometimes, these are some ideas that might be simple but can make a big difference depending on the reasons behind your skin breaking out.
OUR SEVEN TIPS:
1. Skincare
Choosing the right skincare products for your skin type is important for maintaining the integrity and quality of your skin. If you have blemish prone skin, oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, or a combination you should have products that are appropriate and aren't going to make your skin worse by clogging it up.
If you're not sure what your skin type is, Clinique is a great place to start with a consultation where they will help you find the products that best suit your skin. Plus best of all they have a huge range so you can find exactly what will work.
2. Other things you put on your skin
Moisturiser, makeup, sunblock and other things you put on your face might clog up your skin, especially if its blemish-prone. So choosing appropriate products is important. Try sticking to oil-free gel moisturisers, non-comedogenic products, and even 'medicated' makeup for some extra acne fighting (like ones containing salicylic acid).
3. Being careful with active blemishes
One thing we learnt last year (the hard way) is that bacteria can live and grow in some makeup products and then transfer back onto your skin and create new blemishes. This is particularly of concern with concealers that come in tubes that you might be tempted to apply directly to a pimple.It is more hygienic to put some concealer to your hand first instead of straight onto the pimple. If it does transfer into the tube you end up with a bacteria infested product that can cause any area you put concealer on to have fresh blemishes pop up. It's not worth the extra time you saved the first time!
4. Makeup Brushes
Like makeup, the brushes you apply it with can get acne-causing bacteria on them which you could then smear all over your face and spread pimples. For that reason (and also because they'll work better) you should clean your makeup brushes regularly. If it's something like a concealer or foundation brush you might want to clean it more often or instead opt for using fingers as these are easier and faster to clean every time they get contaminated.
5. Taking off your makeup
This is something that can be hard to do when you've had a long day. But leaving your makeup on for too long/overnight makes the perfect environment for creating new pimples. Sometimes the usual cleanser and clarifying lotion may get it off. But if you tend to wear quite a bit of makeup or it's not being broken down by your cleanser you might like to try something like Clinique's Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm before your normal cleansing routine.
6. Skin Routine
Along the same vein as taking off your makeup is washing your face twice a day. Having this routine makes sure you are regularly keeping your skin clean and exfoliated to prevent any blockages and pimples forming. You won't see good results if you only 'occasionally' cleanse or 'sometimes' moisturise'. Keeping a constant regular skincare routine is key.
7. If your skin has acne or nothing works
If you do everything and nothing fully eradicates your pimples another option to consider investigating is medications or more clinical level of treatment. You might like to talk to your doctor or dermatologist about some of the options available such as antibiotics, the pill, or more serious medications like isotane. These work in addition to all the things above to help your skin fix itself from the inside and are important to start early if it looks like you are getting bad scarring from chronic blemishes. If you're concerned talk to your doctor to get the right action plan for you.
Above is our youtube playlist of skincare videos, if you've missed any check it out! We've covered everything you need to know about using the Clinique three step system and more. We hope you enjoyed this post as it was something a little different, let us know in the comments below.
