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Aro 3 months ago.
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Clean & Clear produces a dozen different cleansers, none of which are designed for dry skin. Your cleanser may be too drying for your skin, which may actually end up exacerbating your acne. I would suggest that instead of using a cleanser geared towards acne treatment, that you opt for a gentler cleanser (preferably something designed for dry skin) and use a spot treatment instead.
I would suggest looking into the oil cleansing method. I realize that cleansing your face with oil sounds somewhere between insane and complete stupidity given that “oil free” is what’s pushed as a must these days, but if you Google oil cleansing method and acne you’ll see that many have used it to help clear up their acne. However, if you do decide to give this a go please be careful which oil you decide to use. People often say this is time consuming, but it only takes a few minutes or so of massage (which is really relaxing if you do this as a night time routine), and works brilliantly for removing makeup. It excellent for getting rid of and preventing blackheads, and could help with your dry skin. You don’t have to do it daily, I know girls who only do it two or three times a week, and still find it helpful.
The other thing I’d suggest is a BHA toner. Beta Hydroxy Acid helps unclog pores, which means it can be helpful with acne. I always suggest the 2% BHA toner by Silk Naturals as it’s gentle, and doesn’t include anything too drying or irritating, plus it’s very affordable for the size. But there are a lot of different BHA products on the market. BHA and AHA toners are the only toners I recommend. As a general rule of thumb, there is no real need for a traditional toner, your skin doesn’t need it’s ph balanced and a traditional toner doesn’t really offer anything special. However, BHA and AHA toners aren’t traditional. While you apply them like a toner and at the same step as a toner, they’re actually a chemical exfoliant. Regular gentle exfoliation is the way to go.
Mario Badescu is a really popular brand for acne treatment. I don’t know where in the world you are, but if you fill out their questionnaire they’ll send an email a few days latter asking if you’d like some samples. I’ve seen a lot of people get a mini of the Drying Lotion this way, and considering you only use a tiny bit as a spot treatment (rather than apply it to your whole face like a lotion, as the name would seem to imply) the sample lasts quite a while. Even if you don’t get that specific product, free stuff is awesome.
I really love honey in my skincare, I actually include some in the oil blend I use for the oil cleansing method, though in my case I cheat and whip the oil so it turns into a cream . . . easier to apply that way
Of course, Aro is right about the gentle cleanser and BHA toner- I agree both could do wonders for your skin (and @Aro your outlook on toner is *identical* to mine!)
I would add that with acne, you’re essentially fighting a few things: bacteria, clogged pores (dead skin and excess oil) and inflammation. I’d suggest cutting both the egg whites and the brown sugar from your mask- the egg whites are irritating- and they don’t really do anything for the skin except temporarily tighten it, and you’re 14, so you don’t really need that yet
The brown sugar may just be a little to harsh for inflamed skin- the granules could grab at the raised skin around a pimple and cause microscopic tears…eep.The yogurt (the higher fat the better) and honey are great though- you could even add some aloe, green tea, colloidal oatmeal or licorice extract to the mix (they all sooth and help to reduce irritation and inflammation).
I also love Mario Badescu, but I will say some of their Acne stuff I’m not on-board with. I’ve used two of their spot treatments, the drying cream and the drying lotion, and don’t care for either. The Drying Cream was meh- it may help a bit, but the only really effective acne buster in there is sulfur, which might help but can also be irritating. I’ve used other treatments w/ sulfur that I really like, but I don’t even think this has enough to really be effective.
The Drying Lotion is, IMO, bad news. If I had to guess, this product was probably one of the first the brand developed 50 years ago and it became a “cornerstone” of the brand. Even though we now know nothing in it is really good for the skin, the company still makes it because to loyal users, it’s iconic. Anyway, just about everything in this stuff is highly irritating to the skin, and could likely make the situation worse. The second I read the ingredient list on my bottle, this went right back to the store!
Finally, please realize that what you’re going through with your skin is 100% normal, probably exacerbated by our lovely hormones, and I can promise you that you probably notice *way* more than anyone else does- we’re always our own worst critics!
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