Got Acne?

Since the ripe age of 15, acne has been my nemesis. I spent many days in high school begging my mom to let me stay home from school in lieu of my multiplying lesions. For a good stretch, I was in the dermatologist's office on a weekly basis.  And after years of having sir acne under control he came back in my adult years. How is it fair that one has to deal with wrinkles, sun damage and acne? Welcome to adult acne, an ever growing problem among women older than 25.  I have a love/ hate relationship with acne.  I hate it for all of the obvious reasons, and I love it because I'm fairly certain without it, my love of skin care would not be what it is today.  With that said, I truly understand, the emotional implications acne has on its victims.  However, fear not, there are things you can do to tame and eradicate this wild beast.  While every skin condition and type is going to require its own customizable routine, there are a few basic ingredients and tips every acne sufferer can benefit from.  Ingredients to be on the prowl for:  salicylic acid, retinol, glycolic acid, benzyol peroxide, azelaic acid, and hyaluronic acid.  There are more ingredients that are beneficial and important, but these are the top contenders.  However, if you're pregnant or breast feeding several of those ingredients should not be used, which is particularly tricky because women often experience adult acne during pregnancy and their breast feeding days, due to hormonal changes.  In a later entry, I will go over a routine that will be suitable for all of those with a bun in their oven.  Things every acne sufferer can do to help eliminate lesions are:  wash make-up brushes 2-3 times a week with a mild shampoo or Dr Bronners soap, clean your phone with witch hazel every night and make sure when talking on your cell phone it is not touching your face, don't touch your face unless you're washing it, don't let anybody else touch it either (you feel like a weirdo at first, but it's worth it), have a sacred face towel that nobody but you touches (hide it if necessary), have a towel for your body and a towel for your face (think about it), and change your pillow cases at least twice a week.  All of these seem a bit neurotic, but bacteria is major contender in acne, so taking a few precautions to reduce the spreadage ( I think I just made that word up) of it, can make a significant difference in reducing it.