Popping Pills - My Experience With Acne Treatments

Instead of boring pictures of pill boxes, I will let images of the gorgeous Barbara Palvin fulfill your viewing pleasure

Growing up, I never had acne. I was always that clear-faced teenager people envied. I was even slightly cruel to those suffering hormonal tidal-waves - calling them names and suggesting they should wash their face better. I used to think acne was caused by a lack of hygiene. How naive and stupid I was! Karma came and bit me in the butt around my late high school years. In the last and final year of school my face erupted like Mount Vesuvius and left me bumpy purple scars all around my chin and cupid's bow. I felt ugly, un-feminine and psychologically crowding more space than I should, because, you know, cystic acne is huge and protrudes from you face like unwanted galactic planets.

Ingredients Time

Chiara Ferragni - looking pensive. Just because.

Every time you pick up an acne product, you are faced with choices - do I want the intensive spot treatment or do I want the pore-clearing wash? Am I oily skin or am I normal/combination? These are questions every acne-sufferer faces. I have had my share of indecisive moments in Woolies aisles, blocking all traffic and putting security guards on top alert (she's been staring at the same shelf for hours...mischief!).

Well, if you hate all that, I have some good news. Forget it all, ditch the description and flip straight to the ingredients list.

As mentioned (ok, bragged about) in a previous post 'Acne, for beginners', I brought up 2 main acne-fighting ingredients that are the 'holy grail', 'creme de la creme', 'beauty have-all', 'beauty-go-to', *insert all other beauty jargon* of all blemishes: Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide - so good they deserve to be proper nouns.

Here's why:

Salicylic Acid

A chemical exfoliator that penetrates the epidermis. It's not like a grainy sand exfoliator that only leaves you with a red face, salicylic acid basically lets your pores take a shower. It makes your skin shed faster, so the new layers come out - but it's not drying. It cleans your pores and keeps the bacteria neutralised. Basically, this little guy helps to prevent imperfection and acne, getting rid of nasty pore rubbish before it hits the surface.

You will find salicylic acid in just about anything. I love it in cleanser and daily products, it's gentle enough to be applied daily.

Benzoyl Peroxide

Also known as skin-bushfire. Benzoyl peroxide is a pretty intense little fella that 'burns' layers of skin off - taking blemishes with it also. Definitely be cautious with this ingredient, this is when you need to apply the rule 'less is more'. Benzoyl peroxide works by increasing your skin turnover, it also cleans the pores and kills bacterial. In a lot of products, it is mixed with other complementary ingredients e.g. salicylic acid and other antibacterials.

You can find benzoyl peroxide in 3 main doses: 2.5%, 5% and 10%.

My suggestion: stay away from the 10%. You will most likely get flaky skin where you apply it. Looks HORRIBLE under makeup. Particularly if you have dry or sensitive skin, this will make you feel like you haven't moisturised in yonks.

The first time you use benzoyl peroxide, or the first time in a while, you will notice some side effects. It'll take your skin a few weeks to get used to the kind of 'attack' it's receiving. You might burn, get really itchy, get bruisey, or swell where you applied it. Once this all goes away, it meas your skin's become tolerant to it (hoorah!).

You will find benzoyl peroxide in a lot of acne-targeted skincare products. Don't go for anything other than spot treatments! Seriously, give your skin a break. That's why I don't like Proactiv - it is basically mindless skin torture. Use a spot treatment and only use it 1-2 times a day. Sometimes, you just have to admit that pimples are stubborn and patience is vital.

I hope this was helpful in some way!

Acne, for beginners

All hail Olivia's perfect skin! Unless you have a team of dermatologists running after you, you (oh acne sufferer) will never look like this

Time to get down to business. Now, I know you all think I got to work all day and compare lipstick swatches (I wish!) but in reality, it's actually more than that. Beauty editors are not as shallow as you think, some would argue that they are the most scientific minds in the women's magazine industry - because you know, we talk about peptides and stuff...

Well, from my mere six months as a beauty journalist, I have learnt a LOT about my skin and makeup application. But the most important thing is how to manage breakouts for a lazy girl like me. 

I'm sorry but I don't have the time - nor am I bothered to slap 20 products on my face or feed my skin with every the whole alphabet of vitamins. I like simple, minimalist routines. You know that moment when you realise all your daily products fit into one beauty bag? Well, that's my ultimate fist pump moment, and I will do anything to reduce it to an even smaller bag.

So acne, the archenemy of every pore and a horrible daily occurrence that scars me - literally.

I've had cystic acne for yonks and can tell you, like every acne sufferer that I have tried EVERYTHING.

Yep, I've done the toothpaste, the organic skincare brands, the supposedly 'pore cleansing' masks, the tweezers (don't ask), the vitamin supplements and the worst of them all - Proactiv.

Just a little review of Proactiv - it was amazing while it lasted. It's just benzoyl peroxide, the same type you can buy from Priceline for $10. Basically, how it works is attack your skin until it becomes reliant and non-reactive to the benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide burns your skin (this is good for blemishes) and should only be used as a spot treatment. The whole Proactiv system is far too harsh for your skin on a daily basis - it kind of gets your skin addicted to the BANG BANG and then leaves it wanting more...until your wallet becomes empty. If you want to use Proactiv then you have to commit to a lifetime of it - yep a lifetime of the grainy scrub, stinging toner and this-makes-my-skin-flaky repair cream. 

Why? Well, as soon as you stop, this is what you will look like:

Scary, I know. This is actually a close-up of my face

It will dry and flake like the desert - you will find that you are slowly becoming that creepy old guy with the peeling skin in Austin Powers Goldmember.

Now that I've blurted out all the things that you shouldn't do, here's what you should.

Instead of attacking your skin, you need to calm it. Just think, if you break your arm, should you let it heal and strengthen again or hack at it until it falls off?

Pretty simple really, but too often I've chosen the latter.

When your skin is under stress, you need to help it get healthy again. Forget all the intensive creams and spot treatment gels - they might heal your pimple, but at the expense of losing the skin on the rest of your face! When your skin is strong and healthy, it will attack the blemishes on its own.

How, you may ask?

Well, do exactly what you do when your skin is good. Pamper it and feed it with good food. I find hydrating masks are usually good (I have dry to combination skin) and a thick, creamy moisturiser. I like plumping my skin when I'm blemished because it prevents the gross skin texture you get when you try concealing nasties.

Here are some products I use to treat irritated skin:

1. The Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray helps to touch up any dry patches throughout the day - I also use it as a toner. 
2. Grown Alchemist's Polishing Facial Exfoliant is great for gentle exfoliation, it's not a sandy texture but more beady. 
3. I find Payot generally amazing for my sensitive skin. It's definitely worth it! The Payot Eau Dermo-Micellaire is a gentle face makeup remover I use everyday (I've tried Bioderma, I like Payot better).
4. Payot Masque Dermo-Apaisant is a wonderful hydrating mask.
5. Ella Bache's Hydra Repulp feels like a rich creamy moisturiser - it's a mask you don't wash off. Your skin actually absorbs all the goodness!

It also goes without saying that a glowing face with a few blemishes is absolutely normal! Before, I concentrated on the spots and ignored the rest of my face, now I realise how wrong that was. Note to self: a cake of concealer is never a good idea, cracking paint on your face was never in. Above is the only spot treatment I use - it's a prescription only benzoyl peroxide cream (2.5%). 

In terms of daily maintenance, forget all the Clearasils and Clean & Clear ads. None of them work. None. They have no active ingredients, they are designed to smell good and feel good - that's it. I have two systems that I use: one for normal skin days and one for acne wars. Both ranges contain salicylic acid (I love that stuff so much I could eat it).

The Dermalogica MediBac range is targeted at those with acne. I highly recommend this if you have sensitive skin. It won't sting at all and there are not artificial fragrances. The Daily Microfoliant is the most gentle exfoliator I have ever used. When I travel, I only take with me the Clearing Skin Wash, Epiduo and Payot makeup remover.

I find Image Skincare a bit more intense than Dermalogica. It smells strange but I think there's a higher percentage of salicylic acid (yay!). It's also pretty nice to sensitive skin. 

In conclusion, I don't want you to go and buy all these products. I want you to learn from my mistakes and understand WHY I chose these products. If you are going to take anything away from this, it's that bad skin days = skin in need of pampering, not attack, and that benzoyl peroxide (small amounts) and salicylic acid are your best friends.