Get ready! Let’s take off that concealer, those star shaped peroxide patches and all those face masks that promise the miracle cure for the treatment of stubborn acne! We are going to get personal today about Acne. Why am I going to talk to you about this? Cause I feel confident in a product that I recently came across that I’m excited to share with you!
Before we dive in, we need to first have a basic understanding of what acne is, why 85% of the population gets it, and how do we treat it.
What is Acne?
So, what is acne? Acne, Pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, blemishes, pustules; whatever you choose to call it are essentially oil clogged hair follicles. In turn - your body creates an inflammatory reaction to excrete on its own causing an angry looking “pimple”.
What causes acne? There are many factors that cause acne, and getting to the root of the catalysts can be fairly easy for some, others may need medical/dermatologist intervention. Some common causes are excessive sebum (oil) production, dead skin cells that clog pores, bacteria that infect the skin, hormones, and even stress. Other ways that encourage clogged hair follicles are tight fitted clothing or constant friction on a body part. Particularly, the body parts that are the most prone to acne are the: face, forehead, upper back, chest, shoulders and buttocks. These areas are more prone due to the amount of oil production and hair growth.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what acne is and how it happens, (for the most part) we can talk about treating it. Particularly with my new favorite pimple destroyer!
How Do We Prevent/ Treat Acne?
How to prevent Acne? Working directly with the public at a medical spa, I have had clients, friends, and even my son ask me how to prevent acne. Well… There is no way to prevent acne. So all those times during my awkward teen years when I had a crop of angry, white heads clustered between my two overly hairy, unplucked, bushman eyebrows and my father would tell me I just needed to wash my face with Zest bar soap, it really was just caused by hormones and excess oil. Washing your face can absolutely help keep things clean, and less prone to bacterial acne but using harsh soaps or fad products that only contain minimal amounts of medication isn’t going to be the best option and you may find your acne can get worse do to all the different ingredients causing inflamation and added stress.
Acne fighting Treatment. Proven, effective ingredients that have clinical research, data, and trials is what you should invest in. Not commercials starring a famous model singer/actor with poreless skin, splashing water on their face as a reflection of, “this is what you can look like if you use our product”. Ingredients like Salicylic Acid are proven to reduce and treat acne and blemishes. Paired with niacinamide to help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, (darkening of the skin) for us who can’t seem to not pop and poke these pesky pustules.
Why Salicylic Acid? Well, for those of you who are chem nerds like me, salicylic acid is an organic compound derived from plants or originally, Willow Trees! Fun fact, salicylic acid is used in aspirin, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, which is why it is perfect to use topically on those angry, inflamed, bacterial filled pimples, while also aiding in gentle exfoliation. Helpping to shed those dead skin cells from the surface of your skin to allow it to breathe and minimize clogged pores.
Why Niacinamide? A personal favorite, Niacinamide is a type of B vitamin. It is found in many foods and medications. Our bodies need this to function properly. Applying it topically decreases redness, hyperpigmentation, and has even been shown to improve signs of aging. Yes please!
The Reveal
SkinMedica Acne Clarifying Treatment!
Why the Hype? It’s rare that I will review or feel compelled to speak so confidently about a product, but after using this product myself and encouraging my teenage son that is prone to excessive oil, Milia and white heads surrounded by a red painful mound. The results after only one night of use was magical! My son woke up excited the next morning to see the results of this new cream mama smothered on his face. He was all smiles after looking in the mirror. All redness had almost completely been erased. The white heads either erupted on their own or surfaced more without the associated redness, and the milia seemed to completely disappear. As far as my results, I used it as a spot treatment on some jawline hormonal acne. The redness was completely gone and pain was no longer there. The white head that was forming was gone, as if it dried the bacteria from the inside out. Again, these results were after one nights use.
Conclusion
Being 24 years apart from my son and having different skin types, skin concerns, and separate acne issues; finding this product that we both can use and have such immediate and exceptional results, SkinMedica’s Acne Clarifying Treatment is a stapple in our household. Finally, a brand that did it right.
