I have to admit I was always pretty lucky with my skin in Middle and High School. I only had the occasional blemish or two, not the anguish of true acne some of poor my friends experienced. I guess I took it for granted at that time, and I felt truly sorry for those with bad skin. Oily skin runs in my family, and of course, I inherited it from dear old Dad. Now don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, I would rather have oily skin because the oils do prevent you from developing fine lines and wrinkles slower than normal and dry skin. This is why older African American people always look so young and healthy, the natural oils their skin produce prevents them from aging fast (and I swear if anyone thinks that was somehow a racist remark I will hunt you down, it's actually a compliment). Now off that tanget...onto my skin today. After high school I noticed my skin gradually became more congested and clogged, but I was getting older. I didn't understand how my skin was getting worse, wasn't I supposed to grow out of this? Answer: no, acne and skin issues do not have any age limits. It took me a while to realize I wasn't nearly as active as I was in school, and a sedentary lifestyle and hormones were taking their toll on my skin. To save you a lot of time and a long winded entry, I did several things to help my skin: dermatologist, retin-a micro (tretinoin treatment, vitamin A derivative) antibiotics, Clinique (which I do LOVE most of their products), ProActiv.....and so on. Here recently I completely revamped the way I was eating and living my life. I started eating a "clean" diet (no soda, no refined sugars, and minimally processed food). This made a HUGE difference, but my skin was still congested. Enters Paula's Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Liquid (aka Salicylic Acid- common acne treatment):
For those of you that don't know, Paula's Choice is a brand created by beauty and skin expert Paula Begoun. She does not have formal medical training in skincare but honestly she has been in the business so long I think she knows more about GOOD skincare than most dermatologists anyways (keep in mind she helped formulate her line with the help of people that have their skincare papers, hint dermatologists). She has written several books over the years , most popular are her series of "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" and she is more commonly known as the cosmetics cop. Now, I've read a lot of her writings and I've heard opinions online in different TV interviews she has given. I don't agree with her on every aspect, and I think she does have an attitude toward certain products that she does not stamp with her "Paula's Pick" label. I do agree with her simplistic view of skincare and I really like how she will tell you what's a gimmick and what truly works. She is somewhat of a whistle blower on expensive cosmetics and the ridiculous claims some higher end products state. I didn't agree with her at first when I realized she had created her own line AND was giving reviews of her own products (because how credible is that? everyone thinks what they produce is amazing) It was not until I read reviews of her products on www.makeupalley.com and realized that most of her products were getting really good ratings from honest, non biased customers. I knew exfoliation was the key to better skin, but at first I had no idea where to start. It took me some time and a few months of research and trial and error, but I did learn what worked for me. I also picked up lots of information along the way.
A little back ground on exfoliators. Exfoliants come in different forms (creams, gels, lotions, liquids, scrubs, cleansers, cleansers however are not reliable exfoliants as they do not stay on the skin long enough to work). Scrub exfoliants are perhaps the most common as many people know what they are and how to use them. Scrubs will only remove the very superficial layer of skin on the surface and provide a temporary baby smooth feel to the skin. I was a big fan of scrubs in the past (my favorite was Clinique exfoliating scrub), but unfortunately they helped minimally and they were not getting rid of blackheads. If you do use a scrub please be careful of what type you pick, if you are using something like St. Ives Apricot scrub be advised that the exfoliating particles are pulverized walnut shells. Why does that matter you ask? The particles are not rounded and over time they create microscopic tears in the skin, not good. I was using Clinique's Exfoliating Scrub for years (which has rounded particles) and I still use it occasional just for the feeling. In my opinion, and you can take this as you will, the best type of exfoliants are chemical. The most common types are Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA). Let's Compare the two.
As a "rule" AHAs are best for normal to dry, aging, and sun damaged skin (but do know that really any skin type can use an AHA). Common types of AHA include glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, and mandelic acid. Glycolic acids come from fermented sugars, lactic acid comes from rotten milk essentially (lol, isn't beauty great), citric acid from citrus sources (most commonly lemon) and Mandelic acid comes from sources like apples (to be honest I don't know too much about Mandelic acid resources, so I had to look this up). The purpose of AHAs are to exfoliate and penetrate the surface of the skin, this is why they are great for dryer and sun damaged skins. The pH of the product needs to be around 3% to 4% to properly penetrate the skins acid mantle and work (if the pH is too high, it won't be strong enough to penetrate the skin, so keep pH in mind when choosing) A concentration of 5-12% is common for AHAs (this is the range I have noticed most common, 8% would be a good starting choice to use if you are new to exfoliants. in my opinion). Good recommendations for AHAs would be by the brand Alpha Hydrox (http://www.neotericcosmetics.com/alpha-hydrox/products.html) and Paula's Choice also makes a nice AHA lotion. I have used AHAs before and they are not good for me. They did make my skin smoother, but my pores were still congested and clogged. Enter my good friend, Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA). Make sure to wear a good sunscreen if you use AHAs during the day, they make your skin more sensitive to UV rays.
BHA or Salicylic Acid as it is commonly referred to, is a by product of willow tree bark and is also one of the components of aspirin (which I'll spare you the chemistry lesson). BHAs are best suited for oily, acne prone and congested skin types. The reason a BHA is better than an AHA for congested skin is because BHAs have the ability to not only exfoliate the surface of the skin, but also the linings of the pores. That very distinct, very important characteristic makes all the difference between the two exfoliants. You might be asking yourself "Isn't salicylic acid the stuff that is found in almost all drugstore acne stuff" yes, yes it is. You don't have to spend lots of money to get salicylic acid. However, you need to know what works and what is junk. Cleansers that have salicylic acid are not effective at exfoliating skin, because they are washed off and do not stay in contact with your skin long enough to function. Also, a concentration of at least 1% is recommended to see any exfoliation benefits, lots of products only contain about a 0.5% concentration and they are just not strong enough to work in my opinion. The best drugstore BHA product I know of are the stridex pads with the 2% concentration (read the back to find the concentration) and make sure they are ALCOHOL FREE. You are asking for dry, flaky skin when you use a BHA product that also contains alcohol. The pads are a good option because you don't wash them off after you use them, they don't leave any residue, they are also easy to find and easy on the wallet. Unfortunately they do not contain any soothing agents, if you notice you skin becoming dry use a gentle moisturizer about 10 minutes after you exfoliate. A word of caution, if you use a chemical exfoliant during the day, I HIGHLY advise using a sunscreen afterwards if you going to be outside. Chemical exfoliants (AHA and BHA) make your skin more sensitive to UV rays. As I wrote above, my favorite BHA exfoliant is by Paula's Choice, and I use the 2% concentration BHA liquid. Paula offers 3 different types of BHA: a liquid, a gel, and a lotion. The liquid is best for oily and problem skins that need tough exfoliation (like mine) the gel is better for oily to combo skin, and the lotion is better for a more sensitive combo skin person. But really, all of the exfoliants will be fine and work for any skin type. If you are new to using BHA, you might want to start with the 1% concentration, which Paula sells too (and don't think I am in any way affiliated with this company, I just like her products).
I'll keep my experience brief with my use of Paula's Choice 2% BHA liquid. I chose the 2% concentration and the liquid form because I have oily congested skin. I wanted something that was tough enough to work on my blackheads. The first night I started it I used my cleanser, (really like Philosophy Purity Made Simple) I didn't bother with a toner, and then I poured about a nickel sized amount of liquid on a cotton pad. Since using the product and getting used to it, I feel like using my fingers is much easier to apply than a cotton pad. All Paula's Choice BHA products are clear, odor and colorant free, so that's a big plus to me as I am sensitive to flagrance. I applied it all over my face, especially on my nose and forehead, I did experience a slight stinging sensation, but nothing too bad. Next morning my face was very and look more clear. I have been using the product a little over 2 weeks now and I've seen nothing but great results. I have NEVER found a product to get rid of the blackheads on my nose, but this stuff does. I can actually see the little nasty plugs coming out of my nose (awesome, right?). My few breakouts I had are gone, and I am noticing my old spots becoming a lot lighter. My skin usually would become quite oily through out the day and since using this product that has decreased dramatically. I don't know how, but even my redness and uneven skintone is fading away. I am so impressed with this product, and I will continue to use it. There are a few cons, but everything is minor and not anything I can't get over. The liquid will feel sticky and kind of oily on your skin, but it does dry after a while and the "oily" look is not oil and it does not break you out (for those who want to know it's the butylene glycol that causes this). I was using this morning and night but I noticed it was making my skin too dry, so I cut back to only night time use and I haven't had any problems. I contacted Paula's Choice about this and they told me next time I ordered to get the acne toner as it is the same thing, but without the sticky feeling (I checked all the ingredients and it does indeed to be the same strength and ingredients). I will probably use the toner for summer time because well all know about the awesome Florida humidity. I will quickly say Paula's Choice is a company with AMAZING customer support. They have always answered my questions immediately and accurately, they have a live chat support on their site 7 days a week. The price was a little bit more expensive than drugstore, but way less expensive than department stores. I bought my 4 oz bottle of 2% BHA for $18.95 plus shipping (about 3 dollars) and the product arrived in 3 days! They also have specials on their site all the time, lots of free shipping promotions. If you are not happy, they will refund all of your money.
Wow, I don't think I wrote this much for college essays, lol. I love to give thorough reviews, and I like to share my knowledge with my friends. Please keep in my I have no formal training in skincare, and these are my opinions. I have done lots of research and tried lots of products, so take my advice how you want. I am always available to answer any questions you have, if they are not within my knowledge I will certainly let you know. Stay beautiful everyone!
0 comments:
Post a Comment