Skin Care

Acne. It is every teenager’s nightmare. Great big spots of greasy, grimey pimple juice. White heads, black heads, big red boils. It can be embarrassing and quite hard to treat. And it doesn’t always stop with the teenage years.

Acne often begins in teenage years because that is when hormones trigger more sweat and sebum (skin oil) production. This in turn provides a breeding ground for bacteria. Some people are more prone to acne than others, and this could be because they produce less oil and sweat or because they are better at managing it.

So what is good acne management? I have been thinking about this topic a bit as some of my friends have lovely teenage daughters who are struggling with it and that takes me right back to my own teenage acne, which I thankfully, and through good luck, found a good solution for.

I started getting a few pimples in grade seven, and I had enough of them that I got dad to take me to the doctors to see what could be done. The doctor recommended phisohex, which was basically a bacteria killing alcohol solution. It helped a little bit, at least initially, but the irritation it caused my skin actually ended up making the acne worse. My skin became dry and red and flaky. This flakey skin in turn clogged my pores, trapping the oil and causing more pimples. So I stopped using it. I tried to just wash my face in the shower with water, and basically leavve it alone, I was unsure what else to do. I didn’t use make up day to day as a teenager and so the whole thing was pretty minimal.

And luckily for me, it settled down a bit. But when I was twenty one I moved to Western Australia, and I was outside a lot, sweating and wearing sunscreen. People started to comment on my acne, and I HATED it. One lady recommended tea tree oil, but like the phisohex it was just too drying.

Then, when I was living in Kalgoorlie a friend who was also a beautician, told me that she had had oily skin and acne, and she would tell me what worked for her.

She recommended a gentle face wash, to remove the sweat, sunscreen and dirt that provided the breeding ground for bacteria, and then a Beta hydroxy acid (BHA) lotion that dissolves the oil in the pores. She had been using the brand Paula’s Choice and had some that she gave me. From memory there was also a solution to dab on any actual pimple to kill them. Well, it worked. Outbreaks stopped. Over the next few years I used both Paula’s choice and MD Forumulations. MD was very good but not as cheap.

Both brands are cruelty free. And so by the time I was getting married my skin looked this good. I had only been using good skin care for about one year when this photo was taken and I still had a bit of an uneven skin tone, a few ghosts of acne scars on my cheeks etc.

These days, I still have a tendency to have an oily t zone, and although pimples are rare I am prone to a few clogged pores.

I use Paula’s choice bha most nights and an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) which dissolves dead dry skin cells maybe once a week.

I use a gentle face wash once a day and wash with water only the other time I wash my face each day. I use water and sorbolene and my secret ingredient to remove make up.

My secret ingredient is the beauty find of the century. And I have to credit Dr Anthony Lee of Jade Bamboo Chinese Medicine for the tip off. I had very dry patches on my cheeks after Baby three was born and he said ‘sesame oil. It has a small molecular structure and absorbs really well into skin.’

So I got it out of the pantry and he was right! Best stuff ever. It is excellent for dry and sensitive skin AND it actually is a decongestant for skin as well!! It unclogs pores. I was worried it might be too rich for my skin, but I saw when I started using it that my pores got smaller. I mentioned that I use it to my friend Rema of the Lotionbar.com.au and she said, yes, sesame oil is great for skin that tends to get black heads.

Rory laughed at me at first, said that I smelt like teriyaki chicken, but then he tried it and he is a convert too. It is amazing. I use it everywhere that needs moisture, and it soaks right in. Apply to damp skin for maximum benefits. I use it in on cleansing clothes to get rid of make up.

So, if I were a pimply teenager again, or one of my children becomes one, this is the regime that I would use

Find a gentle cleanser that does not strip your face. QV have a big range you can try. You do not want your cleanser leaving you feeling ‘tight’. It can actually encourage your skin to produce more oil.

Get a BHA product to make sure that your oil flows well out of your pores. Paula’schoice.com.au still have a very competitively priced range. Paula, the founder, also struggled with acne and is awesome.

Get something antibacterial that you can spot dab on the spots. Try not to have any thing alcohol based if that is too drying for you. Perhaps tea tree oil diluted in either sesame or coconut oil is worth a go, or buy a pimple lotion from Paula’s choice.

Work out how much moisturiser you need. Perhaps in the day just a light sunscreen and a bit of sesame oil dabbed on at night? Perhaps the BHA alone is enough as it gets your own oil flowing better. If you find that you are getting dry skin on your cheeks etc then you may just want to dab a bit of something gentle on. I use sesame and plant based sorbolene on damp skin, although the kid’s banana boat sunscreen that I use in the day is often enough moisture in summer (in winter I am drier).

And, then there is the issue of foundation. I know, we want to hide those zits! But thick foundation etc can provide a breeding ground for bacteria.

I would try a powder mineral foundation that does not add extra oil to your skin. Nude by Nature is one that I like. It just uses what moisture your skin already has, and I would put it on as lightly as you can and give your skin time off. If you are just at home, then leave the foundation off and let the skin breathe! And remember to wash it off well at night. When you wipe your face there should be no smears of foundation still on the tissue. If you are having a foundation day off, you can still do your eyes as they are drier and won’t get pimples.

I would be interested to hear in the comments what has worked for other people.

Disclaimer – all opinions are my own and I receive no financial sponsorship from Paula’s choice, MD Formulations, banana boat, nude by nature or the makers of natural sorbolene or sesame oil for the comments in this post. Or Phisohex for that matter. This is just my description of what worked for me!