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| HOW TO: Get Clear Skin |
It seems that everyone is battling with breakouts that continue to rear their heads beyond the teenage years and well into the twenties and thirties. I have compiled this ‘how to’ based on my own experience with my skin - after a relatively clear run in my teens I struggled with pimples and blackheads throughout my twenties. Nothing major - at most I probably had three or four pimples at once, mainly on my chin and forehead, but enough to get me down.
I haven’t been following my own advice!). I hope that they work for you too, and please feel free to share your own experience and tips. Cleanse less: Yep, you heard me.
I still broke out. Since going clean, I have switched to kinder, gentler cleansers, and I haven’t looked back. Although it seems, conventional, chemical heavy cleansers that are supposedly made to target oily and breakout prone skin are incredibly stripping, which in turn encourages skin to produce more oil, which then leads to more breakouts - which then leads to using more stripping products to try to get rid of them! It’s a vicious cycle.
It might take a few weeks for your skin to get used to this, but it will happen. Your skin is a very clever organ.(As a side note, I actually found that once my skin got back in balance, I had dry, not oily skin as I had always previously thought!). In a similar vein, I now only cleanse once a day, at night, and simply splash my face with water in the morning.
Eat your way to good skin: Whether we like it or not, diet plays a HUGE role in skin. Since cutting back dramatically on sugar, my skin is clearer, brighter, and softer. I also try to avoid soy and dairy, as in my experience if I eat too much of either they will also lead to breakouts.
I also add lots of seeds and coconut oil to my diet (I love to throw them into a hot bowl of porridge), as these supply the skin with good fats to keep it plump, glowing and hydrated. Get into clay: Clay based masks are brilliant at giving congested skin a little jump start to purge impurities and heal existing blemishes. I use one once a fortnight to keep skin in top condition - it’s a great Sunday night ritual. Don’t scare your skin: In addition to my former life as a Lover of Oil-Stripping Cleansers.
Sure, pimples took a little longer to go away, but they never erupted into a sore, inflamed spot, which meant they were far less noticeable, and just gradually disappeared without a fight. I've also noticed that my skin scars far less with this approach. Product recommendations.
So here are the products that I have used and liked: Stark Skincare Green Tea Detox Clay Mask Planet Eve Organics Cleansing Oil Coconut oil Dr Alkaitis Soothing Gel Spiel Organic Facial Cleanser Organics Gentle Cream Cleanser So, if I could my clear skin regime in one sentence.
