Skin Focus: Oily / Spot-Prone Skin
Skincare expert Caroline Hirons has this advice for those suffering with oily, spot-prone or acneic skin. Watch her June interview with 98FM here.
I suffered with mild acne for years and my cousin had a very severe form of the condition*. It doesn't just have physical affects, acne is an emotional roller-coaster too! For both of us though, there was a profound change when we stopped using products marketed towards oily skins. I thought you might like to hear about it...
Cloud10Beauty.com has kindly offered us this skin care package** worth €111 to give away - keep reading for entry details!
The short version of the story is: we started treating our skin as if it was sensitive, instead of sandblasting it with alcohol-based, foaming or stripping products. Then we made friends with oils - in our cleansers and our moisturizers. It was a revelation! Putting oil on our oily faces sent a message to our sebaceous glands that they could cool the jets. It also meant that any spots that did emerge, were calmer and smaller than they otherwise would have been.
My cousin's acne before and after changing her routine. The photos are taken at different angles but they illustrate the change!
The main reason why our skin is in such good condition now is as a direct result of following Caroline's advice. Obviously there are no guarantees and it may not work for everyone. But nevertheless, I'm sure you'd be interested to know what we did.
The long version of the story follows after the competition details below. I've given a blow-by-blow account of my daily routine. But if you only take one thing from it, let it be this message: "Treating oily skin, means putting oil on oil!"
Cloud10Beauty.com – which invited Caroline over to Dublin to celebrate their new look web site – has very kindly put together an Oily / Spot Prone Treatment Package (above) filled with products that have the Caroline seal of approval.
To be in with a chance of winning, drop an email with your details to info@98fm.com; making sure you've entered “Cloud10” in the subject line. The deadline is on midday on Saturday 15th November. We'll announce the winner on Monday.
via amodelrecommends.com
My Caroline-Inspired, Spot Bustin', Skin Balancing Routine!
Every evening, clean your face with a balm cleanser and a hot face-cloth followed by a calming, milky cleanser. You'd be amazed what this simple step will do, alone. I've long been a fan of Clinique's Take the Day Off Balm followed by REN's Evercalm Cleansing Milk or Dr Hauschka's Soothing Cleansing Milk.
A quick note on Dr Hauschka – they'll tell you not to exfoliate or moisturize at night. That's if you're following their routine exclusively - which you won't be, if you're going by this plan. So don't pay too close attention to the rep or shop-owner!
The next step is to use an 'acid' toner, as Caroline mentions in the video. Your skin is naturally slightly acidic and you're aiming to keep it that way. A skin that's alkaline (as a result of sulphates in foaming cleansers and shampoos) is a breeding ground for bacteria, the tango partner of spots! I'm a fan of Nip + Fab's exfoliating pads, but you'll get plenty more ideas from Caroline's page.
Caroline's big on these for the acid toning stage, and they're part of the Cloud10 give away above
Next you want to spritz with a soothing toner, which will help calm any redness around your spots as well as make your skin go ahhhhh! I really rate Trilogy's Hyrdating Mist, but you can skip this step if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, or short on cash.
At this point I'd recommend a serum. The type of one you choose very much depends on what your concern is e.g. anti-aging, rosacea, sensitivity. For me - though I had oily skin, it was dehydrated and lacking in water, so I've been using Kiehl's Hyrdo-Plumping Serum Concentrate. Again you can ignore this step, but it will really boost your skin if find a serum to suit you.
Caroline recommends a twice-weekly treatment of Liquid Gold, but I actually haven't used it myself. Instead I've been partial to using REN's Resurfacing AHA Concentrate which leaves my skin really bright and healthy-looking. It's essentially an amped-up version of the First Aid Beauty exfoliating pads. On the nights when I use the serum, I don't use the pads.
And now for the oil! I know that for people who've been plagued with oily skin, this will seem mental. But just try it for yourself, and watch how the skin calms down. As I mentioned above, the Dr Hauschka one is better suited for night-time (despite the name) because of its consistency. The Tilogy Rosehip Oil has a drier finish which is better for going under foundation.
The morning routine is a lot simpler. I use the REN Evercalm cleanser in the shower, and I throw on the serum and moisturizer / oil once I've toweled off. Now that my skin has evened out, my current emollient of choice is Clarins Hydraquench Cream.
via samloves.com
Just to recap on the most important points:
- Throw out foaming cleansers and any product that lists alcohol as one of the top three ingredients.
- Use a balm cleanser with a hot face-cloth in the evening, followed by a calming, milky cleanser.
- You can use the latter as your morning cleanser too.
- Follow it up with an acid toner.
- Use a treatment like Liquid Gold twice a week.
- Moisturise with an oil - at least until you get your skin to where you want it to be. If you don't like it, you can always 'graduate' to a moisturizer after a little while.
If your cleanser looks like this, chuck it out! (via ceeceeland.com)
Obviously diet plays a major factor in treating this skin problem but that's a whole other day's work. I promise to return to that subject with a dedicated post in the new year.
A quick note on price... none of these products are what you'd call cheap, but I make no apologies for that! You can't use bargain-basement products and expect the same results. And it still works out far less expensive than constultants' fees at the Blackrock Clinic!
But what are your thoughts on the above? I'd love to hear about your tips or experiences in the comments!
Don't forget to enter the competition!
@AideenFinnegan
*A note on my cousin's acne: She lives in the US and was being treated with a liver drug that had an off-label use for acne. She believes it had no effect on her spots, and that the transformation in her skin came about after taking advice from Caroline's web site. This is my cousin's experience so please bear that in mind.
**Please note the Liquid Gold in the prize is 50ml and not 100ml as pictured.