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7 steps to Keep Acne Out of Your Life!

Winning the war on acne is more than just using the right products. Read on to find out simple tips and habits that will help you get rid of stubborn blemishes.

1. Reading product ingredients
Ingredients tell you what was used to create your acne medications. The ingredients are listed in descending order. In other words, the ingredient that is used the most is listed first, while the smallest portion is listed last.
It’s also very important to know what items to look for and what to avoid. Menthol is a tingling ingredient that gives the clean feeling when used. Many acne treatment products add that ingredient to trick consumers into thinking that their products are treating acne. Ingredients such as Sodium Laureth is a lathering ingredient that can irritate your skin and prevent it from clearing up. On the other hand, ingredients like Salicylic Acid & Benzoyl Peroxide are what’s proven to treat acne.

2. Drinking Adequate Water
Our bodies are 55% to 70% water, which is determined by our body size. Water makes up 75% of our muscles, 90% of our brains, 22% of our bones, and 83% of our blood. Your skin is the largest body organ and it requires adequate hydration. A lack of proper hydration can result in dehydrated cells, partially skin cells which may die and become clogged in pores leading to acne formation. Drinking water hydrates the skin, helps replenish skin tissues, prevents dark eye circles, and increases its elasticity. Drinking water helps transports nutrients and oxygen into cells as well as flushes out garbage by detoxifying. An ideal indicator of how much water you consume a day is the color of your urine. Clear urine indicates that your body is properly hydrated. If it has a yellow tint or has a deep yellow color, this indicates that your body requires more hydration.

3. Having Proper Skin Hygiene
Being consistent with proper skin hygiene is key! The only way you can achieve success is consistency. You must properly cleanse your face every morning; no matter how you feel or how late you might be running. This washes off excess oil from the night before and you’ll then start your day off on a clean slate.
You must cleanse your face every night, regardless of how tired you may be. We come in contact with endless bacteria during the day, and not cleansing them off is very unhealthy. Our body temperature naturally increases while we sleep, therefore any oil and bacteria that isn’t washed off before rest heats up and clogs your pores. No one likes waking up to a fresh new batch of acne.
While cleansing is very important, it isn’t effective without your acne medication and an acne-safe moisturizer. Cleanser alone will dry out your face which will cause more acne (The lack of hydration is explained in step 2). In other words, forgetting to moisturize is like shampooing your hair and leaving out the conditioner. You are stripping away oils with the cleanser, but replacing it with hydration from the moisturizer is a must.

4. Ladies: Makeup is not an acne cemetery.
I love makeup! I’ve been wearing foundation since my early teens. My original purpose of foundation was to bury my flaws; unfortunately foundation isn’t an acne cemetery. Burying your flaws with makeup doesn’t make it go away, it only makes it worse. The process goes like this:
You get a pimple. You cover it with makeup, which clogs your pores and causes more pimples. You then cover it up with more makeup, which….well…you get the point.
Your main focus should be on skin care. Your makeup looks only as good as the skin that’s under it. Purchase only non- comedogenic makeup (makeup that doesn’t clog pores) and make sure you wash it all off before going to bed (as stated in step 3).

5. Hold Your Cell Phones Away From Your Face.
Do NOT let your cell phone touch your face while talking. One reason: it’s filthy! Ask yourself, how often do you clean your phone? Your phone comes in contact with different germs on a daily basis. Some people get more facial acne on the side that they usually hold up their phones. If you cringe at the thought of licking your phone, then it definitely shouldn’t touch your face. Make it a habit of putting the phone to your ears and tilting it away from your face. A headset is another great alternative.

6. Ladies: Wash Your Makeup Brushes
Makeup brushes can store dead skin cells, old makeup, and bacteria. Washing your makeup brushes at least once a week keeps them clean and safe to use on your face. The easiest way to wash your brushes is to use your favorite hair shampoo. Keep applying and the shampoo and continue to rinse until no color runs from the brush. Place the brush to air dry and it will be as good as new.

7. Eat Healthy
This is the most important step! Junk food can be the reason why your face is breaking out as well. As for me, I break out every time I drink soda. With that said, I stay away from all carbonated drinks. Test yourself; cut certain junk food out of your diet for one week and you’ll notice the difference. Snack on raw fruits and vegetables instead. Your skin will thank you and reward you with a healthy glow.

Acne and How To Get Rid of It!

Acne is an infection that affects millions of Americans and it can unfortunately take a toll on one’s self esteem. Without the proper knowledge, an individual can feel helpless in the battle for achieving healthy skin. To effectively have acne-free skin, one must educate them self on the cause of acne to learn how to overcome the issue.

What is Acne?

Acne is a condition that’s caused by the overproduction of oil by the oil glands of the skin. The oil that naturally lubricates the skin gets trapped in blocked oil ducts which results in what we know as pimples on the surface of skin. Blackheads, whiteheads, or deeper skin lesions known as Cysts can also develop as well.
- Pimples are small skin swellings that sometimes contain pus.
- Blackheads are dark formations on the skin due to an accumulated mixture of oil and cells in a blocked skin pore.
- Whiteheads are small flesh-or white-colored bumps due to skin pore blockage.
- Cysts are closed sacs beneath the skin or deeper that contain fluid
or semisolid substances. (Health Information Publications, 2010)

How To Get Rid of Acne?

Acne is managed well by over-the-counter preparations such as Benzoyl peroxide and/or Salicylic acid. Both can be applied topically through gel, liquid, cream, or lotion form.
- Benzoyl peroxide works by killing the bacteria P acnes and it dries up the oil as well.
- Salicylic acid helps interrupt the shedding of the skin cells lining the oil glands.

What Skin Care Regimen is Best to Get Rid of Acne?

- Cleanse the skin with a Acne-friendly cleanser (A cleanser that doesn’t have large exfoliating beads)
- Tone The Skin with a Salicylic Acid Toner (Recomended no more than 2% Salicylic Acid)
- Treat the skin with Benzoyl Peroxide (Recomended no more than 5% Benzoyl Peroxide)
- Moisturize the skin (Prevents dryness/redness from acne medications & prevents pores from creating new acne)
Acne is an injury (infection) that can result in pigment spots. Depending upon how serious the injury, the spot may remain visible four to ten weeks. If there are chemical imbalances in the skin, the acne infection would be slow to heal. As a result, the pigment marks can be darker and may last eight to twelve weeks. Individuals with lighter skin usually develop red to purple marks as a result of these infections which can last eight to ten weeks.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for acne. Those with moderate to severe acne are systemically (bodily) deficient in chemicals needed to prevent acne. On the other hand, Zinc can block many of the conditions that produces acne. This essential mineral also acts to inhibit the production of pigment. Since Zinc is lacking in the skin of those with moderate to severe acne, hyperpigmentation can become a secondary problem.
Preventing Pigment Spots: Pigment spots are a direct result of acne, so the only way to prevent pigment spots is to prevent acne. Instead of focusing on lightening pigment spots, its best to work on controlling or eliminating the actual cause (Skintactix, 2006).
Having the right skin care regimen and being committed to it can help you get rid of your acne in approximately 7 days. The right products along with healthy habits can effectively lead to great skin.

Women wear foundation for many reasons. Foundations minimize facial imperfections, it gives the appearance of an even complexion, and it protects the skin from environmental damage as well. There are more to foundations than just finding your right shade.  This article will explore easy foundation tools used by professional makeup artists.

Your perfect match

The first step to flawless foundation is knowing exactly which formula is the perfect match for your skin type. In a recent poll, 90% of women confessed that they would love it if someone would help them find their perfect foundation. These women also confessed that they have issues finding their perfect match and they are not confident that they are wearing the right foundation. This information came from a national survey of 1000 women ages 25-45 (Directive Analytics, 2011). Speak to someone that specializes in various types of foundations to make sure you are using the right formula for your skin type. Once you find your perfect formula, you can use your tools to enhance your look.

Foundation Primer

Behind every professional look is a great primer. This is a secret tool used by makeup artists to create an even and flawless canvas. In fact, celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff (2011) states, “I never apply foundation without a primer. You won’t paint your walls without priming them first, would you?” (TriniBeauty.com).
A great Foundation Primer comes with many benefits. It extends the wear of your foundation, acts as an invisible buffer to fill in imperfections, and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. When purchasing a primer, you should look for key features. Make sure the formula is oil-free, fragrance free, non-comedogenic, and safe for sensitive skin. Mineral enriched primers absorb oil and defuse light for skin-perfecting benefits. It’s also important to ensure that your primer has a lightweight formula with a matte finish as well. Primers should be applied a few minutes after applying your favorite moisturizer and right before you apply your foundation.

Liquid Foundation Brush

Liquid Foundations can be applied using your fingers, but liquid foundation brushes have their major benefits. Most women have the habit of placing their foundation on different areas of the face and then spreading it around with their fingers. This way of applying foundation can lead to an uneven application and lines of demarcation on the swirl patterns of the face. The only way to correct this after the foundation has set is by applying more makeup (Greatest Look, 2011).
Liquid foundation brushes were designed to go where fingertips can’t. It gives you a smoother, more flawless finish and it also prevents you from transferring excess oil to your face from your fingertips. Liquid foundation brushes are favored over makeup sponges because sponges have the habit of absorbing product which requires you to use more to achieve the same look. From this information, we can agree that liquid foundation brushes are not only better for your look; they’re better for your skin and wallet as well.
To apply foundation using a liquid foundation brush:

• Place foundation on the back of your hand
• Lightly dip the brush then apply to face in downward strokes

Mineral Foundation Brush

In the world of foundation brushes, one size doesn’t fit all. We are all aware of our classic powder brushes, but those brushes shouldn’t be used when applying mineral powder foundation. Using an ordinary powder brush with mineral powder foundation leads to an uneven and unfavorable finish. Mineral Powder Foundation Brushes were made specifically for the application of this type of formula. Its soft bristles are short and flat across the top, which allows you to easily customize the level of coverage you’d like to achieve. It picks up the right amount of powder and releases it evenly as you sweep and swirl the brush.

Choosing the right foundation tools is just as important as choosing the right foundation formula. Now, having been equipped with this information, don’t hesitate to share it with friends and loved ones.

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