How Should People With Acne Care for Their Skin?

Adapted by Tracee Cornforth

• Clean Skin Gently
  People with acne may try to stop outbreaks and oil production by scrubbing their skin and using strong detergent soaps. However, scrubbing will not improve acne; in fact, it can make the problem worse. Most doctors recommend that people with acne gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser, once in the morning and once in the evening. Patients should ask their doctor or another health professional for advice on the best type of cleanser to use. The skin should also be washed after heavy exercise. Patients should wash their face from under the jaw to the hairline; rough scrubs or pads should not be used. It is important that patients thoroughly rinse their skin after washing it. Astringents are not recommended unless the skin is very oily, and then they should be used only on oily spots. Doctors also recommend that patients regularly shampoo their hair. Those with oily hair may want to shampoo it every day.
  
  
• Avoid Frequent Handling of the Skin
  People who squeeze, pinch, or pick their blemishes risk developing scars. Acne lesions can form in areas where pressure is frequently applied to the skin. Frequent rubbing and touching of skin lesions should be avoided.
  
  
• Shave Carefully
  Men who shave and who have acne can try electric and safety razors to see which is more comfortable. Men who use a safety razor should use a sharp blade and soften their beard thoroughly with soap and water before applying shaving cream. Nicking blemishes can be avoided by shaving lightly and only when necessary.
  
  
• Avoid Suntanning
  A suntan or sunburn that reddens the skin can make blemishes less visible and make the skin feel drier for a little while. But the benefits are only temporary. The sun can seriously damage skin, promote aging of skin, and cause skin cancer. Furthermore, many of the medications used to treat acne make a person more prone to sunburn.
  
  
• Choose Cosmetics Carefully
  People being treated for acne often need to change some of the cosmetics they use. All cosmetics, such as foundation, blush, eye shadow, and moisturizers, should be oil free. Patients may find it difficult to apply foundation evenly during the first few weeks of treatment because skin may be red or scaly, particularly with the use of topical tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide. Lip products that contain moisturizers may cause small, open and closed comedones to form. Hairstyling products that come in contact with the skin along the hairline can cause burning or stinging in people with acne. Products that are labeled as noncomedogenic (do not promote the formation of blemishes) should be used; in some people, however, even these products may cause acne.

Reprinted from The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

(Source: http://womenshealth.about.com/od/acne/l/blacne11.htm)

20 Beauty Secrets Every Teen Should Know - Or, What We Wish We Knew 20 Years Ago

There's nothing worse than getting advice from older people, we know, we know, but the truth is some advice is worth taking and keeping, especially when it comes to fun beauty tips. We've been reading fashion magazines and testing beauty products for years. In this time, we've read 1000s of beauty tips, tried 1000s of products, but only a few are worth keeping around. So, here we share with you the 20 things we wish we knew when we were teenagers.

1. Skip the foundation If you have acne the first thing you want to do is slather on the thick foundation. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Foundation is for women over 40. Not only will it cover up your natural beauty, but foundation on a teenager looks anything but natural. Instead, cover up blemishes with concealer, then follow with a powder.

2. You pat concealer in, you never rub it in We know this from watching the Tyra Banks show. When applying concealer, put a bit on the pad of your middle finger and pat it in. Never rub. Got acne? Pat the concealer on top of it.

3. Play up your lips or your eyes, never both If you are wearing heavy eye makeup, go for nude lips with just a bit of gloss. Prefer the drama of dark lipstick? Keep face light (stay away from heavy blush) and wear only mascara on your eyes and a light eyeshadow. Don't heavily line your eyes. Play up both and you'll look like a clown.

4. Less is more Ever notice how some of your friends look best with no makeup at all? No matter your age, too much makeup makes you look worse. If you wear foundation, powder, blush, liner, mascara, eyeshadow, lip liner, gloss on an everyday basis, then you're doing too much. Tone it down: All you really need is a great mascara, concealer for acne and gloss.

5. Natural hair is always hot If you have super dark hair, lighten your look by going a shade darker or getting lighter highlights. Blonde? Try highlights, especially around your face. We see too many teens lightening their hair several shades and the look is super tacky, not super fabulous. The trick is to let people assume you were born with sun-kissed hair, not that you gave yourself a bad dye job from a bottle. More hair color tips here.

6. Vaseline is your best friend Skip the bottled cleaners: Vaseline is the best eye makeup remover hands down. It's also great for fixed chapped, scaly lips. Slather on a bunch of Vaseline, then use a toothbrush to massage lips. Wipe the excess off on a tissue. Your lips will be smooth and soft.

7. You can never go wrong with layers Layers are great for any hair type: Super curly, straight or wavy. It makes thin hair appear thicker, curly hair appear manageable and wavy hair appear just-got-back-from-the-beach sexy.

8. Acne? Get thee to a dermatologist, stat Biggest mistake people with acne make? Not going to a dermatologist. Forget those $150 jeans you covet. Getting rid of those pimples will be the best investment you'll ever make. And the only guaranteed way to do it is with a dermatologist.

9. Spend money on key beauty products Not sure what to splurge on and what to save on? Here's our Golden Rules: Don't scrimp on eye shadow, moisturizer, powder, self-tanner or lipstick. There's a big difference in quality for these products. Don't waste your money on fancy mascaras, cleansers, eye liners or lip gloss.

10. Buying foundation or lipstick? Test it first There are some beauty products you simply must try out at a department store or Sephora before you buy. These include: Foundation, lipstick, blush and powder. Buy these products in a grocery store and you'll be lucky if you picked the right color for your skin tone. What you can get away with without testing: Mascara, eye liner, most basic eye shadows and lip gloss.

11. When can you skip sunscreen ? Never Here's a trick we wish we knew: The first beauty product you should apply every day is sunscreen, even if it's cloudy or rainy outside. Why? Good habits start young and if you use sunscreen now, you'll have gorgeous skin when you're 50, 60, 70. Plus, the sun's UV rays can penetrate clouds.

12. Wrapping hair around the barrel creates waves There's nothing sexier than long, layered waves. To get them, wind hair AROUND the barrel of a large curling iron. Reverse direction for each 2-inch section (wind up for one, down for another).

13. Self-tanner will always stink Unfortunately, even the best ones smell. Your best bet is to apply self-tanner a good 24 hours before an important event and take a shower (don't loofah) to wash off any smell.

14. Don't let nails go Not into manicures and pedicures? No worries. Just make sure to keep nails short and clean. If you do want to paint them, don't keep the polish on until it all chips away. People tend to judge others by the care they put into their feet and hands.

15. Don't line the inside of your eyes It will make your eyes appear smaller. Instead, line just at the lash line. Also, an obvious line doesn't look natural. Smudge the line just a bit.

16. Oily hair? Invest in a dry shampoo If you have blonde hair, sprinkling a bit of baby powder on your roots and at your crown will soak up excess oils. If you have brown hair, you might be better off with a dry shampoo for your hair color.

17. Shave legs at the end of the shower Cut down on nicks and cuts by making shaving the very last step in your shower or bathing ritual. Nine more shaving tips here

18. Know your best feature and play it up What feature do people comment on most? Play it up. If you're told you have Angelina Jolie lips, make sure to wear gloss and play with bold lipstick colors. If it's your eye color people love, find eyeshadow colors that complement them and make sure to wear mascara. Also, know what color shirts look best on you and go shopping.

19. Scrubs are great for dry skin If you have dry, itchy skin in winter, invest in a scrub and handmitts and scrub away in the bathtub. Make sure to slather on a thick moisturizer afterward. For dry, callousy feet, buy a pumice stone. They work better than any of the other wimpy options on the market.

20. Remember: Beauty is mostly internal Think about a girl you know who's overweight yet all the guys love her. Why? Because she's confident. If you aren't wearing makeup and your toes haven't been repainted in weeks, if you're happy and smiling you will still be 10 times prettier than the mopey cheerleader sitting next to you in class. Trust us (wink).

(sOURCE: http://beauty.about.com/od/teenbeauty/a/teenbeauty.htm)

L-Glutathione Pills a.k.a Whitening Pills. Does it really works?

Advertisers says: Skin experts recommend the combination of GLUTATHIONE, Vitamins C and ALPHALIPOIC ACID. Alpha-lipoic acid firms the skin, metabolizes excess sugar and carbohydrates, increases Glutathione level in our body and regulates sebum production (oil glands).The additional 400i.u. Vitamin E makes it the superior brand not only for skin whitening purposes. Its main role is cell regeneration. It Acts as anti-wrinkle, anti-oxidant and rejuvenator. Vitamin E makes the skin soft and younger looking. In short, Combination of this 4 super Antioxidant will not only make your skin whiter and healthier it can also make you feel and look younger. Have you tried it? Does it works?

Does drinking 8 glasses of water a day keep my skin moist?

No. Despite years of having this drummed into our heads, this is not true. It is good to keep your body, including your skin, hydrated, however the outermost layer of skin does not absorb water since it is made up of dead skin cells. Moisture level of skin is not determined by internal factors, but rather external ones, such as cold or hot air, dry heat and by the number of oil-producing glands you have. So if you want to hydrate your skin, exfoliate it weekly with a sea-salt scrub or other exfoliator to remove dead skin then apply a rich moisturizer while skin is still damp. Want to hydrate your insides then by all means, drink your 8 glasses of water a day.

(Source: http://beauty.about.com/od/skinflaws/f/water.htm)

3 Basic Skin Care Needs

The right (& wrong) ways to cleanse, moisturize & exfoliate your skin
Here we show you tips on how to properly care for your skin, from the right way to wash your face, to the best moisturizers and UV protection.

Before we start with the proper daily 3-step skincare routine, you'll need to know your skin type. How you care for your skin is utterly dependent on the type of skin you have: oily, normal/combination, dry, sensitive or sun- damaged. Check out this article to figure out what skin type you have.

The Basic 3-Step Skincare Regimen

* Step 1: Cleansing Simple is key here. You need to find a good cleanser that your skin responds well to, and stick with it. (I list the best cleansers for skin types in this article ). Avoid bar soaps as they tend to dry out the skin. According to Rona Berg, in her book, 'Beauty,' a French cosmetics executive once told her 'soap should only ever touch your skin from the neck down.' We agree. According to Berg, most cleansers contain oil, water & 'surfactants'. The oil dissolves oil on your face, surfactants dissolve dirt & makeup & the water washes it all away. Who knew? The secret is finding the right mix of oil. (Makes sense to us). Too much on your skin will clog pores, while too little will dry it out. This is why you need to know your skin type.

Be careful not to cleanse too often. Washing at night should do you. In the morning, a splash of lukewarm water is all you need (we find it's great for removing excess oils from your nightly moisturizing). Never wash your face with hot or cold water (both hot & cold water causes broken capillaries) and avoid going to bed with makeup on, you run the risk of clogging your pores. Also be careful about overcleansing skin.

Here's the best way to wash your face: Use warm water to loosen dirt & clogged pores. Use a dime-sized bit of cleanser & gently apply it in a circular motion, then rinse with cool water. Cool water tends to tighten the pores. You'll also want to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover.

* Step 2: Exfoliate Scrubs work by removing the top layer of dead skin cells that dull your complexion. We firmly believe it's important once a week to exfoliate skin with a microdermabrasion kit. Any more often and you risk overexfoliating and tearing your skin.

Exfoliation is the step most people skip in their weekly skincare routine. But trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference. Make sure you use a gentle scrub with tiny grains. Big grains in cheap scrubs can tear skin and cause more harm than good. My favorite microdermabrasion kit is made by Lancome.

Many women with mature or sun-damaged skin (a sure sign: wrinkles) have turned to different types of hydroxies which act as deep exfoliants. According to Berg, one of the reasons men's skin looks more youthful than women's is because men tend to exfoliate daily when they shave.

Should you use a toner? Some people swear by toners, but many beauty experts do not (I once read a beauty editor say, 'toners are only for copy machines'). Toners are meant to remove all remaining traces of oil, makeup & dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. I firmly believe it's up to you. If you like the way your skin feels with a toner. Keep it up.

* Step 3: Moisturize A basic law of beauty is that everyone, no matter her skin type, should moisturize. Even if your skin is oily, it will benefit from moisturizers. (The only exception is those with acne). Why? Moisturizers attract moisture and draw it into the skin. They also seal in moisture (Berg calls this the 'Saran Wrap effect') while plumping your skin cells. So how much should you moisturize? Your skin will tell you. When your skin is tight, it's crying out for moisture. Be careful not to overmoisturize -- this can cause clogged pores. For the skinny on great moisturizers for your skin type, check out this article.

Are eye creams necessary? Well maybe. Some beauty experts strongly recommend eye creams. Why? The skin around the eye contains no fatty tissue and is therefore very thin & susceptible to wrinkles. Special eye creams are formulated to 'thicken' this area & keep it sturdy. Yet others claim your daily lotion works around the eyes just as well.

* Step 4: Apply sunscreen The #1 cause of wrinkles is sun damage, so it's important to use sunscreen from your early years on even in winter & on cloudy days. A great trick is to purchase 2 moisturizers: one for nighttime & one for daytime that includes UV protection. Don't use moisturizers with sunscreen at night, the ingredients are not meant to be used 27/7 & can aggravate the skin. When choosing a sunscreen, make sure it contains 1 of 3 ingredients as an 'active ingredient': titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or Parsol 1789 (avobenzene).

(Source: http://beauty.about.com/od/skinflaws/a/basicskincare.htm