Adult Acne

Q: Dear Adriana, I am a 39 year old woman who, for most of my life, has had clear skin. Even through my pregnancy 4 years ago my skin was great. About one year ago my face and neck started breaking out. I’m so frustrated; I look like my 13 year old niece! I keep trying different acne washes and scrubs but nothing helps. Why is this happening? Is there anything I can do to clear it up?

A: Later in life acne conditions are incredibly common, and incredibly frustrating. Just because we aren’t teenagers anymore doesn’t mean we can’t be subjected to physically and emotionally painful breakouts. Many factors contribute to acne, including stress, pollution, medication, allergies, and hormonal imbalances.
I will encourage you to search for skincare products that are specifically designed for slightly more mature skin. Forget the store brand acne products such as Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, and Proactive. They are all designed to treat teenage breakouts and the overproduction of oil associated with that. You wouldn’t wear the clothes your kids wear, same goes for their skincare products, too! Later in life breakouts usually do not include the symptom of over production of oil, and the use of these products can strip your skin of the oil it needs to protect and heal itself. There are definitely lines out there with great products to treat your specific situation because you, my dear, are not alone. Murad Skincare has an Anti-Aging Acne Treatment designed to clear up mature skin. It is a treatment product you put on after cleansing and before your moisturizer. Eminence Organics also has a whole line called Eight Greens Phyto which works to balance hormones and clarify your skin. Included are a treatment product, moisturizer and masque, that when paired with the right cleanser can work wonders! These products will cost more than store brand products, but please remember the price is higher because you are getting a much higher concentration of active ingredients. Your product will last much longer and be much more effective.
Now once you’ve gotten the right cleanser, you are on the right track trying exfoliation to clear your breakouts. Kudos! Exfoliation is an incredibly important step in clearing breakouts. It rids the dead layer of skin blocking access to the pores and allows for oxygen and treatment products to help heal. Now, I’d like to persuade you to not use a scrub. Abrasive scrubs create microscopic tears and irritation. They are much too rough for the sensitive skin on our faces. Please look into enzyme exfoliants that you can do at home twice a week. Look for an enzyme mask that contains either papain (papaya) or bromelain (pineapple.) Enzymes are amazing! They gently digest dead skin cells, leaving the healthy ones alone. Even better, if you would like to go the next step, invest in a glycolic peel series at a spa. Glycolic acid can be incredibly effective and will speed up your clearing process. Usually a series of 4 to 6, once a week, in addition to a great at-home regimen can work wonders. If you really love scrubs and the way your skin feels after a good polish, make sure the scrubbing agent in the product is man –made. You want the spheres to be perfectly rounded so they won’t tear your skin. Jojoba beads are great to use. Miessence has a nice gentle jojoba bead exfoliant. Whatever you do, please, please don’t use the ground up apricot scrubs. Those just tear your skin to schreds and will worsen the condition! Oh, the agony!

Winter Skin

These first questions are great for us to start with. We are deep into winter now, and these are things we all need to know.

Q: Dear Adriana, I just moved to Portland from Southern California in October and my skin is so dry, I was hoping you could recommend a good moisturizer that works with your Oregon climate.

A: Yes, it is true you will need to slightly adjust your regimen to fit our Pacific Northwest climate, but before we talk moisturizers, I would like to address the reason I believe your skin is dry in the first place.
During the summer months, even if we wear sunscreen, our skin tans and we develop a thick layer of dead skin cells. If we don’t effectively get rid of this dead skin, any moisturizer we use will simply lay on top of the dead skin, doing nothing and wasting your product!
So, before purchasing a new moisturizer, I would recommend purchasing a new exfoliant. It always comes back to exfoliation, ladies! As I mentioned before, enzymes are my favorite, because they are so gentle and effective. Hopefully you will find that once you get rid of that yucky dry skin left over from the summer, you may not need to buy a new moisturizer, the one you already have could be enough. If, though, you find it isn’t, I would recommend using the one you already have for daytime and investing in a good, rich night cream. You can always ask for samples at skincare counters and spas, then you can try them at home before investing. To find out if the product is right for your skin type, try this test: cleanse your skin and apply the moisturizer. Wait 10 minutes. Now open you’re your mouth as wide as it will go. Notice if your skin is pulling uncomfortably or if it is stretching easily. If it is uncomfortable, you need to get a moisturizer that is oil based (as opposed to water based.) and includes ingredients such as shea butter, hyaluronic acid, or glycerin. Try Jan Marini Skin Research’s Recover -E or PCA Skin’s PHaze 20 Silkcoat Balm. These moisturizers are very rich and should be enough to help your skin adjust to its new climate.

Q: Dear Adriana, Do I really have to wear sunscreen in the winter? There is no sun! And it clogs my skin up when I put it on, so what’s the point?

A: Yes. Most definitely you need to wear sunscreen in the winter. In the winter months the sun’s rotation is closer to the earth, creating stronger UV rays. “But our region is cloudy!” You say. Those pesky UV rays penetrate clouds, as well as glass, so even on a day of just driving around in your car; you must remember to protect yourself. Always, always, always.
This might blow your mind: the skin cancer rate in the Pacific Northwest is about on par with those of the rest of the country, so this proves that even though we don’t have as many months of intense sunshine as other states, we are just as exposed and the risks are the same.
Simply having an SPF factor in your make-up is not enough. The major reason being, we tend not to apply make-up on our necks and chests, which are incredibly important areas to protect.
Look for a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These minerals are “physical blockers,” which means they reflect the UV rays away. They are also very good for the skin and won’t clog pores.
The moisturizers these days that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as its sun protection ingredient are quite good, and if you get one in a moisturizer that is oil free you shouldn’t have any problems with pore clogging. Remember, too, that just like the summer months, you want to reapply your sunscreen every 2 hours.
Even better than sunscreen in a moisturizer, my favorite sunscreen products are Sun Defense from Eminence Organics and Instant Mineral Powder Sunscreen from Peter Thomas Roth. They are both mineral powders that are applied on top of your make-up, have a sun protection factor of 30, and their handy brush and powder all-in-one tube can be thrown in your purse for super easy re-application throughout the day! Everyone needs to be carrying these. Put ‘em in your purse ladies and use ‘em!