Managing problem skin for all ages

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It’s a common myth that having problem skin (oily, congested and acne-prone skin) only affects you in your teens. If this were true, wouldn’t skincare be so much easier!

Unfortunately, problem skin can affect you at any age – I’ve had clients come to me with severe breakouts in their 30s and 40s, and I know men and women still struggling with congestion in their 50s. While some of the factors can be hereditary, managing problem skin at any age is easy to do.

So why do we have congestion and breakouts? There are a number of contributors such as:

  • Diet
  • Environment
  • Stress
  • Using products with irritating ingredients

In this month’s blog, we’ll be focusing on the last of these: your skincare products. Oftentimes, I find people with problem skin are aggravating it, using products with ingredients that cause more harm than good. These ingredients include SLS/SLES, parabens and alcohols – read more about good and bad ingredients in last months’ blog.

By using the right mix of ingredients, and introducing the right skincare routine, we can control congestion and breakouts, and get your skin back to a natural, healthy and balanced state.

I understand the impact having problem skin can have on your mental health and your confidence, which is why I’m passionate about creating treatments and a product range to address this skin condition.

Before you start looking at products and treatments, here are five things to remember when treating problem skin:

  • Avoid over-drying at all costs. Your skin is already irritated, and possibly inflamed, so stripping it of oils and moisture will only exacerbate the problem
  • Don’t pop whiteheads, or pick out your blackheads. Leave it to the professionals. If you do it yourself, it will leave a scar, or worse, cause a bacterial infection
  • Oils can be your best friend. Face oils contain ingredients that are designed to treat and heal, so they can be a perfect addition to your skincare routine
  • Drinking water is the first step alleviating problem skin. Hydrated skin equals healthy skin
  • Breakouts and acne aren’t forever. It may feel like it, but I promise with a dedicated routine, and regular treatments you can get it under control
Caring for problem skin is easy once you have the right skincare routine and products
A balanced diet packed with vitamins, good fatty acids and antioxidants is key to healthy, naturally glowing skin

This is my recommended skincare routine, including products and clinic treatments, which will help you see a huge change in your skin.

 

Daily Routine

AM:

Cleanse

Use my Clarify Me Cleansing Minerals with kaolin clay and naturally-derived lactic acid, which will absorb excess oil and gently exfoliate dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells without drying out your skin. Add water to turn the cleansing powder into a paste, and massage into your skin for 2-3 minutes. Wipe off with the handmade, 100% organic cotton Polish Me Facial Cloth.

Tone

Equalise the pH levels of your skin with the Charcoal Me Detoxing Toner, with activated charcoal, aloe vera pulp and rose water. Spritz evenly over the skin.

Serum

Niacinamide is a wonderful ingredient that has proven results in minimising congestion and breakouts. It helps manage oil control, and heals the skin, and is popular with people who have problem skin. My Activate Me Vitamin B serum contains 5% niacinamide and 2% hyaluronic acid, the latter providing hydration relief to the deeper levels of your skin.

You can also use the Activate Me Vitamin C serum to complement the Vitamin B serum, which will boost collagen production, and skin healing and repair, as well as brighten and even the skin tone.

Moisturiser

Look for a moisturiser that is made with nourishing ingredients, rather than one with mattifying properties (remember we don’t to strip the skin of natural oils). My Hydrate Me organic facial milk has a base of aloe vera pulp, rose water and nourishing hazelnut, wheatgerm and avocado oil, perfect for oily skins. You can add a custom essential oil blend to target other skin conditions.

Sun protection

Harsh UV rays can cause irreversible damage to your skin if you don’t protect it. Sun protection is just as important for oily, congested and acne-prone skin, and my Protect Me Zinc Mineral Balm is a natural solution, with zinc oxide and [other ingredients] to keep those UV rays from damaging your skin.

Protecting skin from UV rays is important for all skin types and ages. Incorporate sun protection into your routine by using Protect Me Zinc Mineral Balm after your moisturiser.
Lactic acid is perfect for problem skin as it gently exfoliates dirt, oil and bacteria while keeping skin hydrated. Find it in Clarify Me Cleansing Minerals.

PM

Cleanse

For your evening routine, double cleansing is very important. The first cleanse removes your make-up, sun protection, dirt and bacteria off your skin. My Nourish Me cleansing oil and make-up remover is 100% natural, with gentle yet powerful oils to melt dirt, bacteria and dead skin from your face. Place 5-6 drops in your palm, spread evenly between the palms and massage in a circular motion around your face. Finish with the Clarify Me Cleansing Minerals, ensuring you leave it on for 3-5 minutes to let the lactic acid penetrate your pores and clean your skin.

Tone

Spray the Charcoal Me Detoxing Toner evenly over your face, to prepare the skin for the crucial next steps of your routine.

Face oil

As mentioned earlier, problem skins should embrace oils. The right face oil can work wonders – from providing deeper level skin hydration (sometimes the cause of excess oil production), minimising breakouts, healing irritated skin and repairing damaged skin. My Treat Me Face Serum has argan, rosehip, calendula and vitamin E oil, all suitable for problem skin and perfect for helping manage breakouts and congestion. Place 4-6 drops between your palms and spread evenly, then massage in circular motions around your face, working the remaining product on your neck and chest.

Serums

Once your face oil has absorbed into your skin, add your preferred serum. Vitamin A (retinol) is a great option as it will gently exfoliate the skin while your sleep, revealing fresh skin in the morning. My Activate Me Vitamin A Retinol serum has cacay oil, vitamin C and vitamin E which balances and boosts the effects of vitamin A. If you are using this serum, you MUST use sun protection as vitamin A increases skin sensitivity.

If you have acne, avoid using vitamin A. Instead, apply your Activate Me Vitamin B Niacin and Vitamin C serums.

Moisturiser

Seal in all those oils and serums with your PM moisturiser. The Hydrate Me organic facial milk is perfect for evening time, with gingko and kelp to improve skin elasticity and keep your skin hydrated during sleep, without leaving it too oily.

Keep moisturiser light and full of nourising ingredients like raw shea butter, aloe vera and argan oil. My Hydrate Me Organic Facial Milk is popular with my oily, congested and acne-prone skin earth girls.
Facial oils aren't all bad news for problem skin - look for repairing and skin-healing ingredients like argan oil, calendula and vitamin E. My Treat Me Healing Serum will nourish without exacerbating existing skin conditions.

2 – 3 times a week

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is important for oily and congested skin types, as this extra step will help with cell renewal and turnover, and help remove the dead skin, dirt and bacteria that are clogging the pores. The Refine Me Exfoliating Grains contain green tea, lactic acid and spirulina and green clay to deep cleanse your pores, without stripping skin of its natural oils.

Face mask

Not only do face masks feel luxurious, they’re also helpful in managing any problems your skin is experiencing. For oily, congested and acne-prone skins, I suggest using my Detox Me charcoal face mask 2-3 times a week. With active ingredients like activated coconut charcoal, bentonite clay, kaolin clay, and eucalyptus and tea tree oil, this potent powder formula is effective ta treating pimples and helping manage oily skins. Whenever I get a pimple, I leave a dab of this mask on it overnight, and it completely disappears in the morning.

Enzyme Peel

If the sound of a face peel is intimidating, there’s nothing to be scared of. Face peels that use natural ingredients can exfoliate and remove layers of dead skin, dirt and bacteria that regular exfoliating can’t. My Purify Me Protein Enzyme Peel contains B vitamins and natural enzymes [such as..] that gently peel the skin, without over-irritating it, making it perfect for acne-prone and sensitive skins.

Dermarolling

This is not suitable for people with acne, or skin conditions such as eczema or dermatitis. Dermarolling involves piercing the skin with microneedles to encourage faster cell turnover and renewal, and also boosts collagen production. For those with oily and congested skin, and people who have acne-scarring, this at-home treatment will improve the texture of your skin, and also help manage your skin’s oil levels. I recommend using my Stimulate Me microneedle dermaroller, along followed by the Treat Me face serum (avoid using your actives, such as Vitamin A, B or C, straight after dermarolling). If you are interested in doing dermarolling at home, please book an appointment with me first, so I can teach you the correct techniques, and the proper pre and post-treatment care. I have written a blog all about dermarolling, which is good to save for future reference.

Natural face peels are an excellent option for an at-home skin treatment. My Purify Me Protein Enzyme Peel can be used 2-3 times a week without irritating skin, yet still providing clinic-grade results.
One of my best-selling products for problem skin is the Detox Me Charcoal Face Mask with activated charcoal to deep cleanse, and eucalyptus and tea tree for its anti-bacterial properties.

Monthly Treatments

 

Cleansing Extraction

This treatment is all about safely clearing the skin of dirt and bacteria that is causing your pores to block, and creates blackheads and whiteheads. What makes this treatment effective is the antioxidant serum I use to complete the treatment, which provides nourishment to help your skin heal, whilst adding antibacterial protection to keep skin healthy.

Active Enzyme Peel

Using all natural ingredients, this chemical-free enzyme peel gently exfoliates and digests dead skin cells, to reveal the healthy skin underneath. It also speeds up cell renewal and regeneration, giving your skin a chance to heal and repair itself. This is perfect for people with acne and congestion, as well as other stubborn skin concerns.

Dermaplaning

I love this treatment for all skin types and conditions, but especially for people with oily and congested skins. Dermaplaning involves razoring off the top layers of skin off your face (so that means removing dead skin and vellus hairs) to reveal the ‘newer’ skin, and boost cell renewal. Benefits include reduction in oil production, less breakouts and less blackheads, due to your pores being unblocked. I don’t recommend this for people with severe acne, as it may exacerbate your skin condition.

If you feel like the usual treatments aren’t working for your skin, I highly recommend booking in a skin consultation with me, either in-person or through video call, so I can take a closer look at your skin and provide an accurate diagnosis, as well as start you on a customised treatment plan.

The most important thing to remember is that problem skin isn’t forever – using a natural, holistic approach, we can get your skin back to a balanced, healthy state that will give you your confidence back.

Natasha Brock is a trained beauty therapist and skincare specialist with over 15 years experience in New Zealand and Australia. In addition to offering customised skin care products, she runs a clinic in Port Hedland, Western Australia.