Wazzup Pilipinas!
Better skin is an aspiration for many and can really give you a lot more confidence - so how do you achieve it?
1) Ditch Any Chemicals You Can:
Things like chemical peels or ingredients such as salicylic acid might be tempting to reach for if you want to clear up your skin problems. On the other hand, quite a few skin products that are chemically based not only have possibly harmful ingredients, they're also likely to exacerbate skin problems or dry out your skin excessively. If you want to take a kinder, gentler approach to fighting acne, choose natural ingredients you can use for spot-fighting, like manuka honey or tea tree oil. Manuka honey has both antiseptic and antimicrobial properties for spot-fighting, but also has the added benefit of being able to reduce the marks and scarring that spots might leave behind.
2) Utilize Makeup That Fights Spots:
Everyone knows what a bad skin day is like, the ones where you just want to hide yourself under many layers of makeup. On the other hand, whereas makeup might hide your spots for a short while, it can also exacerbate the problem. If you want coverage that boosts your confidence in your appearance but not your flare-ups, then choose for non-comedogenic makeup which doesn't clog pores. If you want to increase the spot-fighting powers of your cosmetics even more, then consider the use of any mineral makeup that contains zinc oxide, which fights against acne-causing bacteria.
3) Enjoy Sips Of Spearmint Tea:
Acne is typically the result of hormones known as androgens, which have the power to over-stimulate your sebaceous glands, meaning you wind up with oily skin, spots, and blocked pores. If you want to counteract such effects, you might be prescribed oral contraceptives, if you're a woman. While these contraceptive pills might prove advantageous in clearing spots, they also have side effects which range from inconvenient to dangerous. Fortunately, some research indicates that you can enjoy similar anti-androgen properties from spearmint tea, to better mitigate hormonal imbalances and reduce acne in women.
4) Reduce How Much Contact Your Skin Has With Bacteria:
You might be shocked to learn just how frequently your skin makes contact with germs and dirt that cause acne. When you're asleep, your pillow is in frequent contact with your makeup, saliva, and skin oils, which makes it a bacterial breeding ground that can make acne worse. In a similar vein, you can spread bacteria around your skin with unwashed makeup brushes. If you want to minimize how much contact your skin has with bacteria, be sure to change your pillowcases frequently and make sure that you wash all makeup brushes roughly every two weeks. Also, don't touch your face unless you have too. You might even want to clean your phone off with antibacterial wipes when you make or receive calls.
5) Clean You Skin Appropriately:
If you personally suffer from skin that is oily or even just acne-prone, you'll likely find it quite tempting to over-clean the skin to kill off bacteria and dry out oils. On the other hand, cleaning your skin too often or even using hard cleansers might dry your skin out, causing the very flakiness that clogs pores. It might even cause your skin to start more oil production in order to compensate. Rather, try washing your skin twice daily with a PH-neutral and gentle cleanser so you don't destroy your skin's acid mantle, which is what protects it against both bacteria and moisture loss. Remove your cleanser with a piece of muslin cloth so your skin is slightly exfoliated. According to Dore Aesthetics this care will also help with wrinkles in the longer term.
6) Alter Your Diet:
A balanced diet with a multitude of antioxidants and nutrients is among the key factors behind skin that looks beautiful. On the other hand, there do exist particular foods you should either cut back on or even eat more of if you want to reduce spots. Research indicates that dairy is a leading cause of acne thanks to the hormones in it. Food packaging and plastic water bottles also leach out chemicals that contribute to hormone imbalances. Swap out packaged foods for skin-friendly fresh produce, including copious veggies, fruits, and anything rich in the omega-3 fatty acids.
7) Manage Your Stress:
The Archives of Dermatology journal published research that indicates high levels of stress make acne much worse. It's thought that this might happen because stress stimulates more production of hormones that are known to boost oil production within the sebaceous glands of the skin. Stress is also known to expedite chemical release that triggers inflammation. If you want to help your skin stay clear and spot-free, try finding healthy ways to handle stress, be it pampering, exercise, or meditation. If you need help relieving worries, try talking through your problems with somebody else.
Portrait of Antonette Agnis
HMUA: Princeloyd Abella
Photography by Collin Yap
HMUA: Princeloyd Abella
Photography by Collin Yap
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
