Managing skin breakouts can be one of the most stress-filled skin concerns for our acne-prone clients. It is also the skin concern that we see the most errors in treatment.
Here are our top tips to managing acne-prone skin at home:
1. Patience. A lot of patience is required to achieve results and it is the first and most important tip that many people ignore when it comes to trying to get rid of breakouts quickly.
Acne is a complex skin condition. It did not develop overnight even if a singly breakout can seem to appear overnight.
Your skin cells take approximately 30 days to renew themselves. This means if you try a new product or regime it often takes 30 days to assess if it is going to work or not. Often one day or even one week can seem too long to wait to see the blemishes go away. Patience is key.
2. Be your own detective. As Estheticians, we ask a lot of questions of our clients with acne. Often through searching through lifestyle habits, diet, stress-levels, medication, illnesses, work environment and habits of touching, picking and squeezing, we can find areas to encourage change to help resolve breakouts. Ask those questions of yourself and consider changes in these areas over the past year. In many cases, it takes time for acne to develop.
3. Reduce oil production. Whatever the cause of excessive oil-production by your oil glands, this must be regulated to manage acne. We recommend products that contain specific ingredients to reduce over production of oil.
4. Reduce dead skin build up. Your epidermis or top layer of skin is constantly producing dead skin cells as it regenerates. Unfortunately your epidermis extends down into each pore or oil gland opening. The combination of dead skin cells and excess oil being produced can quickly form plugs of dead skin cells and oil. C. Acnes Bacterium are found in every pore (whether you have breakouts or not) and the LOVE feeding and multiplying on these dead skin cell plugs creating infections! Reducing the dead skin cells with AHA/BHA based products is a game changer for acne.
5. Reduce inflammation. Inflammation is present when there is an infection. It's the bodies way to bring warriors to fight infection. Unfortunately the inflammation can also be unnecessarily painful. Anti-inflammatory ingredients are key to reducing the redness and tenderness.
6. Resolve the infection - Killing acne causing bacteria and keeping it under control is key to managing acne. Without an effective anti-bacterial agent, no resolution can happen.
7. Maintain hydration. Keeping your skin from losing it's protective barrier of hydration is key to managing oil and inflammation! This is accomplished with a light moisturizer. No amount of water drinking will replace surface hydration in the skin.
8. Follow steps 3-7. It is important to follow ALL of these steps.
If you just use a treatment that reduces oil, then often the skin becomes dehydrated. This will then trigger the oils glands to produce more oil to protect the skin from dehydration.
If you reduce inflammation without using anything to resolve the infection the acne will infection will persist.
If you do everything except maintaining the skin hydration, the skin will quickly become too oily again or inflamed.
Here is a simple yet effective home care regime for managing your acne!
Note: the above before and after results were achieved with the consistent use of this Yonka-based skin care routine.
Morning:
- Cleanse with Yonka Cleansing Gel or Yonka Cleansing Cream (if excessively inflamed)
- Spritz the skin with Yonka Lotion for Normal to Oily Skin. If the infection is extensive, apply several drops of Yonka Pure Emulsion to the infected areas.
- Roll on Yonka SOS Spot Treatment or apply Yonka Juvenil Serum to the breakouts.
- Apply a small amount of Yonka Cream 15 to the areas of breakouts.
- Use Glymed Photo Age Environmental Protection Gel SPF 15.
During the Day:
Keep your hands off your face. Apply Yonka SOS Spot Treatment or Yonka Juvenil Serum on breakouts.
Night:
- Cleanse with Yonka Cleansing Gel or Yonka Cleansing Cream
- Spritz the skin with Yonka Lotion for Normal to Oily Skin. If the infection is extensive, apply several drops of Yonka Pure Emulsion to the infected areas.
- Apply a few drops of Yonka Solution Clarite (if prone to pigmentation marks as breakouts resolve) or Yonka Alpha Peel to face. Avoid eye area and lips.
- Wait 5 - 10 minutes and then apply Yonka Cream to areas of breakout.
Yonka Cleansing Gel - removes surface oil without drying
Yonka Cleansing Cream - removes surface oil without drying, soothing, great for removing concealing makeup.
Yonka Lotion for Normal to Oily Skin - purifies, hydrates, reduces oil.
Yonka Pure Emulsion - kills bacteria, regenerates skin cells, improves and protects against scarring, reduces oil.
Yonka SOS Spot Treatment/ Yonka Juvenil - these two acne treatments are the same with different packaging (roll-on or dropper). The kill bacteria, reduce dead skin build-up, reduce inflammation, reduces oil.
Yonka Cream 15 - reduces inflammation, soothes, lightly hydrates, kills bacteria, repairs.
Glymed Photo Age Environmental Protection Gel SPF15 - this gel based day cream/sunscreen combo will hydrate, protection and is made specifically to acne-prone skin.
Yonka Solution Clarite / Yonka Alpha Peel - both treatment products reduce dead skin cell build-up with a gentle yet effective combination of Alpha Hydroxy Acids. Yonka Solution Clarite also helps to resolve and prevent dark spots as acne heals.
Our Esthetic Team wishes you success as you navigate this frustrating skin concern.
We are always here to help boost your results with our professional Acne Solution Series, Deep Cleansing Detox Treatment, and Dermasound Series. Call us for a consultation any time! 902.423.3888