Supernatural Botanicals

So you’ve been out of high school for years, but suddenly, you are getting occasional acne. You thought the embarrassing days of youth were over. Even worse, is to have had clear skin through adolescence, but now, it’s rearing it’s ugly head. You can blame your hormones for this….as well as a few other things you’d rather not deal with. If you are suddenly starting to breakout and you are in your 20s, 30s, or 40s, these type of breakouts are almost always related to the flux of hormones in your body.

Confused by which type of breakouts you are having? The best way to track this is by journaling. Keep a log of what your skin is doing day to day. Jot down the day you start to feel a breakout coming on, keeping in mind your monthly cycle. This plays a huge role in breakouts. As you journal, you’ll start to find patterns to your breakouts of which you can properly combat when you know they are coming.

Our dermatologist assures us that breakouts are a relatively easy fix, in most cases. Our doctor said that many people are “Proactively” trying to combat these breakouts with products that are heavy on advertising, light on results. According to our doctor, the most effective way to fight acne is by applying Benzoyl Peroxide to the skin’s problem areas. Benzoyl Peroxide, now available over-the-counter at 10%, has a great track record for keeping acne at bay. Best of all, it’s very inexpensive and can be purchased at your local drug or grocery store. You may need to start out using Benzoyl Peroxide 2% if you have extremely sensitive skin. However, once tolerance is achieved, increasing the quantity or concentration a second time and gaining tolerance at a higher level usually gives better subsequent acne clearance. Benzoyl peroxide works as a peeling agent, increasing skin turnover and clearing pores, thus reducing the bacterial count there as well as directly as an antibacterial.

In addition to Benzoyl Peroxide, a simple antibiotic, Doxycycline, that specializes in fighting skin infections goes one step further to combat problems like cystic acne (painful bumps under the skin which appear to be acne, but don’t come to surface of the skin.) You’ll need a prescription for this.

Consult with a dermatologist if you are having issues with your skin. Ask your doctor about Benzoyl Peroxide as well as other acne-fighters, such as the antiobiotic Doxycycline. The combination of both will give you consistent results month after month. There’s absolutely no need to suffer with blemishes. Be proactive in the right way, with the right tools, to keep your skin in perfect health.

With the abundance of information learned through skin care blogs today, we are certainly informed consumers. We love skin care and beauty blogs for the wealth of information and links to great information you can obtain via blogs. Bloggers are continually reviewing products, suggesting products, informed on the hottest products, etc. You can learn tips from makeup artists, skin care experts, dermatologists, and countless additional experts in any subject you can imagine. Whether you are looking for answers to something specific, or just learning about the hottest trends, you’ll stay well-informed by visiting skin care and beauty blogs.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Jack and Hill Beauty Blog http://jackandhill.typepad.com/

Smarter Beauty Blog http://blogs.smarter.com/beauty/

The Beauty Brains http://thebeautybrains.com/

Nadine Baggott’s Beauty Secrets http://www.beautybynadine.com/index.asp

Skin Care and Beauty Blog http://www.skincareblog.net/

Search around, find your favorite blogs. Subscribe to their RSS feeds (the orange and white icon in the right hand corner of your screen.) This way, you’ll never miss a great post.

     Having glowing, gorgeous skin isn’t an impossible task, nor does it take a lot of your time. A simple two minute skin care regimen each night can keep your skin conditioned, beautiful, and healthy.

Start with a great, gentle cleanser, whether it be a liquid or bar soap facial cleanser. Follow cleansing with a toner, and then a great moistuizer. You can also use speciality treatments, i.e, eye serums, line filling treatments, etc., to boost your moisturizer. To slough off dead, lifeless skin on the face and neck, use a loofah pad….but be sure it is formulated for the face. You’ll need an ultra-gentle exfoliating pad or sponge for delicate facial skin. These are inexpensive and can be purchased at your local drug and/or grocery stores.

Be sure to pay attention to the scent of your facial cleanser. After all, a cleanser can work wonders, but if you detest the smell, you aren’t going to use it religiously; same with your moisturizer. Also be sure to wash your face every night before bed. Never, ever, go to bed with your makeup on. Your skin is constantly working to generate new cells, and it does most of its work when you are sleeping. By constantly combating your skin’s natural restorative cycle by clogging it with makeup and dirt and debris of the day, you are making your skin work harder.

The next time you are tempted to sleep with your makeup on, remember that your skin pays the toll. Take two minutes (or less) to earn beauty points in the morning. We are loving face and body cleansing bars. It’s so convenient to wash your face and body in the shower with the same soap and not worry about breakouts on your face. And we find cleansing bars, as opposed to liquid cleansers, retain fragrance better, for an ultra aroma therapeutic experience. It’s like a spa in your shower!