Answer Regarding: Problem Skin/Acne Treatements/Makeup

Kimberly said...
Okay, in response to your shimmer foundation, what kind of advice would you give to someone with my skin type? Extremely sensitive, lots of redness, dry-skin. Oh, and I can't use ANY of the "normal skin products", i.e. Clean & Clear, Noxema, Neutrogena, Clearasil, etc.Help! (I can wait until next Wednesday, if need be..)

Jessica Leigh said...

Kimberly,

I'd be happy to help. As a long-time sufferer of similar issues, I've tried almost every product out there. Nothing's more frustrating then spending countless dollars on attempts to resolve skin issues, and yielding NO results.

First let's get to the root of the problem, and something most women are unaware of.

Acne and other issues are most commonly caused by DRYNESS and a LACK of moisture!

(What? Jessica, you're not making any sense. I thought it was an overabundance of oils and TOO MUCH moisture that caused my breakouts and sensitive skin?!)

Nope. Wrong. We've been lied to.

In order for your skin to perform at it's best and looking healthy, it needs one crucial thing: BALANCE. When your skin gets dry, it goes into overdrive producing oils and emolients to combat this issue. If it does not get the moisture/vitamins/BALANCE it needs, it will continue to do so. This overkill of oils does two things: causes skin to become far more sensitive to the elements, and pulls in bacteria and other environmental agents that then become TRAPPED in said oil - causing breakouts and other issues. One might think the solution to acne and oil is a product that will dry your skin out --> this will in fact, BACKFIRE, as most of us can attest. If oil is an issue, purchase a nice little package of blotting sheets (sold at Sephora or online at Sephora.com for approximately $5.00 or less). Let's move on to the products that will help, arranged and catagorized by how much your wallet will scream.

1) Affordable: Phisoderm Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. This product is outstanding for it's tiny price tag (usually retails around $4-$5 and can be found at your local CVS or Walmart). This product will work it's hardest to remove all traces of dirt, oil and makeup, while despositing balancing agents like aloe and chamomile. The cleanser itself is already PH Balanced, dermatologist recommended for sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, and 100% free from dyes, perfumes, alcohols or soaps. If you must go drugstore, go Phisoderm. It wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up the rest of the line to keep things in balance - grab a Nurturing Toner and a Clarifying Gel Moisturizer and you'll be good to go. Total retail price: approximately $15-$20.

2) Slightly more expensive: PROACTIV!! (You know how I feel about them already, don't ya?!) This product has been my savior for years now. Occasionally my skin will be perfect on it's own and I'll shy away, but I always come crawling back. This three-step system works to not only balance your skin and erase any signs of breakouts/redness, but prevent future issues from occuring! The Renewing Cleanser uses a little skin-care army of exfoliants and prescription-grade Benzoyl Peroxide to remove dead skin cells and other little evildoers, penetrate deep, and heal problem areas. The Revitalizing Toner does JUST THAT! This alcohol-free treatment goes one step further than the cleanser, removing all impurities soothing the skin with a nice little cocktail of witch hazel, aloe and chamomile, and even has the miracle ingredient ALLANTOIN in it to stimulate growth of healthy tissue. This toner is non-drying, and works well as part of the cleanser's posse. Last but not least, the Repairing Lotion. This little baby is choc-FULL of everything you could possibly need to keep healthy skin glowing and radiant, and most importantly FREE FROM IMPERFECTIONS. With another kick of Benzoyl Peroxide, and other oil-free emolients, this is the final step to heal current breakouts and keep new ones from showing up to your party unannounced! HERE'S THE KICKER: Proactiv is running the best sale I've EVER seen! The 30-Day Trial Kit (which usually lasts me 2-3 months, so don't let that fool you) is selling for $19.95!! And as if THAT wasn't enough to get you excited, you get your pick of two bonus gifts: (this is a tough choice,...) A) A travel sized 3-step kit, labeled and in it's own sleepaway pouch, so you can bring your skincare with you wherever the night may lead. 2) My Skincare Spotlight of the week - the Green Tea Moisturizer! (Feel free to read up about THAT little baby in my Spotlight post from this week) Overall a great price. And should you decide you want the larger bottles to last you a bit longer, or possibly for a Christmas idea, the sets are also available at private kiosks in local shopping malls. The full size set (usually lasts me about 6+ months) is available there for about $40-$50, and also includes a free gift. But this trial offer won't last long - so I'd get on it! Buyer beware: while this product is miraculous, it is not instantaneous! It will take a bit to start clearing up problem areas. For some that's a few days, for others almost a month. And sadder still, it gets worse before it gets better. Do not buy this product, and expect to use it the night before a big date and see IMMEDIATE results. It takes a little patience, but it's 100% worth it. Products can be purchased at Proactiv.com

3) A wee-bit more expensive: One word: Boscia. AMAZINGGGG. Boscia takes Proactiv's spin on skincare and amps it up one more notch. Not only does this product balance, clear, and prevent - it does it all while being completely NATURAL. For those with SERIOUSLY sensitive skin, this is a must-have. Boscia has a similar 3-step system to the big P, with a few minor exceptions: 1) the cleanser is a gel, not a cream. 2) the tonic is a spray mist of vitamins and balancing agents, not a toner. 3) it's straight out of the garden - each of the ingredients is completely natural, and harmonizes together to form a little botanical potion #9. There is currently a set (Botanical Blast Clear Complexion), similar to Proactiv, that includes each of these steps and additional gift retailing for approximately $48 at Sephora.com or in the store itself - it is a SEPHORA ONLY item - so watch out for imitators. Keep an eye out for sales though - my favorite store gives discounts to Beauty Insiders (free to register), and updates the site regularly with additional savings.

Now that you've got your skincare system working for you, let's talk foundation. While I will beg you ON MY KNEES to NOT spend good money on an amazing system, only to buy cheap foundation, I will still give you the options in the format from above.

1) Affordable option: Maybelline Mineral Power. It's a workable option. This product has a proven track record of clinical results in less than 8 weeks making skin smoother, more luminous, and deeply hydrated. It will not clog those pores of yours, and provides over 8 hours of coverage. Buyer beware: this item is considered BUILDABLE coverage. I.E. it's semi-light, so to cover all those problem spots, you may need a few layers - hence cancelling out all the hard work you did to NOT have to wear a mask. But it's workable. Give it a shot. It retails at approximately $8 and can be found at your local drugstore or Walmart.

2) Slightly more expensive: Prescriptives Flawless Skin. While this is quite the jump from Maybelline, it's still not terribly expensive. The bottle should last months, and retails anywhere from $25-$40 depending on where you purchase it. Often times Macy's (home of Prescriptive counters) will offer savings on this as it is a best-seller, or you can purchase it online at Prescriptives.com. This product is outstanding as far as foundation goes. With an SPF 15 and a formula set to both protect from external assaults AND penetrate skin to kill those nasty little imperfections, it really is a beauty best-buy. This foundation doubles as a hydrator that rebuilds healthy skin using a Pro-XCell formula to keep the flawless finish a permanent accessory. It's lightweight, longwearing and is definitely a medium-to-full coverage to hide those pesky flaws.

3) The mother of them all. I've been saving this baby for last. Are you ready...? BARE ESCENTUALS BEST SELLER BARE MINERALS!!! (Oh come on, anyone who knows me is fully aware of the obsession!) This is by far the best product on the market, and one I use CONSISTENTLY to get rid of breakouts and keep my skin toned, even and glowing!! The set itself is available through Sephora (keep your eyes out for those sales I mentioned before -they LOVE to knock down prices on this best seller!), or through Bare Escentuals themselves. The set includes the following: 1) Two shades of mineral foundation in your color catagory (light, medium, tan, dark, etc). I LOVE that they throw two variations of the color in this set. Sometimes I go a little darker, sometimes I want a more natural look, and the two combined is my exact skin color match! 2) Warmth - a best-selling product in their arsenal that adds a bit of dimension and bronzing to your face, without being too shimmery or too dark. 3) Mineral Veil - the mother of all BE products. This transluscent powder will set your make up for the day, while removing any traces of shine or color variety. While it's most likely more steps than you're used to, once you're up and running it's actually QUICKER than layers of foundation, powder, and bronzer. The line is COMPLETELY free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance, and other skin irritants, provides different levels of coverage depending on how it's applied, is WEIGHTLESS, and is PROVEN to improve the condition of skin over time. My favorite little party trick goes as follows:

What happens to your current make up when you sweat, cry, get caught in the rain, or get spashed? It runs, right? How much time do you spend trying to get those awful lines to blend? SAY GOODBYE TO THAT ISSUE, MY FRIEND! In fact, say goodbye to ANY MASK AT ALL!! No more smudging. This mineral foundation adapts and blends to skin, and STAYS PUT hovering like an ANGEL above your skin. The commercial shows a woman put one hand covered in the best-selling liquid foundation in a cup of warm water. She also submerges her other hand treated with Bare Minerals into a seperate glass. After minutes of shaking and stirring, the liquid foundation shows to be coming right off, oil and all, while the Bare Mineral water remains clear! It's better with the visual, but trust me on this. The products are SO natural and SO good for your skin, DERMATOLOGISTS approved it to be SLEPT IN! I can't say enough about this product. So let's get down to the nitty gritty. The set (including foundations, warmth, mineral veil, and a variety of brushes) goes for $60.00 at Sephora.com (unless there's a promotion running). If this is too much to handle in one payment, the BE site will give you instructions on how to purchase your set in two payments of $29.95. Keep in mind, you'll also be paying for shipping. My first set lasted me about 6-7 months before I had started to run low on ANY of the products! It's by-far the most BANG for your BUCK. And a DEFINITE way to keep the skin you've worked so hard on via cleansers/toners/lotions in the BEST shape it can be in. Check out more information, or the before/after photos at Bare Escentuals.

Hope this isn't too overwhelming. You just picked a topic I've dealt with for YEARS and wanted you to have ALL the facts.

J