Acne

Favorite Find Friday: BeautyRx Skincare by Dr. Schultz Daily Exfoliating Therapy Serum

Written on February 22, 2013 at 12:04 pm , by Molly Ritterbeck

Newsflash: Not all beauty editors have perfect skin. You can trust me when I tell you I actually have problematic skin. Some people brush this off to me being dramatic or exaggeratory, but really, I have a pretty serious case of cystic acne and some serious skills when it comes to covering it all up (even my derm was fooled when I walked in for acne treatment). I’ve tried everything under the sun, and I mean everything, from spot treatments, to 3-step systems, even kitchen remedies—you name it, I’ve tried it. Topically, nothing has really worked that well for me until I started using BeautyRx Skincare by Dr. Schultz.  I’ve only been using the products for two weeks and am already seeing a major improvement. My blemishes are cleared (and no new ones are threatening to pop up), my pores are smaller and my complexion has a new-found glow thanks to the Daily Exfoliating Serum ($65, beautyrx.com). It’s an 8% glycolic exfoliant that helps unclog pores and brighten dull looking skin. I apply three drops all over my face before bed and wake up to a fresher and clearer complexion (and one step closer to finally having my dream skin).

Sun Protection For Blemish-Prone Skin

Written on April 10, 2012 at 10:23 am , by April Franzino

Spring has sprung— but as the temperatures rise, our complexions start feeling the heat. We thought layering on more makeup or frequent blotting were the only options to counter shine and sweat, but not anymore. Enter the oil-controlling, acne-fighting and SPF-depositing powers of Peter Thomas Roth Oily Problem Skin Instant Mineral SPF 30. Salicylic Acid and willow bark absorb oil and eradicate blackhead-causing bacteria, while titanium dioxide protects from UVA and UVB rays. A stable of antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E) also work to stave off and undo sun damage and nourish skin. Best of all: The convenient, no-spill brush dispenser makes mid-day touch-ups— even over makeup— a breeze.

—By Alana Peden, contributing blogger

Pro Tennis Player Caroline Wozniacki’s Secrets to Flawless Skin

Written on March 19, 2012 at 12:46 pm , by Fitness Magazine

Professional tennis player and Proactiv spokesperson Caroline Wozniacki manages to have flawless skin despite constant sweat and sun exposure on the court, so we jumped at the chance to get her secrets. Here’s what she said about the products that keep her looking gorgeous, her on-the-road routine, and her proudest career moment.

FITNESS: What’s your haircare, makeup and skincare routine like on a typical day?
Caroline Wozniacki: I really try to keep my daily routine simple and natural.  I always like my skin to feel light and clean, so I really try hard to use products that are good for my skin and keep me looking naturally fresh.  Since I travel so much, I like to make sure my routine can easily come with me from country to country! I make sure to drink a lot of water, get plenty of sleep and moisturize my skin every day.  I find that doing these simple things are easy ways to keep me looking my best.

FITNESS: You’re constantly on the court and exposed to the harsh sun. How do you keep your skin protected?
CW: I wear SPF under my daily moisturizer every day. I’m on the court and outside playing so much that I don’t want to have to worry about my skin getting damaged from the sun.  So I just make sure I am properly protected every day. Now it’s such a routine that I pretty much have SPF on all the time!

FITNESS: How did you start working with Proactiv?
CW: I started having bad breakouts when I was about 15 years old. I was playing a lot of tournaments back then, so I was in the public eye a lot and didn’t really feel comfortable with all the cameras around because I wasn’t confident about my skin.  I decided to give Proactiv a chance, and my experience was really positive. After about a week, I started to see significant results. I was so happy, and didn’t have to worry about breakouts anymore.  Since I love the product so much, I figured a partnership with them was a great idea.

FITNESS: What’s the one beauty product never leaves your bag? Why?
CW: Once again, SPF is really important to me so I always have some in my bag with me.  You never know when you’re going to need it! I’m also obsessed with a bunch of the Oriflame lip glosses so I keep those on hand most of the time as well.  I hate when my lips are dry or chapped! So I always like to have lip treatments with me, and if they have SPF in them, even better.

FITNESS: What are your gym bag beauty essentials?
CW: Definitely my blister patches! Compeed makes these amazing blister patches that I keep in my gym bag all the time because I wear them almost every day.  Blisters are the absolute worst when I’m playing or practicing and can really affect my game so having the patches on me makes a huge difference.

FITNESS: What does your training consist of?
CW: Naturally I spend a lot of time on the court, but I also spend a fair amount of time training off-court. I also like to mix it up and have some fun with boxercise.

FITNESS: What’s your biggest beauty indulgence?
CW: I definitely indulge in my fair share of massages, but most of them are more sports therapy.

FITNESS: What are the beauty products you can’t live without?
CW: Proactiv 3 Step System, Proactiv Refining Mask, Compeed Blister Patches, Oriflame Giordani lip gloss line, Oriflame Divine Body Cream and the Proactiv Advanced Blemish Treatment.

FITNESS: Where do you get the confidence and energy to keep working your absolute hardest on the court?
CW: I’ve always been very motivated to do my best when I play.  It’s definitely a passion and drive within me that keeps me going and playing my best.  I also come from a family of athletes, so they have always been very supportive and motivating which helps me stay focused and try my hardest.

FITNESS: What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment?
CW: Holding the #1 position for so long is definitely something I am really proud of.  I finished at #1 for two years in a row, so that is something I really strive to reach again.

—By Wanda Rosa, beauty intern

The #1 Workout Mistake That Could Sabotage Your Skin

Written on December 7, 2011 at 6:41 am , by Fitness Magazine

Naturally, we’re huge proponents of working up a sweat, whether you’re mastering the elliptical or letting out stress in your cardio kickboxing class. But excess sweat that dries on skin can leave behind salt and toxins, which contribute to acne and red bumps on the skin, according to Dr. Alex Fazeli, M.D., president of skincare brand Sebamed . Here, three ways to keep workout-induced breakouts at bay:

1. Ditch the sweatbands and tight clothing, which can drive bacteria even deeper into the skin, causing blemishes. Choose exercise apparel made of moisture-wicking fabrics, which are breathable and help prevent pores from getting clogged.
2. Avoid touching your face or blemish-prone areas with your hands or used towel, which can spread bacteria.
3. Cleanse your skin immediately after working out with a hydrating wash like the Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash to help restore your skin’s barrier and remoisturize, which will prevent further toxins from penetrating.

—By Jaclyn Smock, beauty intern

Bedtime Breakouts

Written on July 18, 2011 at 11:05 am , by Fitness Magazine

We all thought our acne would be gone after high school, but alas, it persists—for years and sometimes decades, many blemishes incubating while we sleep. Here, a few simple ways to reduce unsightly breakouts that occur while you snooze:

• Wash your pillowcase once a week. Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells that accumulate on pillowcases can cause bacteria buildup and breakouts.

• Try sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your side puts your face in direct contact with the buildup on your pillowcase and sheets, and suffocates your pores.

• Don’t sleep with hair products on. If you’re deep conditioning your hair overnight or have leftover product in from during the day, either wash your hair before bed or cover it with a shower cap before lying down. Oils and waxes in hair products are known to clog pores and bring on blemishes.

• Avoid cosmetics, lotions, and lip treatments that contain lanolin, petrolatum, oleic acid, certain vegetable oils and lauryl alchol. The National Women’s Health Information Center found these ingredients are more likely to cause acne.

• Get enough sleep! Sleep is vital to every element of your health. If you’re sleep-deprived, your acne will take longer to clear and will only get worse.

—By Amanda Downs, beauty intern

Spot On

Written on June 2, 2011 at 1:14 pm , by April Franzino

If anyone knows the truth about acne, it’s Katie Rodan, M.D., and Kathy Fields, M.D., the dermatologist founders of billion-dollar blemish brand Proactiv. To kick off June National Acne Awareness Month, we’re sharing some surprising acne facts from their book, The Doctors’ Secrets to a Lifetime of Clear Skin:

• Acne is the #1 skin disease in the world—in the U.S., 85 percent of people have it sometime in their lives.
• They might do a number on your waistline, but sweets like chocolate and soda, and greasy foods like French fries don’t cause acne.
• It may seem like the sun dries up your pimples, but sun exposure actually makes acne worse over time: Your skin sheds the UV-damaged cells, which clog pores and can trigger breakouts.
• The dark spots that appear on skin after a blemish are called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: Unlike acne scars, they’re not permanent but can take weeks to heal.
• Don’t spot treat: The red pimple that erupts on your skin is actually the last stage of a blemish’s life. Always treat your whole face to attack acne at every stage (even when it’s not yet visible).
• Keep products with the zit-fighting ingredient benzoyl peroxide away from clothes and fabrics; it’s oxidizing action will bleach them.
• Avoid facial scrubs with ground fruit or nut bits, like apricot pits or walnut, when trying to deep-clean skin: Their sharp edges can make micro-tears in your skin, causing further inflammation and irritation.
• Don’t wash your face more than twice a day: Stripping your skin of oil prompts your body to produce more, exacerbating acne and oiliness.

Kick The Habit

Written on March 3, 2011 at 7:11 am , by Fitness Magazine

Some of our beauty habits might sound innocent enough, but can really do damage over time. Here’s a list of pesky habits that we should all kick:

• Hair fiddling: This one might be the hardest to break, since we don’t always notice ourselves doing it. People tend to play with their hair—twisting, bending, and even breaking it—out of boredom or to just to keep our hands busy. But, this seemingly harmless habit can lead to breakage, tangles and oily strands.

• Popping pimples: We know how tempting it is to attack a blemish that’s taking over our face—but doing so can cause serious scarring and even spread pimple-causing bacteria (plus oil from your fingers) around the face. Attempt to banish acne before it even forms with ZENO Hot Spot Blemish Clearing Device.

• Sleeping with makeup on: Cleansing our faces is often the first thing that falls by the wayside at the end of a busy, exhausting day. But not washing leaves pores clogged with leftover makeup, dirt and sweat—which leads to dull and break-out prone skin. Keep cleansing wipes like biodegradable Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes on your nightstand so you never forget to wash up before you doze off.

—By Maite Gonzalez, beauty intern

Brush Up

Written on February 9, 2011 at 7:41 am , by Fitness Magazine

When was the last time you properly cleaned your makeup brushes?

Can’t remember? Then you might be swirling bacteria and fungus on your face—ick!

Makeup brushes pick up and accumulate dead skin cells, oils, dirt and any other bacteria that’s on your skin. This leads to brushes that are stiff with separated bristles, causing streaky makeup and eventually destroying your tool.  Plus, touching your face with a dirty brush every day can cause clogged pores and breakouts, too. Take the time to clean yours as often as possible. The following products make it easy:

• Clinique Brush Cleanser is a great wash to remove all the grime that’s accumulated,  leaving a completely clean, sanitized brush.
• Bare Escentuals Quick Change Brush Cleaner is a lifesaver when you need to instantly remove pigment from your brushes. It allows you to go from one shade to another in seconds, leaving no traces of the previous color.

Remember: Clean brushes mean a clean, happy face!

—By Maite Gonzalez, beauty intern

My Aha Acne Moment

Written on January 28, 2011 at 1:29 pm , by Eleanor Langston

This past weekend, I visited the Mario Badescu Spa for a vitamin C facial, and I totally had an acne aha moment. For the past couple of months, I have been consistently breaking out on my neck.  (Who knew this was even possible?!) The zits are often on the left side of my neck, and I originally blamed my little puppy Elvis as my acne culprit. However, as soon as my facialist saw the breakouts on my neck, she asked: “Do you sleep with your hair down?” My answer: Yes, and I often slather oil (my go-to one: Shu Uemura Essence Absolue) on my ends in order to keep them shiny and prevent split-ends. Then she asked: “Do you sleep with your head turned more to the right?” My answer: Totally, because I like to face my window. Ding, ding! Tossing my hair around was exacerbating, if not completely causing, my neck bumps. Since this visit, I’ve been wearing my hair up, and I’ve already noticed that my skin is clearer. Have any of you guys come across other habits that are skin saboteurs? I’m curious!

No-Sweat Skin Savers

Written on December 9, 2010 at 9:39 am , by Fitness Magazine

At FITNESS, we know the importance of a good workout. While the sweat may work wonders on your body, it can wreak havoc on your face, resulting in unwanted blemishes. Here, a few tips to prevent workout woes:

• Avoid contact with equipment. It’s impossible to steer clear of equipment when you’re at the gym, but it is possible to avoid contact with it. Before sitting or laying down on any of the machines, lay out a clean towel to use as a barrier, protecting your skin against dirt and bacteria. Don’t feel like carrying around a towel with you? Wear workout clothing that covers breakout-prone parts of your body, such as the back and shoulders.
• Tie your hair. When you’re working out, your scalp produces oil more quickly than usual. If your hair falls onto your face during exercise, the likelihood of a breakout increases. Prevent blemishes by keeping hair off your face and back with elastic hair ties and headbands.
• Hands off! Touching your face is the number one way of transferring bacteria onto your skin. No matter how strenuous the workout, keep sweaty hands out of your skin!
• Clean your gym bag. Let’s face it: We require quite a few on-the-go supplies after a long workout. Storing your gym bag in a locker (or putting it on the locker room floor) can allow dirt and bacteria to get in, as does touching your products before washing your hands. Clean the outside of your gym bag with an antibacterial wipe or spray every couple of uses, and store makeup in Ziploc bags so it doesn’t come in contact with your sweaty gym necessities.
• Choose cotton. Nylon and polyester clothing hinder the skin’s ability to breathe, clogging pores and causing body breakouts. Choose cotton as your go-to material; it allows skin to breathe even during your most grueling cardio class.

-Nina Ramadan, beauty intern

Categories: Beauty On the Go, Thrifty Thursday | Tags: Acne, breakout, exercise, Face, hair, skin, tips, Workout
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