Exfoliate
Day by day, a layer of dead skin cells builds up on your face. It may not be that noticeable except that you don’t have that dewy glow and your wrinkles, if you have any, may appear a bit deeper. With this layer of dead skin covering your pores, the toxins being released through your pores can’t quite escape. This is a nice breeding ground for pimples. You need to remove that layer.
Part of the reason Proactiv® Solution works is because of the tiny little scrubbing particles in their face wash. These particles scrub away that layer of dead skin and leave your pores to breathe and stay clear. Then the medicine penetrates into your pores, etc…But let’s stay on topic here - you need to exfoliate.
If you have bad acne, your skin may be irritated already. Scrubbing it with little particles of stuff may not sound that appealing but the good news is you don’t need to do it that often. The other good news is there are exfoliating products that don’t rely on particles that much. Here are two of my favorites:
St. Ives Apricot Scrub Blackhead & Blemish Control. Use a little bit of this product, about a nickel sized amount, about twice a week. Dampen your skin first, then use your middle and ring fingers to apply and gently massage the product into your skin in a circular motion. You can leave the product on your face for a few minutes for best results. Rinse very thoroughly with lukewarm water, paying special attention to your eyebrows and other areas where the little scrubbies may get caught. This product contains salicylic acid, so you will probably need to follow up with a light moisturizer.
Jason Natural Citrus Scrubble. This product relies more on Ester-C and less on physical scrubbies (this one also uses apricot kernels), in fact there are a lot less scrubbies in this product than the St. Ives. Use this this one about once every week to 10 days, and not on the same day as you use the St. Ives. Use it in the same manner described above. This product will leave your skin super smooth and perhaps a little red - which is why you shouldn’t use it often. It really gets in there and spit shines your skin and pores. If your skin feels irritated or dry afterward, apply a little bit of vitamin E oil and you will be good to go.
If your skin is really inflamed or painful because of your acne, use a simple white cotton washcloth to gently exfoliate your skin. Dampen it with room temperature water, and use it to massage your skin using a circular motion.
With regular exfoliation, you will help your pores do what they’re supposed to do. It’s a good preventative measure to keep your skin clear.
December 23rd, 2007 at 8:50 am
[…] Using warm water pooled in the palms of your hands and splashed gently on your face, rinse about 30 times. Use the tips of your middle and ring fingers to gently massage oily areas. Your skin will be nice and clean without any need for a harsh detergents. Of course, this routine assumes you are exfoliating regularly. […]
February 2nd, 2008 at 1:06 am
[…] as you shouldn’t exfoliate every day, you also shouldn’t wash your face with soap every day if you are going to do it at all. It […]