Best Products and Tips For Common Skin Care Issues
I have been a licensed esthetician for 14 years, and skincare is a great passion of mine. This passion developed from my years of dealing with horrible cystic acne as a preteen and teen—braces, glasses, and acne ah the glorious years of middle school. I would always laugh when clients of mine would comment on how "perfect" my skin was; once I began working as an esthetician, I had come such a long way in my skincare journey. I think of all the products I have tried, the tears I had cried over my acne, and it is so nice not to feel so insecure in the skin I am in. As the years have come and gone through pregnancy, health issues, and just getting older, I have learned what works and what doesn't. Needless to say, 20+ years later, I have learned a lot about skin, products, and solutions to common skin problems.
Let's first look at 2 common causes for skin issues that are happening inside your body:
Disclaimer: I am in no way a medical professional; the advice on this blog is to be viewed as opinion only and NOT to be used in place of a medical professional. Please – consult your medical provider for any and all health needs or questions
Hormones
Good 'ol hormones. While they do so many good things - if they are out of whack, they can wreak havoc on our bodies, which usually shows in our skin. I am not going to get deep into medical research, but I read this fantastic article on all the ways hormones affect your skin, what you can do about it, and common myths about resetting your hormones.
Can Resetting Your Hormones Improve Your Skin?
2. Stress
There are many ways stress physically affects your skin:
The stress hormone cortisol leads to an overproduction of sebum (oil) in your skin glands, which causes acne breakouts. Stress impacts your immune system, causes your skin to be more reactive and sensitive and triggers rashes, hives, and redness. It exacerbates existing inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, leading to flare-ups. Stress may cause you to feel nervous or anxious, and pick at scabs or acne, or scratch your skin until it becomes red or breaks. So what can you do? Relax! Okay, I know it's easier said than done but try this: find just one way to reduce stress every day. Such as breathing exercises, meditation, physical exercise, talking with a friend. Find something that is easy for you to implement and maintain to see and feel the positive effects.
Here is one more thing happening in our body that affects our skin.. but we can have a lot more control over it…
Food!
You are what you eat.
Your skin is your body's largest organ. So you can expect your skin to mirror your eating habits. Any "real" food is going to have great vitamins and nutrients that greatly benefit your skin. These are 5 of my favorite foods that will improve the health of your skin.
1. Dark Chocolate
I will find any way possible to put dark chocolate on any list; also, I need to figure out how to offer my services in helping to see all the benefits of dark chocolate. Ha. Cocoa contains high antioxidants and flavonoid content that can protect your skin against sunburn. These antioxidants can also improve wrinkles, skin thickness, hydration, blood flow, and skin texture. Skin damage due to harmful UV rays is the leading cause of aging. Because of this, it can even help prevent the signs of aging by promoting cell growth.
2. Green tea
The catechins found in green tea are potent antioxidants that can protect your skin against sun damage and reduce redness, as well as improve its hydration, thickness, and elasticity. Green tea is chock full of Vitamin B2 and Vitamin E, both essential for skin health. B2 plays a critical role in maintaining collagen levels for youthful skin structure and firmness. Vitamin E supports new skin cell growth and acts as an intense hydrator for dry or imbalanced skin.
3. Fatty fish
Fatty types of fish like salmon contain omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce inflammation and keep your skin moisturized. They're also a good source of high-quality protein, vitamin E, and zinc.
Other foods high in good fat: Avocado, Walnuts,
4 . Sweet Potatoes
They are an excellent source of beta carotene, which acts as a natural sunblock and may protect your skin from sun damage. Remember, sun damage is the leading cause of aging!!!
Other foods containing beta carotene - bell peppers
5. Water!!
Last but probably the most important. Water is perhaps the fastest way to improve the health of your skin and the most noticeable. Our skin is 64% water, so you can imagine the effects of not drinking enough water. It can cause more visible wrinkles, dull skin, increased dryness, and dehydration. In contrast drinking, enough water will increase hydration, causing that gorgeous glow, plump skin, and less visible wrinkles!
The habits we have significantly affect our skin. No matter how hard we try, we sometimes need a quick fix while we wait for all the dark chocolate and sweet potatoes to kick in. Below are my absolute favorite products helping with the most common skin problems. I use every one of these products and make sure they are always in my bathroom, ready to go in case of emergency!
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Click on photos to make a quick and easy purchase
Acne & Oily Skin (Glytone)
Of course, I had to have this on here. The usual go-to acid for years for treating acne has been salicylic acid, which is great -unless you’re allergic to it and it causes you to break out even more. That was my issue, and it took me a while, years, to figure that out. I finally found a great product line called Glytone that uses glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide in many of their products. It is easier to find these acids in products now than 20 years ago, but they made a huge difference in clearing up my acne. My skin has changed and is not as oily as it used to be, so I use these in more targeted approaches, such as spot treatments and masks. As well as other acids - these are chemical exfoliants, so you need to ease yourself into using them to make sure your skin doesn’t become too sensitive. Always use sunscreen while any acid is in your regimen!!
Forehead Lines (ROC)
You may not be able to read my mind, but chances are you can read my face. I have always been full of facial expressions, and those fantastic forehead lines are starting to stick around. ROC has had great products for years and is always a constant for top-rated beauty lists for years. Instantly, creases begin to fill to reduce the appearance of fine lines - Skin appears softer & smoother. This clinically proven formula helps diminish the look of crow's feet & deep wrinkles in 4 weeks.
Dry lips (Sunday Forever)
The amount of money I have spent on chapstick is pretty ridiculous. This is the ONLY chapstick I have found that nourishes my lips without drying them out further after frequent use or leaving that film that causes your lips to peel. It is natural and handmade. It has a delicious yet light coconut scent that makes you think you’re basking in the Hawaiian sun.
Ingredients:
Coconut Oil, Bees Wax, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E, Stevia, Flavoring, LOVE.
Bonus: 100% cruelty-free
Sunday Forever Le’ COCO Coconut Lip Balm
Extreme Dry/ Sensitive Skin/Ezcema (Skin Fix)
Every once in a while, my skin freaks out and is extremely sensitive. It usually happens if I am trying a new product or my hormones are out of whack. After literally almost buying everything I could find to help when my skin had a bad reaction to a product, I discovered this product. It was so dry and sensitive, almost painful to touch. This did the trick almost immediately. At first, it feels pretty thick, but it soaks into your skin yet provides a barrier helping your skin have a chance to repair itself. I always have an extra tube in my drawer just in case. I refuse to run out!
Dry Skin (Prima & TreeNut)
During winter, my skin takes a hit and gets dry very quickly. I use this oil as soon as I get out of the shower. Any moisturizer absorbs better when your skin is wet - it is also not as heavy as a lotion, so it penetrates quickly.
Prima - Beyond body oil age-defying lightweight body oil
One of the worst places for my dry skin is my legs, especially after shaving. This shaving oil is a blend of wholesome ingredients that help soothe, hydrate, and nourish the skin featuring Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sesame Oil, Vitamin E, and Oat Kernel Extract. The unique gel-to-oil formula provides ample hydration and a smooth glide you can feel during the shaving process and after rinsing off.
Razor bumps (Tend Skin)
Tend skin has been around since the ’90s, and it’s still a best seller for a good reason. Post-shave or wax, apply a thin coat to reduce redness, inflammation, and bumps.
Dark spots ( Glytone & Caudalie )
My skin easily hyper pigments from every bump or scrape, so it’s always on my radar. These are the products I consistently go back to and have seen the best results. Glytone has a great spot treatment lotion, and Caudalie is an excellent everyday line. I use their essence, serum, and moisturizers almost every day. The value set is a great way to try the products out to see what you like before investing in them.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Brightening Value Set
Sunscreen (Tatcha & SuperGoop)
Sunscreen! Sunscreen! Sunscreen! I am serious about sunscreen; it is the easiest way to prevent so many signs of aging, not to mention protect you from skin cancer. These are my absolute two favorites. Tatcha is my go-to everyday sunscreen. It goes on like butter, soaks right into your skin, leaves no white residue, and bonus can be a primer for your makeup!
Super goop glow - I use this by itself or mix it with my foundation; it can be used as a primer. It gives a fantastic glow - Oh yes, I woke up like this Jenny from the block kind of glow. It also feels great and not greasy at all.
Itchy scalp (Briogeo)
Yup, that’s skin too! This shampoo is fantastic. It’s an exfoliating, sulfate-free scrub that lifts away impurities and buildup while balancing and soothing an itchy, irritated scalp (whether oily or dry). It works on every type of hair and feels so amazing after you wash it out!
Dark Circles/ Fine Lines & Dry skin around eyes (Laboratoires Filorga Time-Filler Eyes)
I have horrible seasonal allergies, as in every season, I am allergic to something outside. No matter how much medicine I take for allergies, my eyes tend to get very irritated, which leads to watery eyes, sensitive and dry skin around my eyes. I found this eye cream, and I love it. It feels like cashmere has no smell and is highly nourishing. However, what I love the most is - you can use it on your eyelids!!! The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your face, and the skin on your eyelids is even more delicate. Most eye creams you can not place on your eyelids. This you can, which is also a great way to help prevent sagging eyelids and heal that dryness. Y'all, I LOVE this product!
