The Link Between Acne and Make Up

For any woman – and perhaps even men – when acne attacks, the first thing that they do is reach for the concealer, the foundation, the powder and the blusher. Acne is deeply unsightly and is accompanied by many negative social ideas, so it is completely reasonable for the desire to cover acne beneath a layer of make up to become overwhelming. Yet there can be real problems if makeup is layered on top of acne; perhaps the worst of this being, it can actually make your acne worse.

Acne forms because cells and follicles on the skin become blocked, usually due to excess fluid on the skin which then infects a follicle and causes a pimple. Acne is therefore, in it’s very essence, the manifestation of a blockage. Many dermatologists talk of ‘flushing’ the skin out in a bid to remove acne, and this is essentially the idea of remove the blockages and allowing pores and follicles to close naturally. This is how completely untreated pimples heal themselves, by allowing the body’s natural defences to solve the problem.

However, if a thick layer of makeup is applied on top of an already infected follicle and its accompanying pimple, the body is going to struggle to flush the infection away as effectively as it might. You are, by applying makeup, essentially trapping the infection in and making it have nowhere to go. When this is done, the healing times are much longer and the chances of acne recurring are high.

It may seem overly simple to say that one should simply stop covering pimples, particularly when they are such a huge influence on self esteem and confidence. After all, no one likes to go out with acne visible on their face, and the promise of makeup products that can disguise the problem are more than a little alluring. If you cannot stomach the idea of going without your cosmetic companions, there are steps you can take to lessen the effect that make up has on pimples.

When it comes to selecting cosmetics for acne sufferers, the keyword is light. Instead of many products, choose one simple, mineral based product which provides effective coverage. These brands may seem expensive, but by only using one product you are likely to actually save money. Use it sparingly and only when you are going to be seen in public, removing it thoroughly as soon as you are behind closed doors. With these simple changes, the vicious cycle of covering pimples with makeup that in turn cause pimples can be reversed.

The Moment You Wake Up, Before You Put On Your Make-Up

Make-up is an essential part of many girls’ and ladies’ daily routine. It may be a case of a little bit of lipstick and some concealer and off you go, or it may be a more determined, more elaborate regime that requires getting up hours before work to make sure that everything is done to a T. But if you are one of those who feels naked without a decent covering of make-up, it is important to remember one thing – that stuff has to come off at night. All of it. As a preference you really should wear as little as you can, because while it may be a good way to show off your best features (and conceal those you’re not so fond of), make up stops your skin from doing some things it has to do.

Your skin, for starters, needs to breathe. That’s why you have pores. Without this necessary feature, your skin would clog up and you would break out in all kinds of blemishes. It also needs the space to keep itself cool, because if your skin reaches a certain point without being allowed to cool off it will begin to flush and look blotchy – something no amount of concealer can really hide. So if you can get away with a light dusting, do not go overboard and smother your skin. You will regret it. It is much, much better to allow one little blemish to go uncovered than to cause another several to spring up.

And at the end of the day, you have to take it off. There are so many reasons why, not least the dry-cleaning bill for your pillowcases if you allow them to become caked in make-up. But more importantly, if you do not allow your skin to be itself while you are asleep, you are simply adding more skin problems to the bargain. Sooner or later you will cause yourself problems that no amount of make up can conceal. And there is one final reason you should go easy on the make up – natural beauty wins out every time. You can ask anyone – the less make-up you wear the better you look.