Bringing out the Big Guns - Breakout Edition

My skin is really temperamental. One day I can look in the mirror and think things are looking ok and the next day I’m break out central. My skin is on the oily side of combination but my skin can be pretty reactive. Over the last few months I’ve found a selection of products which have been working to calm breakouts down without leaving my skin a dry, scaly mess. 

First up is Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser, this foaming cleanser contains salicylic acid which is well known for helping clear skin up. It was designed with oily/blemish prone skin in mind so it works to control oil production and gently exfoliate to keep skin clear. I’m not a fan of foaming cleansers as a whole and this one can definitely be a bit drying, but it’s a great option to thoroughly cleanse the skin when things get out of hand. My skin doesn’t really like change so I only use this in the morning until my skin starts to calm down.

Aveda Outer Peace Blemish Spot Relief is without a doubt the best all round spot treatment I’ve tried. It calms redness, reduces spots over night but is gentle enough that it doesn’t leave my skin looking scaly. And it doesn’t nip like some of the other blemish treatments I’ve tried (Clinique Blemish Gel, I’m looking at you). It goes on clear and doesn’t leave a film so it’s also safe to use at work if you need a bit of extra help during the day.

For a more intense treatment, Origins Out of Trouble Mask has been a saviour of mine on more than one occasion. This mask works to absorb oil, gently exfoliate (so it’s great for when you’re skin is a bit congested) and clear out pores. It can be a little intense so I tend to only use this when I have a cystic breakout and I only use this where I need to. If I have a beast of a blemish I’ve also found myself putting this directly on the spot and leaving it to do it’s thing over night. My first instinct when my skin is acting up is USE ALL THE MASKS but in reality this just doing more harm than good with the amount of active ingredients in products for oily/blemish prone skin. Using this once a week then a lighter clarifying mask mid week will help clear your skin but without drying everything out. 

Keeping the moisture balance up is a big factor in reducing the chances of scarring, this is where Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair comes into play. ANR works to repair your skin at a cellular level and the Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II works to clear out cellular debris while you sleep all the while holding on to the moisture levels in your skin. I just pop a moisturiser on top (even over the blemish) and things tend to have calmed down considerably come morning.

What do you use when your skin is acting up?