Proactiv Solution Acne Treatment: Three Steps To Z

Author: Louise Forrestbr
Source: articledashboard.combr
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You have oily skin, right? You already know that it is no fun. Just like dry skin, oily skin is on the other end of the facial extreme and can be just as troublesome to get rid of. With your hormones going through some kind of hiccupping phase or simply because you are not treating your skin right, too much oil on your face will leave it looking shiny, prone to acne outbreaks, and your pores will look larger than you would like them to.

It is time to stop fussing about your oily skin and do something about it. There is any number of products on the shelves of your local drugstore or awaiting shipment from numerous online cosmetics companies that are meant to help with oily skin.

You can get special cleansers that will help swipe the extra oil away, exfoliators to give your pores a boost, and creams or cosmetics that will soak up oil throughout the day, unless you feel like opting for oil blotters, which you can dab on your face and toss into the trash, leaving your skin with less oil than a few seconds before.
In the case that you decide to go with the oily skin prevention/control method by using foundations or extra creams or lotions that are created to soak up oil, you may be wondering just how this is possible. How can your foundation control your oil? How can one cream or lotion soak it up? Where does it go?

When you buy creams or other products that are meant to soak up the excess oil on your skin, the reason they are able to do so is because of specialized ingredients. Some of these ingredients may be man made, engineered in order to be able to absorb the oil on your face. The ingredients do so on a very small scale, but as a whole they leave your face with (as they advertise) a matte look. No shine, no problem.

Other companies use organic or natural ingredients such as specific types of clays or muds. You already know that certain types of masks that utilize clays or muds do the same thing for your oily skin; soak up the oil. In putting them into creams, foundations, or other products, they essentially are doing the same thing, but are formulated in order to be able to control your excess oil for a much longer time.

With a mask, you might be oil free for several hours after removing the mask, but your skin will eventually appear oily again. With these oil control products, once you put them on, they are to remain on your face and give you oil control for a greater amount of time. Some products boast 8 hour oil control.

The times that they advertise, however, will depend upon your skin and the care you give it. If you do nothing for your skin in terms of cleansing, exfoliating, etc., and simply believe you will be fine in relying on the creams, foundations, or other oil control products, then you will not receive the same results as you will have an enormous amount of oil buildup on your skin.

This buildup will likely lead to an acne outbreak. For someone who takes good care of their oily skin, an oil control product might be the final item they need in order to keep fresh the entire day, looking oil free and also being free from large acne outbreaks.

You can also use products in conjunction as some companies may make them in such a way that they are most effective for oily skin when used at the same time. For example, after your skin care routine, you might put on an oil control cream and then follow up with a foundation meant to help control oily skin.

Do your research on products and ask your dermatologist for suggestions if you are still unsure. Products can indeed help soak up the oil on your skin, but be sure to use them right in order to get the best results./pbr
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Author: Louise Forrest
Source: articledashboard.com

Because acne is closely associated with oily skin, people who have oily skin need to be aware of home skin care and utilize it to their advantage. There are cases however that home skin care simply does not remedy the situation. In these cases, it becomes necessary to visit a dermatologist and begin a treatment of medication to relieve the skin so that the healing process can begin.

One of the medications that your dermatologist may prescribe is corticosteroid treatment. This medication relieves the symptoms of irritated skin, mainly inflammation (swelling), itching, and redness. Inflammation, in regards to skin conditions, is slight compared to inflammation due to acute injury.

When prescribed for acne (which results, in part, from oily skin), this treatment is usually given as a topical treatment, meaning that it is applied to the skin, not taken internally. Corticosteroids prescribed for acne may be in a cream or lotion form. In very severe cases which are not helped by strong topical corticosteroids, systemic steroids may be prescribed. These are taken internally and the most popular is known as Prednisone.

If this medication is prescribed for you, there are things that you should know about it in order to use it both safely and successfully. The federal government has the following guidelines that you should keep in mind when using corticosteroids:

Tell your doctor is you have had and reactions to any form of steroids or if you have had adverse reactions to preservatives or dyes which may be used in the compound.

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or may be pregnant. Animal studies have shown a correlation between use of this medication and birth defects when used on large areas of the body or for long periods of time.

Talk to your doctor about breast feeding while using this medication and Make sure the breasts are free of medication before breast feeding.

Use in children should be monitored by your pediatrician or dermatologist. Corticosteroids can affect growth and create other effects due to absorption through skin in children. Careful monitoring will safely allow your children to utilize the medication.

When using on elderly patients, a doctor should monitor carefully because of the tendency of older adults to have thinned skin. Unmonitored use of corticosteroids may result in blood blisters or skin that tears.

As always, make sure your doctor knows about all other medications being used to avoid possible drug interactions.

Make sure that the prescribing doctor knows if you have any of the following medical conditions: Cataracts, Glaucoma, Diabetes, Opens wounds where the medication is to be applied, thinned skin which may bruise easily, or tuberculosis.

It is important that you do not get corticosteroids in your eyes. Make sure that you always wash your hands after application and be very careful about rubbing your face (around the eye area) while treating acne with this medication. Sweating is a factor if you have to use the medication on the forehead. Dab sweat away with a cloth rather than wiping it away with your hands. Do not let sweat run into your eyes if the medication is used on your forehead.

If your do happen to get the medication in your eyes, flush immediately with cool water (not cold). Flushing helps clear the medication from the eye and the coolness helps with irritation.

In cases of acne, this medication is generally not used with bandaging. However, if it is, it is important that you apply the medicine exactly as directed because covering it aids in absorption through the skin and over-absorption has increased side effects.

Do not use corticosteroids more often or longer than directed by your doctor. Over usage can result in increased side effects. The medication usually comes with detailed patient instructions aside from your doctors instructions. Be sure to read information provided with the medicine.

If you miss a dose of this medication, you can apply it as soon as your remember, as long as it is not time for your next dose. If your next dose is to be applied soon, just skip the missed dose and resume proper dosing of this medication.

Remember that the major advantage to using corticosteroids is that they reduce inflammation. You still need to continue your organic oily skin care regimen in order to correct the situation. Once the medication is no longer necessary, you will still need to take good care of your skin in a specific regimen for combating oily skin.

Author: Louise Forrest
Source: isnare.com

As a general rule, acne affects people with oily skin, which is cause by overactive sebaceous glands (oil glands). Your oil glands produce natural oils which keep the skin irrigated in most parts of the body (not the palms or soles), but which oily skin, they tend to overproduce sebum (oil) on the face, neck, chest, and back. Of these areas, the nose is the most affected, followed by the chin and forehead.

There is a reasonable explanation for these areas producing more oil than other areas of the body. The nose has the largest pores, followed by both the chin and forehead. Some people naturally produce more oil than others and various triggers increase this oil production.

One of these triggers is hormonal imbalance, which occurs most during puberty, followed by pregnancy. The hormones produced during these times stimulate the oil glands, sometimes causing overproduction of the natural oils. Stress affects oil production in much the same way. The excess oil fill pores and catches debris (dirt) in them.

This, in turn, causes a reaction similar to an allergic reaction in the skin. Itching is usually the beginning; this causes scratching which not only adds more debris and bacteria but encourages inflammation.

The inflammation (slight swelling in this case) causes the pores to further close, blocking the chance of escape for the entrapped toxins. This requires special care in order to create an optimal environment for the skin to heal itself and begin to regulate oil production.

An important thing to remember is that some natural oil is necessary for your skin to retain moisture like it is supposed to. Over drying the skin causes it to produce more oil in an attempt to replace the much needed moisture that has been removed.

Many of the over the counter and prescribed products for oily skin and acne dry the skin too much. It is better to cleanse several times a day with warm water and a mild cleanser than it is to use harsh chemicals on the skin.

Creating an optimal environment for healing means reducing inflammation, unclogging clogged pores, and keeping the pores free of further trapped oil and debris. Obviously, the first step has to be to reduce the inflammation. Cold compresses can help this.

First you need to wash well with a mild cleanser. Pure organic honey is excellent for this because it is a natural antibacterial cleanser. This cleansing should be done upon waking and before bed daily; fitting at one or two more honey washes into your schedule is even better.

Begin by putting a damp washcloth in your refrigerator.

Massage about a tablespoon of honey in tiny circles all over the face, giving acne-prone areas extra attention. Let the honey sit for a few minutes and rinse with warm water (hot water irritates and further inflames skin).

Take the washcloth from the refrigerator and lay it on your face for a minute or two. This will reduce swelling and the pre wash has removed excess surface oil and debris, so this will not get added to already-clogged pores.

Remove the washcloth and return it to your refrigerator. Now get a tablespoon of honey and mix a teaspoon of granulated sugar with it. Rub this mixture all over the face gently, again using the tiny circles and paying close attention to acne prone areas.

Rinse well with warm water.

Get the washcloth and lay it on your face again, removing after a minute or two.

Apply chamomile toner (see our article, Oily Skin Tips, Part II) to your face.

Apply a good organic moisturizer to your face; in this case, good means an organic moisturizer created for oily skin (we have various moisturizer recipes but you can also buy these ready made). This is an important step, even though it seems to contradict the removal of the oil. By applying the moisturizer, you are helping your skin to remain lubricated, which helps your oil production become balanced.

Never use moisturizers and lotions that are alcohol based because these actually dry the skin, creating a cycle of need in your skin.

If you wear makeup, make sure that you are using a water based makeup because oil based makeup tends to clog the pores. Always remove makeup before going to bed; leaving makeup on the face through the night tends to grind it into pores as you rub your face on your pillow during sleep.