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Are skincare products just a gimmick?
I'm 19, male, and a college student who is beginning to believe that skincare products and acne treatments are just modern day versions of snake oil. I have had a case of acne that has remained incredibly persistent over the course of my adolescence. Like many people in my situation, I have used many remedies over the years ranging form drug store creams and washes to prescriptions form a dermatologist.
My question is, are these products simply doing more harm than good? I know the theories and science behind them are most likely sound, but I suspect that when synthesized into a marketable and stable product and used in the real world, they do not work as designed. I know many people, mostly men who have clear skin and don't have a medicine cabinet full of crap like i do. What are your experiences, what do you suggest, o' friendly stranger of the internet?
2 Answers
- Anonymous7 years agoFavorite Answer
Unfortunately, different skin care products work for different people because everyone's acne is caused by something different, and sometimes it takes A LOT of searching to find something that works. And sometimes, it really just can't be treated with topical products. My brother had acne so bad in high school that he eventually had to start taking an oral antibiotic to clear it up, which did really help. And genetics play a big role in it as well. That's why you have the people you mentioned who can go without using anything on their face and have perfect skin. Other people are not so lucky.
- 7 years ago
Well several factors contribute to clear skin. Of course, a lot of it is hormones and genetics, so there's only so much you can do. But doing everything you can makes all the difference. I good cleanser is helpful, but it can only take you so far. You have to take care of yourself.
1. Pay attention to what goes in your body. Your face reflects what you put in it. If you eat crappy food all the time and drink tons of soda, too much sugar in your body messes with your hormones, which in turn can contribute to an overproduction of the hormones causing acne. Try to eat better and drink water very often. Being well-hydrated is probably the most important thing. I drink nothing but water now (no soda, no juice, nothing else), and I feel so much healthier.
2. Stop touching your face, both with your hands and your hair. When I was in high school, I got acne on my chin a lot. Turns out it was because during class, I always rested my chin on the palm of my hand, so all the dirt and oils on my hand was clogging the pores on my face. I also had a lot of acne on the left side of my forehead, which is where my bangs fell, so the oil and dirt in my hair clogged the pores there.
3. Chill out. Stress acne is a thing. Whenever I got all up tight because I had a lot of homework or something, I would break out. Chocolate is a natural destresser, so when I was doing a tough homework assignment, I always kept some nearby to help me feel better.
4. Get plenty of sleep. That's just a good thing to do in general. But also wash your pillowcases at least twice a week. They trap in dirt from your hair and skin which can be transferred to your face and cause more acne.
5. Have a skin care routine. This can be different for everyone, but here's what I do. In the morning, I wash my face with a gentle, foamy cleanser. Toners are fantastic for evening everything out, but that's optional. Moisturizing is probably the most important (and neglected) step. If you leave your skin stiff and dry after a wash, your skin produces oils to try to moisturize itself, and that creates even more acne. Then at night I use a cleansing wipe (it's like a baby wipe made for your face, just swipe and throw away, super easy). Whenever I'm in the shower, I use a heavier cleanser that contains saliclyic acid, which is a strong acne combatant.
6. DEFINITELY don't touch your face to pick at a pimple. That can cause scarring. Trying to pop a pimple can actually force some of the puss farther into your skin, causing another, larger pimple to appear in its place. Better to just suck it up and leave it alone, no matter how enticing those white heads are.
I know it sounds like a lot, but if you want the results, you gotta work for them. When I started doing all this, my acne went way down and it was wonderful. I went from having clusters of like 5 pimples at a time to only having one or two every now and then, with periods of 100% clear skin in between.
Good luck!