I was just told I should work on my skin, and I'm not even sure what it means, I have occasional outbreaks of acne and i always looked flushed in my face..... what should i do?
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what to do if your face appears naturally flushed, if there is anything you can really do in the first place (beyond wearing foundation, at least). For acne though, you'll want to start washing your face with a mild soap twice a day (if you aren't already). Stay away from any sort of harsh, drying soaps (like body wash); it just irritates the skin and can aggravate your acne. Look for Cetaphil, or something similar. Beyond that, you'll want to invest in some manner of acne treatment. What you buy really depends on the severity of your acne. For mild acne, most treatments with 5% benzoyl peroxide in them work well. Keep in mind, you may have to try more than one medication before you find one that works well on your skin; try to find one that has a fairly simple ingredient list. I've also had some success myself with both tea tree oil, and aloe vera gel (I used to actually mix the two; it worked fairly well... better than a lot of acne creams I'd tried, actually). For moderate to severe acne, however (or if you have no luck with nonprescription products), I would honestly consider visiting a doctor to ask about potential medication. This is what I eventually did as I used to have AWFUL acne, and nothing worked. I didn't want to take those raunchy pills, however (Accutane I think it's called?). So, my doctor prescribed a topical medication. It works great; I no longer have any acne. One final thing to remember; typically, when treating breakouts, they get worse before they get better. Don't give up on a treatment right off the bat, as they typically 'bring out' underlying pimples, before beginning to actually get rid of them.
Over the counter skin care products don't do a thing for me. I used a sensitive cleanser regularly, toned, and moisturized and used spot treatments and still had viscious breakouts. Long story short I had to go to the dermatologist and get pills that cleared it up. The dermatologist lowered my dosage and I started having breakouts again. Guess I need stronger meds. : / Some people need chemical warfare apparently. But hopefully a normal skin care routine will do you justice. Cetaphil, astringent on a cotton ball, and a good moisturizer preferably with SPF in it if you're not allergic to it.
I use Avon Clearskin every now and then. The only other thing that goes on my skin is my bodywash (currently using Dove MenCare) And Shaving cream or soap.
washing your face every night and allying cream when its dry is the best way to start. I used to have really red cheeks, some people called me Pikachu, but it went away as I got older, something to do with blood vessiles growing under the skin
And if you are an athlete, your dried sweat can be good nutrition for some skin irritations. Washing to cleanse more frequently may help. I've noticed athletes during season seem to have more frequent more severe breakouts than they experience during periods when they are less active.
I'm not an athlete, but we've been doing home renovations and I have been sweating a good deal more than I usually do. My lifestyle could pretty much be described as sedentary. I work at a call center, sitting down all day, high stress, too. And my diet isnt the greatest, although I 'm working on changing that.
