Skin resolution #5 Stop Picking your face!

Ok this is a big one!

Before I became an aesthetician in 1999/2000....I was extremely guilty of this.

I picked. Poked. Dug. Scraped. Squeezed. I dug with tweezers. Needles. My fingers. I did it all.

Being that I struggled with acne since the age of 12....I was constantly in the mirror looking at my skin. 

I would shower and then examine. Pick. Squeeze. Pop. Scrap. Dig. Pull. Squeeze. And wreck absolute havoc on my face. I knew the next morning I would look like I had been hit in the face with a meat cleaver! Red...scabby...raw....scraped...swollen...awful.

No amount of makeup would ever cover the damage I had done to my skin.

In aesthetic school I learned the facts about what happens when you try to perform acne surgery at home. 

1. You are causing damage to your skin which can be permanent. Enlarging your pores permanently! Creating potential acne scars. Pits in your skin that can be irreversible. 

2. You are pressing and squeezing and increasing your chances of creating even more acne.

3. You are using dirty hands, fingernails, pins, needles, tweezers, hair pins etc. that are filthy and again creating more acne and damage to your skin.

4. The bacteria and "stuff" you are squeezing out of your face/skin can then cause you to have more acne by staying on your skin AND make the bumps you are squeezing have a longer and more difficult time healing. 

Ok so I hope all of that grossness makes you want to stop! 

Aestheticians... Have been trained in extractions and they know when to extract. When not to extract. How to extract without wrecking havoc on your skin. How to disinfect your skin. How to prevent more acne from occurring. 

This was what I did with ALL of my acne clients! 

Stop picking! Message me if you need acne help. 

I truly am an expert! 

Read more Here if you deal with the once a month acne.

Read more Here if you deal with adult acne.

Read This if you need an acne cleansing routine and you are fed up with stuff that doesn't work!

Read This and This if you don't know my acne story.

Makeup free unretouched photo.

The once a month acne....

I know a ton of women deal with the once a month hormonal acne. Some the week prior to their period, some the week of, and some the week after.

Here's a plan for you if this is the type of acne you are dealing with.

You are trying to PREVENT the acne from happening so you must pretreat!

Stick with your normal routine..or use mine here

Then the week prior to when you typically have your monthly breakout..start this routine.

Day and Night routine
Cleanse to remove all nightly treatments - wonderful makeup removing cleanser - removes everything!

Cleanse with a glycolic or salicylic cleanser - I prefer this glycolic cleanser or this salicylic cleanser. And this BPO cleanser to be used ONLY in the area where breakouts occur!! Massage gently into areas of concern - then rinse fully.

(If you are more dry or sensitive - use 1x a day if still too much use every other day 1x a day.

If more oily with more resistant acne - use twice a day everyday. Also for resistant type of acne use this brush system for mechanical exfoliation!!)

After cleansing use this salicylic toner with 100% cotton balls - all over skin - concentrating on the area where you acne happens. BE GENTLE - noo scrubbing!

Day - SPF is A MUST!!!  Especially when using salicylics and glycolics - THE BEST SPF FOR ACNE!!! Then makeup or you can leave for the day :) Or apply this foundation - mineral powder for extra protection and a great touch up powder thruout day!

Then in the evening - Follow same cleansing routine above.

When face is clean - pat dry never rub! Use your above toners - I use both - then you will use 5% BPO topical (if you have more resistant acne) or 2.5% BPO (which is for more sensitive dry types)...use ONLY on areas where you have acne - shoot for 1x per day in the evening only. If you become to peely dry or red BACK OFF. Only use every other day.

Use white sheets and towels or it will BLEACH them out - the BPO that is.

Adult acne

I have had to deal with acne since the age of 12.

It's not pretty. It's not fun to deal with. It has been very traumatizing. 

Read Here  and Here about my acne struggle. 

I have however learned how to deal with it. What works best to treat it. While yes I still sometimes have breakouts...Even though I do everything right...my skin is Sooo MUCH better than in my teens and 20's. 

I have to be extremely consistent with my acne routine...read Here about that.

So any time I go out of town I know that I am going to have a mild to moderate breakout. And this past trip to KY was no different.

Plus...hot weather equals acne always for me!

So I have tightened up my regular routine...leaving my bpo cleanser on longer which always helps...about 1 minute total.  Keeping my face clean and healthy!

Excellent for helping clear pores, blackheads, oiliness, acne....

To Buy my routine - Click Below

Eltamd UV Clear SPF 46 - no other SPF touches my face but this one!
Glytone Acne Cleanse
Obagi CLENZIderm

Perricone MD Firming Facial Toner

Topix Benzoyl Peroxide 5% Wash - leave on for 30 seconds - 1 full minute massaging into areas with problems

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser - the best makeup remover ever - removes eye makeup!

SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel - great in the HOT summer months - NO breakouts at all!!!! I use under eyes too - lasts for 6 months or longer...

Acne cleansing routine

One would think that everyone knows the right way to cleanse their face...but I have to say when I first married my sweet husband he did not.

He was using the same bar soap on his ENTIRE body and face.

Basically he was washing his face with what I like to call BUTT soap.

So I am here today to explain the importance of cleansing your face, neck, and chest with specific cleansers and not BUTT soap... and how to do it properly.

I have dealt with acne issues since being 12 years old....you can read  Here  and Here to find out more.

In the morning....AM routine

When I first wake in the am.  I splash my skin with water then use this AM and PM foaming makeup removing cleanser before breakfast ...wash off my retinol and bpo cleansing. Just warm water on clean hands with a dollop of cleanser. Lather well on my skin then rinse. Easy peasy!

Being that I'm a homeschool mommy I typically don't shower until after we have school. 

So then when that time comes I am still sans makeup so my routine is this..

Last part of my shower (making sure I am getting all of the conditioner etc of my face) I lather my
hands then face with this Glycolic cleanser I never use washcloths or scrubby puffs on my face..they 
are way to rough and can cause tiny microscopic tears in your skin....so I use just my hands. I lather my face from hairline all the way down my neck and chest. I leave this cleanser on for a few seconds 
then I wet my Cleansing brush and gentle use it to help penetrate the Glycolic cleanser onto my face, neck, and chest...it helps to cleanse a bit deeper helping cellular turnover.  Then I rinse it off completely. I also rinse the scrubbing head and allow it to dry right side up. 

Then I use just my hands with this BPO treatment cleanser I massage it onto my skin and leave it on for 30-45 seconds just on my face only as I don't get acne on my neck any longer. 

Viola! That's it! That's how I cleanse my skin in the am.

I then use this Salicylic toner And this Glycolic toner before I apply the Best SPF!  .... and makeup for the day.

In the evening....PM routine

I shower twice a day because I workout so frequently...so in the evening during my second shower of the day. I clip my hair up (as I only wash my hair once a day)....I wash my body first...then I use This cleanser to remove my makeup and sweat and grime. On clean hands I lather it up very well and in circular motions I lather from hairline all the way down my chest to 

remove everything. I then rinse it off completely. 

( I like to use a cleanser that removes all eye makeup as well because I am a firm believer in touching your eye area as little as possible. I believe all of the tugging and rubbing of the eye area causes wrinkles around the eyes. Sooo....I use one cleanser to remove everything at once including eye makeup and mascara.) 

Then I do the exact same thing again... I use This cleanser  twice to make sure I remove every last smudge of makeup. Rinse. 

Then I use my  Glycolic cleanser again without the brush this time. Just a nice lathering gentle from hairline to chest area...leave on for a minute of so...gently lathering into skin. Rinse.

Lastly I use my BPO cleanser same way skipping the chest. Leaving on for a minute or so. 

Massaging into skin. Rinse.

Then I use Glycolic toner And  Salicylic toner separately...saturating with cotton balls sweeping from hairline to neck to chest.

I then apply my  Retinol to my forehead, and any hyperpigmentation areas, a small amount to my neck and chest....and my bpo topical treatment on my cheeks and nose. (Don't use retinols and bpo in same areas as they cancel each other out).

I can do this entire routine in about 5 minutes. Well worth it!

The above routine is for acne and oily skin types.

For wrinkled, major sun damaged, dry, and mature skins you routines will be different.

How I finally "fixed" my acne and oiliness Part 2

I learned so much working with the most knowledgable physicians and fellow aestheticians. I learned how to use hair removal lasers..  how to treat rosacea, spider veins, hyperpigmentation, how to  use every kind of Glycolic, salicylic, jessner, enzyme peel solution, speed wax, brows, bikini wax, leg and back wax, treat acne, oily skin, dryness, wrinkles, how to give facials...the list goes on and on...

I also learned that Accutane does not last forever and that I needed another round of at least 6 months to really fix my skin...to permanently shrink my oil glands...yes permanently! Or I was going to have acne for life. So I did just that...6 months full round of Accutane as a licensed aesthcian. It was not as bad as the first time. Being that I was wayyy more knowledgable about dryness..the I importance of water...and nutrition....

After the 6 months....the peeling the incredible dryness...the nose bleeds...the blood work....it seemed as if I was cured...

Now I needed to find a way to keep my acne at bay...I needed a consistent daily home routine...

I was lucky in that I was able to try out every product that I used on clients on myself first. And I figured  out a routine that worked for me. I realized that home skin care is more important that just getting a peel once a week.

The light bulb moment was.....

realizing I had to treat my acne BEFORE it actually erupted. I had to pre treat it...I had to 
prevent it from happening.

I am thankful that after approximately 23 years of dealing with pimples I can officially say I am acne free. Have been for about 8 years now. While yes, I still have a breakout every now and then...I am very happy with the look of my skin.

Here's my routine: 

Daily makeup grime sweat removing foaming cleanser
Cleanser 2x a day

BPO cleanser 2x a day....life changer!
Salicylic toner 2x a day

Glycolic toner
bpo topical treatment

Retinol at night

Best SPF ever!! Every single day!!

My secret....Foundation SPF for daily glow!!!!!!

How I finally "fixed" my acne and oiliness Part 1

I started having acne when I was 12.

I suffered for the majority of my life with acne. Blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, oiliness, cysts...you name it I have had them all. I started seeing a dermatologist at 12 followed by dozens more...with the same routine...buff puffs, retin a, harsh scrubs, and a round of tetracycline. 

I started frying myself in the sun and tanning bed around age 14 thinking it would help my skin clear. Which it didn't and I was left with worse acne...which was now super red, peeling, dry, and scars from all of the tanning plus harsh meds I was on PLUS hyper pigmentation from the old heeling acne that was now burned and tan and now more acne...

It was a vicious cycle.

Tan, burn, peel, acne, red, dry, more acne, more peeling....

Not to mention the havoc I was wrecking on myself from picking....poking...digging..squeezing...

My skin looked like raw meat for so many years. 

As you can see here...overly tan..red...trying to hide my acne.

You can read Here about my past tanning habit.

And Here how I now safely self tan instead. 

After I finally stopped tanning I still had acne. 

Cystic acne came in college for me...oh the joy!  Plus all the rest of still stayed with me....

At this point I had been to countless dermatologists, tried every product, every makeup, and nothing seemed to work. 

I then heard about the very serious drug Accutane. It was 1996.  I discussed it with my then Derm and I went on a 4 month round of Accutane. It was Sooo amazing!, My skin had never been clearer! It was the miracle I had been looking for! Within just a few short weeks my oiliness had completely gone, all my zits were gone, blackheads gone, cysts gone....everything gone! I loved it! I was finally able to not think about my skin!

Yes I had a bloody nose daily from Accutane. Yes, my lips were so dry if I went without Chapstick for 30 minutes it was a catastrophe. Yes, I had to drive 2 hours every other week to have blood drawn to make sure my lipids were ok and that my cholesterol had not raised (it was elevated one time...) 

BUT I HAD CLEAR SKIN!

Which lasted about 2 years post Accutane...and then it came back. 

So I started having Glycolic acid peels at my Derm office (this was back when insurance paid for them)....they would keep me clear for a couple of weeks and then I would break out again. I did this routine for a couple of years. 

But my skin was still very oily, many blackheads, not as many cysts, but still a ton of just gross zits all over.  Makeup was out of the question...everything broke me out! Everything! I tried powders, minerals, liquids, expensive, cheap...I read articles, books, magazines...anything I could to help me but nothing helped! 

So in 1999 I went to Paramedical Aesthetics (medical skin care) School.  I wanted to learn as much as I could about acne. I wanted to solve and fix my own skin as well as help others.  

I loved Aesthetics School. It was so wonderful! I learned so much about the health and integrity of skin. I learned how to wax eye brows...I met dear friends...

I finished school and went to work that very same day at a spa. 

Since then I have had the pleasure to work in different realms in the skin world..... I was the head of aesthetics for the Vanderbilt Cosmetic Surgery Center, I worked for Élan Skin and Laser Center, I have worked with dermatologists, plastic surgeons, fantastic innovative aestheticians...I worked for Wax Nashville...I have been a licensed Aesthetician for over 15 years.