Exfoliation for acne

Exfoliation is a process of removing dead cells from the surface of the skin and is particularly important to maintain skin health. Human skin normally replaces old dead cells on the surface by new young cells that come up from the deep dermis. Without exfoliation, dead cells tend to get deposited on skin surface clogging pores, thereby producing blackheads and acne. Thus, exfoliation has been practised by cultures from thousands of years ago and this has been the primary method of removing dirt and dead cells from skin to prevent acne and other skin infections.
Exfoliation can be achieved by physical or chemical methods. Physical maneuvers involve manually rubbing off the dirt and dead cells by friction. This can be achieved by using scrubs which contain micro particles that with manual rubbing dislodge dead cells from the skin surface. Methods like microdermabrasion practised by estheticians also rely on the same friction to clear of layers of dead cells from the skin. However, people with acne or inflamed skin actually do not benefit much from such procedures. In fact, they end up with more severe skin rashes and acute acne conditions as a result of excessive skin irritations produced by friction. Thus, scrubs that are popular for use with acne-prone skin (good examples are apricot scrub or walnut shell scrub) actually do more harm than good. Recent inventions in skin care products have replaced manual scrubbing by sonic facial brush that works electrically producing vibrations and users can can choose different brush heads from delicate to less gentler ones to scrub their face. This procedure although produced significantly good results for some resistant (on the thicker side) skin types, has been a disaster on the sensitive skin types. People having acne or more severe skin condition like rosacea should never use sonic face brush, as the most delicate brush can also damage or rupture inflamed skin and exacerbate the acne situation.
It is no denying the fact that in order to prevent acne, exfoliation is indeed needed. However, in case of sensitive skins types or people already suffering from acne or rosacea, more appropriate exfoliating would be the chemical exfoliates. These are often organic acids or enzymes that loosen up the dirt and dead cells stuck to the surface of the skin and wash them away. Some of the commonly used chemical exfoliates are the alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), glycolic acids, salicylic acids etc. Most of them are extracted from fruit sources and hence are less harmful. Depending on the condition and health of the skin, dermatologists sometimes recommend retinoic acid (Tretinoin), adapalene or tazarotene. These agents are gentle and does not require friction but are known to make the skin dry. Using a moisturizer after using these exfoliates have produced better results. However, any product that causes irritation and discomfort should at once be discontinued.The best way to choose the most effective exfoliation for a particular skin type is to consult the dermatologist and weigh the pros and cons before applying that to the skin.


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Understanding your acne

There is a common misconception that acne is only a problem of women.The truth is in fact that young males have acne more commonly than women and also for a longer time.This may be due to the presence of high amount of testosterone in men.So acne is a problem that affects both the men and women.

Acne is cause by hormones and your skin inability to rid its self of old dead skin cells,this is individual and due  mostly  to hereditary. the fluctuating  hormones  usually starts in early teens. The hormone androgen is produced at a high rate during the teenage years, creating larger sebaceous glands that are overactive. During this time, the skin areas around the face, chest and back are very prone to developing acne. Acne can also start as late as 24 or even 30, 60% of all  adult women experience blemishes or moderate acne.adult acne and  is mostly found to form around the chin and jaw line, this can be more painful and the acne will last longer for an adult due to the fact that  the older your are the slower your skin's cells sheds . On the other hand there are more teens with acne found around the hair line and on the forehead. this can be caused by sweat, hats, hair products or even oils from the hair. tight fitting clothes can cause back or chest acne by trapping sweat with bacteria.. Acne starts with in the skins pores, or hair follicles becoming clogged. Oil gets trapped in the follicle and then will build up and form a blemish.  the dead skins cells that are continually being shed getting stuck together inside a pore, creating a plug. Since oil, or sebum is being produced on a regular basis to keep your skin from being dried out, the oil will get trapped in the clogged pores, causing the acne.

 The rate of shedding old skin cells is very individual,some people's skin will not shed dead cells evenly that's went the cells become overly sticky  trapping the oil and bacteria, they form a plug called a comedo.You can make this condition even worse by over washing your face, using the wrong skin care, make-up, picking at your skin,excessive sun,stress is a big one, stress raises the levels of hormones and cortisol along with  this  stress slows the  healing of acne. study have  also shown that foods with high levels of hormones can cause severe acne  flare-ups. foods such as .nuts,shell fish, soy sauce, to much salt or  milk, especially low fat milk  the  cause  being  that low fat milk contains higher amount of hormones..

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NEW INFORMATION FOR ROSACEA SKINS

Rosacea is a chronic condition of the skin that cause reddening of the skin and may cause swelling and skin sores that look like acne. This condition is frequently encountered in fair skinned women within an age range of 30-50 yrs although men when affected, may have more severe symptoms. Simple rosacea has been described as swelling of blood vessels underneath the skin of the face leading to the observed reddening, however, most of the time it is associated with secondary skin complications like acne, seborrhea and may be eye disorders like blepharitis. Patients with rosacea blush easily. They often feel a burning or stinging sensation in their face. To make things ugly, a lot of spider like veins may appear called telangiecstasia of the face. In worse situations, they additionally have acne like skin sores that may ooze or crust. While this is medically described as 'not harmful', it is definitely embarrassing for the affected individual and particularly when there is no known cure for this condition. Health care practitioners have been treating these symptoms by recommending patients to avoid sun exposure, reduce stress, limit spicy foods and alcohol etc. They often prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary infections that may aggravate the situation. However, up until now, there has not been any evidence that bacteria could be the causative agent of this condition. Antibiotics prescribed for rosacea, for example, tetracycline, minocycline or doxycycline, are believed to address the acne associated with rosacea. Physicians are of the opinion that rosacea is not acne and will not be cured by over the counter acne medications or antibiotics. Notwithstanding this fact, patients have observed significant improvement of their conditions when treated with antibiotics. Scientific explanation to this observation was lacking until recently, when a review article published from the National University of Ireland concluded that there could be a bacteria connection to the problem. In the study, what they found is that, bacteria that live within tiny mites residing in the skin may function as a trigger to rosacea. This is the first time scientists have talked about a bacterial trigger to rosacea. Sun exposure, outdoor activity in hot weather, wind, hot bath, cold weather, specific skincare products and a lot of other ever-increasing list of factors have been traditionally considered as triggers for rosacea. However, there seemed to exist a disconnect between the observed improvement with antibiotic treatment and the believed absence of bacterial involvement as a cause of rosacea. This recent paper in the Journal of Medical Microbiology (published August 30, 2012) summarizes findings that identify a mite species Demodex folliculorum, a normal fauna of the mammalian skin, to be harboring bacteria that might be responsible for causing symptoms of rosacea. These are parasitic mites commonly known as face mites and when present in large numbers can cause demodicosis. They normally reside near the hair follicles and their population density is greater near the cheeks, nose, eyebrows, eyelashes and forehead - areas mostly affected in rosacea. These mites are normally harmless however, one theory is that they contribute to hair loss. Their number increases as we age. Previous research has shown that persons with rosacea have more of these mites than normal individuals and the mites isolated from their skin harbor a species of bacteria identified as Bacillus oleronius. This finding, if true, may revolutionize treatment as this bacteria is found to be susceptible to some of the antibiotics used to treat rosacea. This probably explains why rosacea patients seemed to respond to antibiotics even though the conventional wisdom remained that bacteria is not the causative agent. Another bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermis has also been found from the pustules of the rosacea patients. While this research is promising and definitely going in the right direction to improve the prognosis of rosacea, more evidence will be needed to confirm that these bacteria are indeed the causative agents of rosacea and not coming from any secondary sources but from the face mites. Pharmaceutical companies are keeping a close eye on the current findings although, more publications in the same line of study are needed to confirm these initial observations.

Are scrubs really good for all skin types?

Exfoliation is a process of removing dead cells from the surface of the skin and is particularly important to maintain skin health. Human skin normally replaces old dead cells on the surface by new young cells that come up from the deep dermis. Without exfoliation, dead cells tend to get deposited on skin surface clogging pores, thereby producing blackheads and acne. Thus, exfoliation has been practised by cultures from thousands of years ago and this has been the primary method of removing dirt and dead cells from skin to prevent acne and other skin infections.
Exfoliations can be achieved by physical or chemical methods. Physical manouevres involve manually rubbing off the dirt and dead cells by friction. This can be achieved by using scrubs which contain micro particles that with manual rubbing dislodge dead cells from the skin surface. Methods like microdermabrasion practised by aestheticians also rely on the same friction to clear of layers of dead cells from the skin. However, people with acne or inflamed skin actually do not benefit much from such procedures. In fact, they end up with more severe skin rashes and acute acne conditions as a result of excessive skin irritations produced by friction. Thus, scrubs that are popular for use with acne-prone skin (good examples are apricot scrub or walnut shell scrub) actually do more harm than good. Recent inventions in skin care products have replaced manual scrubbing by sonic facial brush that works electrically producing vibrations and users can can choose different brush heads from delicate to less gentler ones to scrub their face. This procedure although produced significantly good results for some resistant (on the thicker side) skin types, has been a disaster on the sensitive skin types. People having acne or more severe skin condition like rosacea should never use sonic face brush, as the most delicate brush can also damage or rupture inflamed skin and exacerbate the acne situation.
It is no denying the fact that in order to prevent acne, exfoliation is indeed needed. However, in case of sensitive skins types or people already suffering from acne or rosacea, more appropriate exfoliant would be the chemical exfoliants. These are often organic acids or enzymes that loosen up the dirt and dead cells stuck to the surface of the skin and wash them away. Some of the commonly used chemical exfoliants are the alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), glycolic acids, salicylic acids etc. Most of them are extracted from fruit sources and hence are less harmful. Depending on the condition and health of the skin, dermatologists sometimes recommend retinoic acid (Tretinoin), adapalene or tazarotene. These agents are gentle and does not require friction but are known to make the skin dry. Using a moisturizer after using these exfoliants have produced better results. However, any product that causes irritation and discomfort should at once be discontinued.T

How do i Deal with hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is darkening of skin due to excess melanin secretion - a skin disorder that could be due to sun exposure, hormones,skin inflammation (acne) or injuries. Human skin has specialized cells called melanocytes that are capable of making and secreting 'melanin', a pigment that is also present in the retina of our eyes and our hair. Melanin has the unique capability to absorb UV radiation and in doing so, prevents the harmful effects of sun exposure. UV radiation causes damage to our DNA, producing harmful mutations thereby increasing the risks of skin cancer. Thus, it is a normal biological urgency of our body to produce more melanin in response to sun exposure causing a tan. Normally, this affects equally to all skin types including Asian, mediterranean or African skin tones. However, when melanin is produced excessively, it may cause hyperpigmentation. In this case, skin may show dark spots or patches, often intensifying already existing freckles. However, some people having mutations in MITF, a particular gene of the melanin biosynthetic pathway, do not get darker tan when exposed to sun. These people are called the 'redheads' who run the risk of skin cancer more than the rest of us.
Skin darkening or hyperpigmentation can also occur due to some physiological conditions or diseases. Addison's disease and Cushing's disease are good examples. Melasma where hyperpigmented spots are found in pregnant women can be another example. Whatever be the cause, the current treatment of these conditions are often the same. Skin ointments containing bleaching chemicals like alpha -hydroxy acids are effective over a long period of time. Other chemicals and/or botanicals are also in use for treatment of hyperpigmentation. Hydroquinone, kojic acid, azelaic acid are some of them. Tretinoin cream or retinoic acid is also effective under certain circumstances where pigmentation is due to acne. Some anti-aging skin formulations also brightens up dark skin due to the presence of anti-oxidants in them that prevent skin damage from stress induced by free radicals.
However, the best way to deal with hyperpigmentation from sun exposure is to prevent it in the first place. Sun screen lotions that has a higher SPF, protects skin from UV exposure, thereby reducing skin's response with excess melanin secretion. This not only prevents excessive skin darkening but also prevents DNA damage in the skin cells thereby lowering the risk of skin cancer.  

Finding the right make-up for acne skin

When you are prone to acne, the last thing you want to do is use products that will make your condition worse. That is why you should know what ingredients are in the make-up and other products you use on your skin on a daily basis. If you have problems with acne around your hairline, you should also be checking your shampoo and conditioner ingredients.

Harmful Ingredients

Knowing what is in your cosmetics that is causing your acne woes can be a bit confusing since many products claim to be non-Comedogenic, but in fact have ingredients that are pore clogging. That is why you must know the list of separate ingredients that can cause your skin problems so that you can check for yourself.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is very Comedogenic , and there are a lot of botanical or natural oils such as cocoa butter, coconut oil and coconut butter that will also clog your pores. Other ingredients that can be pore clogging are Algae Extract, Laureth 4, Myristyl Myristrate, Potassium Chloride, Isocetyl Stearate, Oleth-3, Red Algae and Sodium Chloride, among others.
Make-Ups For Acne Prone Skin

So, what are some things that you can use for your acne prone skin? Some people will tell you there is really nothing you can use if you don't want to help your acne flare up. However, as there are many with this problem who still want to wear make-up, there are a few things that have been proven to be alright to use by experience, or at least not cause as much of a breakout as usual.

Some people say that the Bare Minerals products produce a much less severe breakout. Others stand by products with natural ingredients, such as the Tarte or Korres's Products found at Sephora. Also, the Physician's Formula cosmetics are not supposed to hurt your skin or cause breakouts.

Everyone's skin is different, and if you are prone to acne you will want to first research all of the ingredients that could cause your pores to clog before purchasing any cosmetics. You can very easily cause yourself more blemishes by using the wrong products, so taking the time to do a bit of research first can keep you from making your acne problems worse.PDI Sani-Cloth Plus - Large - 1920 ct. - Specialized Skin Care (Google Affiliate Ad)

PURE ESSENTIALS OILS

The term oil in 'essential oils' is not truly accurate, but it is a traditional term.

Essential oils are very volatile fragrances that easily evaporate and greatly differ in character from oils such as olive or safflower oil. Essential oils, derived from plant extracts, are complex mixtures of plant-produced chemicals. Essential lavender oil contains more than fifty plant-produced chemicals.

Pure essential oils are expensive and must be obtained from reputable sources. Adulteration of essential oils is very common since a product like rose oil yields just 0.2% essential oil.

While the finest natural French lavender oils harvested in the Haute Provence are up to 70% linalyl acetate, many lavender oils from France have higher levels of linalyl acetate. However, such oil is fortified with synthetic products and may have no traces of natural lavender. Sandalwood oil can be adulterated with diverse oils such as castor, palm and linseed.

Essential oils are remarkably free of side effects - which is reflected by their long use by humans. Some people may have allergies to oils such as cinnamon oil and juniper berry oil..

The best pheromone products consist of pure essential oils! below is a link to a beautiful natural line of healthy beauty products

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How acne begins

Most everyone has had to deal with acne at some point in some form, usually as teens. Even with good skin care, you can find that you still can get breakouts, and depending on the type of acne it can be very troublesome. So, what causes these outbreaks, anyway?

 Acne Begins

Acne starts with the skins pores, or hair follicles become clogged. Oil gets trapped in the follicle and will build up and form a blemish. Acne is form from the dead skins cells that are continually being shed getting stuck together inside a pore, creating a plug. Since oil, or sebum is being produced on a regular basis to keep your skin from being dried out, the oil will get trapped in the clogged pores, causing the acne.
 The rate of shedding old skin cells is very individual,some people's skin will not shed dead cells evenly that's went the cells become overly sticky  trapping the oil and bacteria, they form a plug called a comedo.

.Causes of Acne

Blemish skin  is caused due to fluctuating  hormones. The hormone androgen is produced at a high rate during the teenage years, creating larger sebaceous glands that are overactive. During this time, the skin areas around the face, chest and back are very prone to developing acne.


Why Treatment is Necessary

Severe acne, such as inflammatory acne, will produce nodules and pustules which are large and deep. If left untreated, acne like this can create bad scarring. Acne can also be very painful, troublesome and embarrassing, so for your overall health and self-esteem it is important to make sure you treat it, especially if you have inflammatory acne which can be a long-term condition that causes a lot of problems for you.

If you have problem skin, you will want the advice of a trained acne specialist if you believe you have this type of acne because they can best help you with a plan for treatment. You can choose a  Doctor or Esthetician , but no matter which professioal you choose it is important you make sure they have the specialized training to deal with  acne.

Treating your Acne

Acne can be a very unpleasant and embarrassing condition. Just when you least expect, those whiteheads will rear their ugly heads. Treatment can be confusing, especially if you do not know the differences between inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne.

Non-Inflammatory Acne

This is the most common type of acne you will see. People often refer to it has having blackheads or whiteheads. You get a blackhead when the hair follicle is open, but the oil that is clogging the pore is darkened from it being exposed to the air. A whitehead is seen when the pore is closed off.

This type of acne is usually mild acne and can be treated with over the counter treatments, which are designed to get rid of the oil that is causing the breakout. Once the oil is gone, the acne will clear up. Having a good skin care routine will help from future breakouts.

Inflammatory Acne

Inflammatory acne is caused by a reaction of the body to a proposed threat. The problem here is usually bacteria, and the inflammation occurs producing red skin color, raised temperature of skin in the infected area and swelling. Inflammatory acne can be seen in three different types of lesions.

This type of acne is more difficult to treat, as it forms cysts and nodules underneath the skin which don't respond well to topical treatments. You will need to visit your doctor who can relieve the swelling by injecting corticosteroids into the infected area. When the swelling dies down, then topical treatments can be applied.

As discouraging as having acne can be, knowing which kind you have and how to treat it correctly will make your life much easier in your battle with acne.