DEALING WITH HORMONAL BREAKOUTS : PART II
Last week I detailed my experience of suffering from hormonal acne, and with it a skincare lineup tailored to meet the requirements of angry and inflamed skin. See here for the cleansers, exfoliants, and treatments which I reach for when my skin is at its worse, and which, no matter how bad the problem, always shine through. Today however, expect a one-stop edit of the products which I really rate in helping to repair, protect, and hydrate my skin after a particularly nasty hormonal flare up....
REPAIRRacinne Ultimate Aqua Blanc Concentrate* : I came to the end of this bottle a few months back, after it being a staple within my evening skincare routine. One of those rare and wonderful products which seems to make a difference within a matter of days, it contains a high concentration of niacinamide, which helps to erase discolouration, as well as aloe vera and cucumber to cool aggravated skin. Jurlique Purely Bright Spot Treatment* : I'm really sad to see that this product has been discontinued but I wanted to include it anyway on the off-chance that you might still be able to get hold of a tube [if not then accept my sincerest apologies and allow me to point you in the direction of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, which works on a very similar basis, with a little less strength and slightly more emphasis upon preventing blemishes]. Within a matter of days of introducing this into my routine I noticed an immediate difference in the appearance of my pigmentation; the ingredient list features some serious [brightening] stuff, and it's lovely and cooling upon application. Codage Serum N2* : Whilst the above two serums predominantly focus upon clearing up the discolouration left behind by hormonal breakouts, here is one to utilise whilst you're in the midst of one. This luxe take on an anti-blemish treatment is a do-it-all comfort blanket for sore and angry skin. It automatically triggers the process of rebuilding and regrowth which sees inflammation calmed and blemishes reduced in size overnight, whilst repairing the skin from deep inside the cells in order to prevent scarring. Meanwhile powerful anti-bacterial ingredients prevent contamination [which would prolong the treatment process].
PROTECTEve Lom Daily Protection SPF 50* : Anyone intent on fading the red marks or scars left behind by hormonal acne should have a high factor SPF within their skincare artillery. Regardless of brand or budget, it's a no-brainer for two reasons. The first being that if you're tackling your breakouts via chemical exfoliation [one of the best and quickest ways to do so [see last week's post]] your skin is a lot more vulnerable to sun damage. The second? Exposure to the sun kills off collagen, the skin's homegrown reparative. A lack of collagen will therefore slow down the skin's process of repair and give those pesky scars more time to take up permanent residence on your cheeks.
MOISTURISELa Roche-Posay Serozinc : With just three ingredients to its name and 100000 times as many reviews floating about the Internet, it's easy to label this iconic blue can as a 'blogger fad'. Truth be told, if you're looking for a single product to clear up your complexion then this is not the one. Where it truly shines is when it comes to dealing with those patches of super-sized nasty red blemishes; the zenith of the hormonal breakout, which no amount of concealer can camouflage. It's cooling and refreshing [which as anyone who suffers from such flare-ups will know, is a godsend], and most importantly, is rich in zinc; a powerful anti-inflammatory which soothes and calms even the angriest of breakouts. Verso Night Cream* : Cell renewal peaks at night time, so a night cream which aids the process as well as providing a boost of intensive overnight moisture is essential. The entire Verso range is formulated with Retinol-8; supposedly a slightly more virtuous take on standard retinol and with a significantly higher collagen count. Any skincare connoisseur will be aware that retinoids are commonly given a bad name [supposedly too much can cause redness and increase the effects of sun damage], but also that they are commonly prescribed to acne sufferers. The reason being? They're rich in Vitamin A and collagen, both of which help to reduce inflammation and are particularly effective when decreasing hormonal pigmentation. Eve Lom Brightening Cream* : This cream launches at the end of the month, but has become a firm favourite in my stash in recent weeks [in fact I've used nothing but this, both day and night since it arrived]. A cream which aims to both correct pigmentation and bestow the skin with a radiant glow was always going to go down well in my books, and true to form Eve Lom have nailed it. I'm still marvelling at how fast my scars have faded since delving into this jar.
The hawk-eyed amongst you may note that I did promise to discuss dietary tweaks in today's post; but after the paragraph I had planned turned into an essay, I decided to postpone said tome for another day. Watch this space...
Which products do you reach for in the aftermath of a hormonal breakout?
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