Acne Attack: How to Prevent Future Breakouts Without Spending a Penny

 

Acne breakouts can really be a cost to your financial wellness – not to mention your self-confidence. However, you can protect your emotional wellbeing against future breakouts without spending a penny. According to anti-ageing wellness expert Angela Ayles, ‘Acne breakouts often occur because of changes you’ve made to your daily routine. Maybe you’ve started using a different laundry detergent, shampoo, face cream or soap. These are often the biggest culprits of an acne breakout.’ As well as identifying the reason behind your acne – and eliminating the culprit – here are seven things you can do to prevent breakouts.

 

1. Choose Acne-Friendly Makeup: Ayles explains, ‘The makeup you use (and how much you use) has a big impact on the health of your skin. If you’re prone to breakouts, look for products that say “non-comedogenic” on the label. This means that the product is specifically designed not to clog your pores. Clogged pores are one of the leading causes of breakouts.’

 

2. Change Your Pillow Case Every Week: ‘Forget the $50 bottle of acne cream you’ve been purchasing every month,’ Ayles enthuses. ‘Changing your pillow case is a proven method for preventing breakouts. All of the sweat, dirt and makeup from your face is seeping into your pillow every night. If you don’t wash your pillow cases regularly you’re basically planting your face on a pillow of sweat and dirt for eight hours. Washing your cases will give your face the fresh rest it needs at the end of the day.’

 

3. Moisturise: Ayles notes, ‘If you’ve turned to acne products to control your outbreaks (which most of you probably have), the importance of moisturising becomes a key component in keeping your breakouts at bay. Most acne products contain ingredients that dry out the skin, thus, moisturising immediately after is critical. Make sure you hydrate your skin with water before applying the moisturiser.’

 

4. Review Your Shampoo: ‘Have you noticed that you’ve been breaking out a lot more than usual lately?’ Ayles asks. ‘You might want to check your shampoo. Shampoos and conditioners with a lot fragrance and chemicals can irritate skin and cause breakouts on your forehead, jaw, neck and back. Considering using non-fragrance products (or all-natural products) and always make sure you rinse the shampoo out of your hair completely before washing your face in the shower.’

 

5. Stop Touching Your Face: ‘This might seem like common sense but keeping your hands away from your face is harder than you think,’ says Ayles. ‘If you’re sitting in class or at work, chances are your head is resting on your hands and your fingers are running up your cheeks. These movements can cause irritation and spark a breakout. Keeping your hands and fingers off your face will keep it clean and healthy and help eliminate future breakouts.’

 

6. Check Your Laundry Detergent: Ayles points out, ‘Much like shampoos, laundry detergents can be a huge culprit when it comes to breakouts. If you’re experiencing more breakouts than normal it could very well have to do with the ingredients in your detergent. Many soaps contain harsh chemicals and fragrances that can irritate skin (especially when you use towels to dry your face). Try switching to a non-fragrance detergent or one with more natural ingredients and see if you’re breakouts start to fade.’

 

7. Go Easy on the Makeup: Ayles advises, ‘This may be hard for some girls (especially those in high school) but lightening up on the makeup will almost certainly help control your breakouts. Not only are the ingredients in most makeup products bad for your skin but applying makeup means touching your face, which can lead to a breakout. If you must wear makeup, try adding a dab of liquid foundation to an all-natural moisturiser which will help hydrate the skin instead of drying it out.’

Categories: acne, make up, moisturiser

Look Younger and Fresher with Our Top Make-Up Tips and Picks

No matter what you do to enhance your anti-ageing wellness, no one is going to notice if you get your make-up wrong. Much in the same way that you don’t carry around your prized possessions in a bin bag, your packaging needs to reflect the gorgeousness that’s going on underneath. After all, you’re making all that effort to take care of your wellbeing, why let bad foundation get in the way? The colours and formulas you put on your face have an immediate impact on how fresh you look. However, according to Sandy Linter, a New York City celebrity makeup artist for Lancôme, ‘With the right products and application tricks, you’ll appear younger.’

 

1. Diffuse fine lines: If you’re already slathering on the moisturiser, you might think you have no need for primer, but you’d be wrong. Linter explains, ‘Primers, unlike moisturizers, have smoothing silicones that fill in and soften lines, so your skin naturally reflects light and glows,’ and primers also help your foundation to glide on more evenly, which is especially crucial if you have dry skin. You get double points for using a primer with collagen-boosting amino peptides, such as CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless serum primer.

 

2. Even out your skin: If you have the odd blemish or unsightly area – such as a sun spot, dark circles or red patch – you may be tempted to fix these problems with concealer, before you move on to your foundation. However, Linter recommends that you ‘reach for foundation first. Then go in with concealer and target what needs more coverage.’ Make sure your foundaton is formulated for ageing skin and is packed with hydrating properties – Korres Quercetin & Oak Anti-ageing foundation is a good choice. Linter continues, ‘Once your skin is evened out, you’ll be surprised at how much less cover-up you need to use.’ Pat a non-too-liquidy concealer (such as Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment) right where you need it, but don’t rub it in – you don’t want to cake in your fine lines.

 

3. Think pink: When it comes to your lips, you need a lipstick that contains hydrating ingredients like shea butter and glycerin. New York dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD, notes that this is because ‘Skin on lips is thin and lacks oil glands, making lines more noticeable.’ For the best colour, Linter argues that a soft but punchy pink ‘flatters all skin tones.’ If you go for Chanel Rouge Coco Shine sheer lipshine in Romance, you get the added bonus of moisturising ceramides.

 

4. Ol’ Blue Eyes: Black eyeliner is a staple in most women’s make-up bags, but an eye-brightening teal can take years off. Brian Duprey, a makeup artist in New York City, argues, ‘Vivid shades give just a hint of colour, not an obvious line,’ and Youngblood Incredible Wear gel liner in Lagoon contains vitamin E to condition lashes.

 

5. Pretty in plum: For your eyelids, you don’t have to stick to boring beiges and browns – why not try a nice plum colour? Duprey advises, ‘If you want to go beyond neutrals on your eyes, try a shade of purple. It’s hands down the most wearable color for all skin tones.’ Neutrogena Crease Proof eye shadow in Stay-Put Plum is worth a go.

 

6. Go nude, but sparkle: Fusco points out that ‘Dark circles can cast a shadow over your entire eye area,’ which is why you need a light-reflective under eye concealer, such as the one from Temptu.

 

7. Rosy cheeks: A creamy blusher in enlivening shades of pink can help you to hang on to that fresh glow. Try L’Oréal Paris Visible Lift Colour Lift blush in Rose Gold.

Categories: anti ageing, concealer, Fine Lines, foundation, make up, makeup artist, nbsp, products, skin, skin tones, techniques, york city

Makeover Magic: Five Steps to Looking Fresh in Your Forties

It’s already fairly sickening when you see actresses like Cameron Diaz or Gwenyth Paltrow effortlessly float up and down the red carpet, looking stunning, but when you realise that they’re both in their 40s, you can’t help but think; “how do they do it?” Your 40s is the first time you really start to think about anti-ageing wellness, and the best place to start is with your skin.

The skin around the eyes is the first to show signs of ageing, but fortunately make-up can help your skin look younger and fresher. You may not have your own team of beauty experts like Cameron and Gwenyth, but you can still apply make-up in a way that makes the skin and features of your face appear more youthful. Remember, it all comes down to the selection of make-up cosmetics and appropriate colours, but here are a few extra tips to set you in the right direction.

1. Pluck superfluous hair around the eyebrows before you apply make-up, and use a light, moisturising lotion. Then use a concealer for obvious age spots or blemishes.

2. Light, matte, creamy foundations should become your new best friend, as your skin becomes drier with age. There’s a bit of a skill to applying foundation which comes with trial and error. First, apply a foundation which is lighter than your normal skin colour over any dark spots or patches. Then, put your main foundation over your whole face – the colour of the main foundation should be as close to your natural skin tone as possible.

3. Don’t overdo it with the loose powder, as powder tends to settle in the lines on the skin. You’re trying to achieve a softer look, so use some cotton wool to dust off excess powder.

4. Black can be a harsh colour on older skin, so soften up your look with brown eye pencils or liners, or try applying brown shadow over black eyeliner. Lighter, softer colours are crucial in maintaining a younger look.

5. For lips, avoid very light or very dark colours, and use a lip pencil in the same shade as your lipstick to give more regularity to your lips. Use the pencil first to redefine the shape of your lips, and then use a lipstick brush to fill in the colour.

Categories: 40s, foundation, make up