Bye Bye Stressed, Acne Prone Skin!

As I approach by 27th year on this earth, I would have hoped by now that my problematic skin would have been left far behind me along with my Nokia 3310 and other useless shiz.  Alas, I find myself on the wrong side of 25 with skin which has to be fair, improved since my teens but still has major teenage tantrums when I least want it to.

Today's post should hopefully be a helpful post for those in the same boat as me - in their twenties but still suffering.  I thought I would take one product from each category i.e. face mask, spot treatment in order to give a good spectrum of products which I like to use during these not so nice times.

First up I'm going to talk about something I like using on the inside before I talk about which products I use on the outside.  

I have recently discovered Caroline Herons' blog (which you will love if you are a big fan of skincare) and she was talking about a product (I cannot remember which) but she suggested that if you suffer from acne cysts (which I regularly do) then you should be taking a zinc supplement.  

I have had very good results by taking a zinc supplement but I do not want to be recommending this product in any way as I am not qualified to.  If you feel you could be lacking in zinc, making some changes to your diet would be a good first step and if this does not give you the desired result, I would suggest making an appointment at your GP.  Here's a helpful link about Zinc including uses and side effects.

So if you're not sure about supplements then the La Roche-Posay Serozinc should be a better alternative to help get a little (0.1%) zinc into your skin.  I have found this toner the best product for clearing up acne cysts and I use this regularly (always at night, sometimes in the morning) and always have good results.  You can spray this fine water based mist directly onto the skin and leave to absorb (which is does very quickly) or you could put this into a cotton wool pad and gently wipe all over face.  I have a in-depth review on why I love this stuff here so check it out for more information. 

In terms of what I like to use day-to-day as a topical 'all rounder' solution La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] is a great product for helping with spot prone skin.  It is formulated especially for oily and blemish prone skin to help unclog pores which is going to help get rid of blemishes but unlike most products, its job doesn't stop there.  This product will help refine the skins' texture helping to alleviate those little bumps which remain after a blemish has calmed down.  It has also been developed so that it helps fight against dark marks left behind from blemishes.  This isn't a product you pick up and put down, it helps solve the problem and then prevents it from reoccurring in the future. 

When I can feel a blemish developing, I stick a little bit of Soap & Glory's Dr Spot over the top before bed and in the morning it has either vanished or certainly not as huge I would have been expecting it to be.  I love this punchy spot treatment as it dries instantly clear which makes it a great one to wear underneath make-up.  It hasn't let me down yet.  

I am addicted to face masks and the two I love the most when I'm suffering from a break outs are the Soap & Glory Fab Pore and NUXE Crème Fraiche as I need a mask to help unclog pores and then something which will be soothing on my stressed out skin.

Soap & Glory's Fab Pore is green in colour (which cancels out redness) and has tiny little exfoliating beads contained within a menthol smelling paste.  I like to use this up to twice a week for 15 minutes each time if I am having a bad time but I try and use this once a week in order to just help unclog pores.  I use this in the evenings and I find that for the most part this helps to relive those really sore acne cysts I suffer and helps me get deep down into the pores to give them a good clearing out.  

When I'm really suffering, the last thing I want to put on my skin is a heavy night time moisturiser and that is why I absolutely love using the NUXE Crème Fraiche moisturising mask as it very light but really helps calm down stressed out skin and always manages to achieve the perfect level of hydration.  

What products do you enjoy using when you're having a bad breakout?  I would love to know if you have good results with any of the products mentions or any great recommendations for products which have worked for you!

Emma xx