Battling Breakouts

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• Posted December 11, 2012 at 1:07 am
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Acne is a significant problem for many people. Whether they have occasional breakouts, regular monthly attacks, or a more long-term affliction, acne can result in a lack of confidence and emotional distress. Thankfully, there are a number of options available to both conceal breakouts and reduce the likelihood that they will occur.

The major culprit is sebum. Everyone produces sebum. It’s part of the skin’s natural defences and helps to protect it against bacteria and stay hydrated. This is one of the reasons that using a harsh cleanser that strips away the sebum and other oils on the face is a bad idea. Sebum is a necessary part of healthy skin.

However, sebum production is regulated by a complex mechanism that can be upset by a variety of factors, including hormone changes, age, genetics, the environment, diet, among many others. Hormone levels are especially important. That’s why women get spots at particular points in the menstrual cycle. Contrary to commonly held beliefs, eating fatty foods does not cause acne, but general health does affect hormone levels.

Acne is also not a sign of uncleanliness. Even the cleanest people can get acne, and overuse of some cleansing products can actually increase sebum levels and make it worse. Washing away surface oils does nothing to prevent acne because the problem is deeper down.

Too much sebum leads to facial pores being blocked by sebum plugs, which create the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. These bacteria, combined with the body’s immune response to them, are what causes the visual manifestation of acne.

Don’t be tempted to squeeze or pick at spots. With the exception of very serious outbreaks, which should be treated by a dermatologist, pimples will clear up by themselves with a little help. Squeezing or popping them can lead to scarring.

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Coping With Oily Skin

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• Posted December 4, 2012 at 3:56 pm
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Oily skin is a problem that afflicts many men and women. Excess oils can produce a shiny appearance, especially around the chin and nose, and people whose skin produces more oil than necessary often also have problems with acne.

It’s not all bad news though, oily skin types are actually less prone to the signs of aging, because oils work to keep moisture trapped within the epidermis. That, however, is cold comfort to those of us who have to live with skin that looks slick and greasy no matter how much it’s cleaned.

Oils are a necessary part of our skin’s protective mechanisms, so we have to find a balance between removing the excess, and overdoing it, which can lead to dry skin. Unfortunately, using harsher skin treatments, which will strip away the oil, will also cause the body to start producing more oil to compensate and can make the problem worse over the long term.

Oily skin is a common problem, and there are many products designed especially to reduce the appearance of shiny patches.

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Eating Your Way to Healthy Skin

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• Posted November 20, 2012 at 4:39 pm
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In many ways our dietary instincts are not well suited to the age we live in. Before the dawn of civilization, we were hunter-gatherers, roaming the grasslands in search of tasty roots, vegetable, nuts, and the occasional morsel of meat. Sugars and fats were a rare treat, and necessary to a healthy diet, so our bodies evolved a taste for those foods.

In the modern world, sweet and fatty food is all too common, so we seek to satisfy our evolved cravings and end up indulging to excess in just those foods that are the least good for us.

The skin is our largest organ, and it’s an extremely complex system that can easily be affected by our diet. In many cases, it’s exactly the foods we desire the most that can have a harmful effect on the skin’s health and appearance.

The Good

That’s not to say that the foods that are good for our skin are not appetizing. It just takes a bit of knowledge and self-control to find the tasty treats that will both make our skin look great and contribute to a healthy diet overall.

Vitamins

Vitamins A, B, C, and E are particularly good for the skin.

Vitamin A is essential for maintaining a healthy skin. It’s a necessary nutrient for forming the epithelial cells that are found in the skin and other parts of the body. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the skin from harmful the free radicals that contribute to aging.

Vitamin B is actually a collection of related vitamins, many of which are essential to keeping the skin in tip-top condition. Biotin (B7) is an essential vitamin for the production of many of the elements of the skin. B2 helps maintain the skin’s chemical balance. B6 prevents puffiness, and B12 controls cell aging and growth.
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