So you are past your teens and many of you still get the occasional blemish or two, and unfortunately many of the spot treatments and acne regimens out there are designed for the excessively oily skin of teenagers caused by hormone imbalances. There are several environmental factors that can play into your adult blemishes such as stress, sleep cycles, and excessive drinking. These factors are sometimes unavoidable, but there are ways to clear up those blemishes quickly, and even tackle them before they start.If you haven't already, switch to a foaming cleanser, which will clean deep into pores and clear out any bacteria that may be trapped. Try:CLINIQUE Ance Solutions Foaming CleanserThis cleanser can be used during and after breakouts to help maintain overall complexion, as its active ingredient, salicylic acid is a great antibacterial.$18.50 Clinique www.clinique.comWhen you feel a breakout coming on, add a toner or skin tonic to your daily routine that will provide further anti-bacterial quality for your skin. For adults, I recommend an alcohol free skin tonic to prevent over-drying of the skin.JOHN MASTERS ORGANIC Bearberry Balancing Serum$24 - John Masters Organics www.johnmasters.comRemember, don't forget to continue moisturizing even throughout the breakout. If your skin gets dry, it will produce excess oil, which can lead to further breakouts, though you may want to switch to a lighter one. When I experience a breakout, I switch to:SKINTACTIX Treatment Moisturizer$14 - Skintactix www.skintactix.comIf all else fails, and your blemish still rears its ugly head, try a spot treatment. In my experience these don't do alot other than make you feel better about treating an unruly zit, but the active ingredient in spot treatments (Benzoyl Peroxide) oxygenates the skin and the bacteria that cause acne can't survive in oxygen, so there is science behind it. It doesn't matter what brand you choose, but look for a concentration of 5% or 2.5%, not 10% like some of the "maximum strength" creams out there contain, as they will over dry the skin and cause other problems!
