Acne Awareness Month!

I cannot tell you how many special days, nice photographs, and important introductions I have had to make with blemishes on my face.  I have had troublesome, acne prone skin ever since high school and I have experimented with many lifestyles and routines.  The "chemical free" (not a a real thing), "clean" skincare to skincare professional pipeline is a real thing.

In addition to that, I struggle with habits and routine. I hate cooking, I have a huge sweet tooth, and all of those things are reflected in our skin...I've been a broke college student, a sucker for Tiktok trends, a nervous client, a bummed consumer who didn't get what they were looking forward to, and so much more.  I've deep dived into functional medicine, been a partner to someone on a health journey....

In addition to being someone who is endlessly looking to enhance or improve the experience...I'd like to think that all of these things make me a really good provider.  I understand what it's like to not feel heard with your provider, to be sold things out of your budget, and most importantly, I understand the impact that it makes to our self esteem and self confidence when we aren't able to put out best face forward.

Also, I just like a good puzzle. I tend to find people when they are on the brink of, in the middle of, or slowly emerging from a health journey. Sometimes that's in the form of young adults as we are putting together the pieces of our health and trying to understand how to properly care for our bodies and minds. Sometimes, it is in the form of someone in an autoimmune flare or going through a diagnosis and tying many aspect of their health together. I find the puzzle pieces extremely interesting, and I really do think about my clients at home and throughout my days trying to 9understand what is going on internally that we are seeing.  

Using not only my nursing education, but so many other experiences to teach others effective ways to care for their skin; without a heavy sales push, where the client actually learns and maybe even 'graduates' into maintenance skincare....it brings so many interests together.  I love seeing how a client transforms when they are confident in the skin they are interesting with the world in.

So What is Acne?

I generally think of acne as blackheads, whiteheads, and then all of the related inflammation, scarring, texture, and other concerns that may come with it.  I find it difficult to sum it ALL up into a couple sentences.

I have a lot of clients who come to me thinking they need an acne facial, thinking their pores are so terribly clogged, but really their skin is dry so we are seeing a bit of texture and inflammation as a result of an impaired barrier.  Adjusting a product or two can make a world of difference. 

Simply: true acne (at least in my head and how I treat my clients) comes down to blocked pores. This is due to either ineffective products, a poor routine/habits (relatable!!) with dirt/product left on face overnight. 

If the pores are blocked for long enough, that blackhead becomes infected with P. acnes bacteria which naturally lives in our follicles.  The blockage provides an anaerobic environment for the bacteria to grow an an infection to develop. 

Many, many other factors can contribute to acne, and it's not always so simple, but that is generally how I approach it.

Common Triggers of Acne

- Overproduction of sebum

- Proliferation of skin cells

- Inflammatory cascade

Product Recommendations

Effective Cleansers: To remove your makeup, SPF, and everything you interact with throughout the day.  The key here is to clean appropriately without stripping the skin.  'Squeaky clean' and tight-feeling after your cleanse is usually an indicator that it may be stripping you a bit.  Check out my 4 Basic Steps blog to look at my cleanser review.

Appropriate Treatments:  This really depends on the type of acne, however I typically treat inflammation first.  My go-to product is almost always Pro-Heal Advance + Serum, consistently my top-selling product month after month.  This product is so inflammatory and healing.  If inflammation is not out of control, I sometimes will start them on Active Serum or another exfoliating product that will help to break up congestion, which is feeding the bacteria to produce acne.  These are always my first two products, in addition to a great cleanser and moisturizer.

Bonus products:  Once a lot of the inflammation and congestion has cleared, and we have set you up with home-care products your skin is happy with, we have a better idea of the skin's baseline needs and concerns. 

Sometimes, we add more exfoliation, or we may pivot to another concern like texture or anti-aging.  This ultimately depends on the clients goals, how they feel about their skin, and how far they want to go. 

Many clients do graduate to 'maintenance'.  I see them perhaps quarterly, and they are routinely in picking up products.  My Meicet Analyzer is my newest tool that gives us a great data about our skin that we can track over time.  This is especially helpful when we've treated the acne and we can focus on other concerns.

• Peel Pads
• Poly Vitamin Serum
• Brightening Duo
• Copper Firming Mist

Moisturizers: Never skip moisturizer or it will perpetuate the overproduction of sebum and inflammation! Cleanse followed by moisturizer, always.

It may take some time identifying the right moisturizer for you, or you may need to tweak this throughout the year, as seasons change. A fan favorite I sell is the SHEALD Reparative Moisture Balm from iS Clinical, but any good moisturizer is better than skipping this step!

SPF: highly important, especially with acneic clients.  Sun exposure increases inflammation in the skin, which perpetuates acne.  Increased inflammation increases the risk of scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentaton (PIH).  Healing acne can pigment in the sun, as our body's defence mecahnism to protect the skin results in melanin blooming across the skin. Eclipse Beige is my top seller in tinted SPF, great if you are trying to ditch your makeup and use skincare only.  The tint gives just a tiny bit of blending and evening out inflammation, and the hydrating factor helps to seal in products and nourish your barrier (which is protective against acne!).  I definitely recommend mineral spf over chemical spf for almost everyone and I find it to be less inflammatory as opposed to chemical spf which reacts with the skin.

Recommended for Treatment:

Foaming Enzyme: An iS Clinical facial.  Fruit enzymes gently decongest and polish, while providing a cooling anti-inflammatory effect.  One of my favorite routine services as an acne prone girly.  Gentle, pregnancy safe, and also great for rosacea.  Great intro as a first time facial too.  Versatile treatment that I come back to again and again.

Mandelic: A gentle introductory peel. Decongesting, glowy, anti-nflammatory.  Not my go-to for acne, but helpful if in clients who are highly inflamed, rosacea acne, and clients who may not want to peel

Salicylic peels: one of my favorites, highly recommend as a series.  Can be tricky in the summer but is possible with a diligent client who is mostly indoors.  Series only recommended if full home-care routine is solidified and working well.  No use clearing the acne if we can't sustain it!

Carboxy: Oxygen is dumped into the tissues with increased circulaton, enhanced waste removal, reduced inflammation, and healing.  Oxygen is incredibly healing and amazing for our tissues!

Manual extractions: typically prepared with a variety of methods using products, tools, and sometimes heat along with various tools. 

Facials, massage, and intentional movements in the face all help to loosen your pores for extractions, too!  I really work hard to prep the skin and also take care of you afterwards so your skin looks amazing, even post-extractions!  I know a lot of first-time clients are worried about extractions.  Proper skin hydration goes a long way in lubricating the pores for me....hint hint.

Modalities:

• LED: mixed opinion on acne use, I really think it needs to be cystic, deep, very inflamed acne otherwise the risk of pigmentation isn't worth it IMO.  The mini Blemish Eraser plus the red Contour LED are the perfect combo. The red is also decongesting, and generally benefits more of my clients, even those of us with minor acne that flares.  The magic comes from consistent use. Great treatment in-spa, but even better at home. 
• High Frequency: love it in the treatment room and a great tool to have at home. Forces oxygen into the skin which is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing. The good ones come with many heads for many uses.  I love this to disinfect post-extraction, to help loosen debris pre-extractions, and to accelerate healing on blemishes that have been extracted and are healing.  Love the comb attachment for the hair and to stimulate hair growth and a a healthy scalp.
• MySkinBuddy (MSB):  Ultrasonic vibrating tool with LED.  Many modes and uses.  I like it sometimes when cleansing highly congested skin, and also sometimes for toners on the skin post-extraction.  The vibrations, little bit of heat, and also the LED also add to the facial experience and also the extraction and healing of the skin.
• Steam:  This really depends on the client.  I find that the people will request this kind of facial are used to traditional type facials.  I don't like steam or heat for highly inflamed clients, but I do for those who are more congested with filled pores as it softens the skin.
• Ultrasonic tool:  lovingly called my vibrating spatula, this is one of my favorite tools in the treatment room for extractions.  I don't recommend this for home use as we can never quite the angles right on ourselves...but this is such a great tool in-spa.  The vibrations help to loosen the pore from below, and can minimize the pressure needed to extract pores.  Traditionally a metal loop tool is used for extractions, but I find that clients are nervous about this and it is usually pretty uncomfortable for clients.  I can't extract everything using this tool, but I rely primarily on this.