Life Fright

How Often Do You Exfoliate?

It gets confusing since skincare products list in the directions how often they should be used and particularly for exfoliators, I’ve read instructions indicating to apply it every day! For me, that frequency is just too much and can aggravate my skin to the point where my skin barrier is compromised and becomes the prime spot for acne to thrive. If you have sensitive skin or are just starting to use exfoliators, take it slow and apply perhaps only once a week and reassess from there whether to increase the frequency or further reduce the frequency with a longer time window. It is also worth mentioning to consider using lower strengths of the exfoliation ingredient. It may seem that larger percentages are better for faster results, but it may be too much too fast.

Exfoliation & Retinols

If you are combining these two skincare treatments, they may not work well together especially in frequency and application time. Some say it is good to apply retinol first and then the next day go in with exfoliation since the retinol will speed up skin cell turnover leaving the skin feeling dry and flaky which is the perfect set up for exfoliation. But keep in mind all of these treatments are strong and if your skin is sensitive, doing both in quick succession may backfire and create that compromised skin barrier!

Picking At Acne

I know, I know. This has been said and heard so many times. But it is true! Picking at acne only makes it worse. Either by leaving behind scarring or by increasing the likelihood of spreading around the bacteria thus creating more acne. Indeed, it is addictive and feels like an immediate way to feel like we’re in control and can “fix” the acne. It really isn’t though. And this doesn’t change whether you use clean fingers or if you use specially marketed tools for this. It is not worth it! Read about my experience in this post.

Fragrance

This is one of the irritants I first learned about when I went down the rabbit hole of learning about acne, its causes, and how to “cure” acne. Fragrance is an umbrella term to obscure the exact chemicals used to create that delightful smell. But that pleasant smell is none too pleasant under the surface. It is better to stick to fragrance-free products to take it out of the equation as the cause of your acne issues. If you must or can’t avoid it, make sure it is not an ingredient in a leave-on product and is instead in a product that is rinsed off quickly like a cleanser.

Patch Test

Trying new products is fun and exciting and I often want to try it out right then and there. But it is best to practice restraint and patience to avoid major repercussions in the form of, you guessed it, acne. Patch test the product first on a small, unproblematic area and watch for unusual developments over the next few days. If that spot breaks out, then it is likely that the new product is not a good fit and you just saved yourself from a full-blown breakout episode over a larger surface!

For more posts about acne, search the term “acne” in the search bar!