Dear Rissa,
I read your column every week and I find it very helpful and informative. I hope you can help me with my problem this time. I’m worried about my teenage daughter who buys over-the-counter products to treat her pimples. She has good skin, but whenever she gets a pimple, she applies the products to her pimples too many times in a day. She might be overdoing it. How often should she be applying a pimple cream?
Worried Mom
Overdoing your beauty routine can backfire. Sometimes, less is more for certain beauty rituals. When it comes to applying over-the-counter pimple creams, it’s important to know what the main ingredient is. Generally, if it has salicylic acid, apply a zit cream two to three times a day; once a day if it contains benzoyl peroxide — a more potentially drying ingredient. How do they differ? Salicylic acid prevents clogged pores by aiding exfoliation. Fact is, when you mix oil and bacteria in a clogged pore, you have the recipe for acne and breakouts. Salicylic acid may cause increased sun sensitivity so be sure to use a sunscreen daily. Benzoyl peroxide, on the other hand, kills the bacteria that cause the breakouts. As an added plus, it also helps dry up existing blemishes. But since this ingredient can be drying or irritating, it may lead to mild peeling. Once your skin starts to feel too dry, cut back on the benzoyl peroxide.
Rissa
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Defying Aging At 50
Dear Lucy,
I am turning 50 in a few months and I want to add something to my beauty regimen so that my looks will really defy my real age. I have been very faithful to a regimen that has worked well for me for over 12 years now, but I am told that I should really find an anti-aging serum. Do you have any suggestions?
Clarissa
Off hand, I would say that a vitamin C serum would be wonderful for your skin, or anyone else’s for that matter, but I asked some of my friends who are around the same age as yours and thus far, one of, if not, their top choices is Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Concentrate. The daughter of one of the ladies I asked has even tried it herself (and she is only 32!) and was very happy with the results. Let me make a confession. I tried it, too, after reading its accompanying literature, and what got me was when it said it can repair stresses triggered by environmental assaults, such as pollution and the sun’s rays, and even those that are work-related. Even emotional stress is covered. How’s that for a multi-tasker?
I was not imagining it, I know it really worked practically overnight because I woke up with my skin looking like I had slept for 10 hours instead of just six! I may not use this regularly, but it is good to know that when I do need a quick overnight pick-me-up, this little brown bottle can rescue me.
They say this is best though when used continuously because doing so will heighten the skin’s natural repair process. It not only promises to repair the appearance of past damage, it also helps prevent future damage — all these while delivering high levels of hydration.
Lucy
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