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How to Use Makeup to Conceal Acne

You'll find no shortage of tips that tell you to leave your pimples alone during heavy breakouts. Experts will warn you against the dangers of popping pimples or squeezing out blackheads. Busting open those zits will only spread bacteria on your face and increase the likelihood of further breakouts. Unfortunately, there aren't many products that will speed up the process to get overnight results. Sometimes you just have to suffer through the embarrassment of acne while having red inflamed pimples on your face. The good news is there are products out there that can help to conceal your acne and make it far less noticeable. In some cases, you might be able to hide it so well that not even your best friend can tell what's going on underneath.

You might be tempted to use foundation to cover up your acne, but that might complicate matters for the worse. While a thick layer of foundation will certainly cover up blemishes, it can also potentially clog pores and lead to more pimples. It's far better to find a light concealer that matches your skin tone while refining the look with a powder or tinted moisturizer. You can also apply foundation on top of your concealer, just make sure that you don't put it on first. In cases of less severe acne, a good concealer is all you need especially if it happens to match your skin tone perfectly.

Applying the concealer properly requires care and a certain degree of restraint. You never want to go overboard with the concealer or rub it into your skin. You can either use a brush to gently cover the affected area, or dab a small amount on your fingers and gently pat it dry. Remember, there's not much point in over doing it if your concealer is noticeable. People might not be able to see your acne, but that discolored spot on your face will be just as obvious.

It's important to think about general lighting when you're applying the concealer as well. Sometimes people think they are covered only to have everything revealed in a different type of lighting such as direct sunlight. Think about what type of lighting you'll be dealing with when you reach your destination and try to match that as best as possible. Also remember to look at your face from different angles to make sure that your concealer blends properly from the side as well.

You can also find medicated concealers on the market that contain components that help to fight acne while covering up your pimples. Unfortunately, while they are able to do two jobs at once - they are never as effective as something that serves a specific purpose. In other words, a separate acne cream and a straightforward concealer will always be more effective than a product that tries to combine both. But for less severe cases of acne, you can get effective results from a medicated concealer, and some of them don't cost much at all.

At the end of the day, it's important to wash your face carefully and make sure you get rid of any excess makeup on your face. And remember, concealing your acne is only a temporary solution for the problem. You should still be on the lookout for effective acne treatment systems that work well with your skin type. Concealers might be able to hide the problem, but to deal with it in a long-term and healthy way you need to find preventative measures. If you find the situation is getting out of control, make sure to visit a dermatologist because you might have a type of acne needs prescribed treatment.

These tips on using acne concealers comes to us from our friends at howtogetridofacnehelp.com, a site dedicated to answering your questions about how to get rid of blackheads and acne.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

My Adult Acne Cure: Arcona and Peter Thomas Roth

After battling adult cystic acne for some time and trying multiple acne remedies, including many prescription acne medicines, such as Differin Gel, Azaelic acid, and Retin A, I bought some Arcona acne treatment products and finally pretty much found my acne cure! I am now using a mix of Arcona skincare products with one Peter Thomas Roth acne treatment product, which I also purchased, and with a few occasional other products that I will list, and I have been almost acne free ever since (It has been around four months now). When something does pop up, this acne treatment system, especially the Peter Thomas Roth product, seems to clear it up fast—within 24-48 hours much of the time, which amazes me!  The process hasn't been perfect though, with some of the products initially causing my skin to get too dry, so read along as I describe the acne treatment process I am using and details about the products. This is the first time in years that I have found a system that works so well for me.

Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot Treatment

Lets begin with my holy grail product of the treatment. If I could pick only one item to use this would be it.

Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot Treatment Lets begin with my holy grail product of the treatment. If I could pick only one item to use this would be it.

Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot and Area Treatment:This product has been nothing short of amazing for me.  Used as a spot treatment it has cleared up even tough cystic acne for me quickly—as in completely gone within 24 to 48 hours. I would say it is effective for me on cystic acne up to 90% of the time. Only a few spots seem to resist it. It isn’t particularly drying and has a nice ingredient mix that tosses in a bit of several quality active treatment ingredients and then adds a bunch of treatment extracts that can also lessen skin discoloration from the acne.Active ingredients are: 5% Sulfur, Salicylic Acid, and Glycolic Acid. It also adds soothing ingredients such as Aloe and Allantoin, plus has a bunch of extracts that are good for general skin care such as Willow Bark Extract, Panthenol (Pro VitaminB5), Orange Fruit Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Mulberry Leaf Extract, Blueberry Leaf Extract, Licorice Root Extract, Lavender Extract, Echinacea Angustifolia Extract, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C. I have seen some consumer reviews of this product that complained about the sulfur smell. It does have a bit of sulfur odor to it, but I don’t personally mind it. Sulfur is a great treatment ingredient and the smell of the the Peter Thomas Roth spot treatment was not as high as that of many other sulfur products that I have used. Peter Thoimas Roth Acne Spot Treatment

Arcona Daily Skin Care Products The rest of my acne treatment program consists of products from Arcona.

ARCONA Raspberry Acne Bar: I love this raspberry scented acne bar. However, it can be very drying, so I use it only when my skin is especially oily or if I have an unexpected breakout (which has only happened once since I started this regime).  The bar cleanses and contains bacteria killing ingredients. It dries out oil fast, but be careful not to overuse it. I did at first and ended up very dry. I have since learned to use it only once each day and to add a light moisturizer if needed. Arcona raspberry acne bar
ARCONA Tabula Rasa: Tabula Rasa is a treatment toner, and since it is a bit small, it is also a bit expensive as a toner. Because of that, although I loved it, I didn’t repurchase it and have still been OK acne wise. I did feel that it helped with curing my initial breakouts when I first began the Arcona acne treatment regime, but it likely isn’t necessary for prevention.  If you don’t mind the cost, try it, especially for initially clearing things up and then decide whether to keep refilling it. Arcona tabula rasa
ARCONA The Solution: This acne and anti-aging treatment serum is my other must have product. Used at night, it kills acne causing bacteria and also contains a number of other treatment agents that address not just acne but aging and general skin care as well. The directions say to use it a couple of time each week, but I use it daily with no problems. I don’t find it to be either irritating or drying. Anyone with sensitive skin who is concerned about using treatment serums might be interested in the ARCONA Gentle Solution instead. Arcona  the solution

Adjunct Products in the Acne Treatment Regime Along with the staple items above, I also still use my Zeno and Claro acne treatment devices (link is to comparison review) and wear a high SPF sunscreen because I also have melasma. Right now, my favorite sunscreens have been ARCONA Reozone SPF 40 and Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear (link is to previous review), which is super high SPF, physically blocking, lightly moisturizing, affordable, and easy to find at your local drugstore. Wonderful stuff! both of those items do have a fair amount of titanium dioxide, which causes acne in some people. I have had no issues with them though. When I get really dry, I also add a light moisturizer. Aside from the Healthy Wear mentioned above, I love Canyon Ranch (link is to previous review) and have been using it the most.

Below are some shopping boxes for the products (click through to the site to see the boxes if you are reading this in the feed), including a couple of other Arcona products that are part of the acne treatment line that I haven't tried (the a.m. treatment look especially interesting to me).I usually get Arcona from SpaLook, because they tend to consistently carry the full line. Peter Thomas Roth and Canyon Ranch are also available there. Beauty.com also often has the full Arcona line.icon I also added a couple of links to Target for Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear, but most people can get that in just about any big box retailer or drugstore store quite easily.

 

 

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Home Microdermabrasion: Personal Microderm Review

Home microdermabrasion can be a rather effective treatment for a variety of skin problems. Microdermabrasion can address melasma (a personal concern of mine), acne, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, and it is good for overall soft skin and brightening. Aside from exfoliating well, dermabrasion removes the dead skin cells through suction, which allows other treatment products to absorb better. I purchased a home microdermabrasion system, the Personal Microderm which I have used a couple of times now. So far, I think it is a keeper and plan to test it more, so watch for a follow up review in a few months. The device costs $179, which is considerably cheaper than having professional treatments done (those often run over $100 per treatment). The device is also now covered and is our top recommendation in our complete home microdermabrasion buyer's guide. You can view that and learn about a number of additional devices here:  Home Microdermabrasion Reviews.

Using the Home Microdermabrasion System: The Personal Microderm is incredibly easy to use. Simply plug it in and choose from two types of disks - The blue moderate disk for sensitive skin, or the green coarse disk for tougher skin. These disks also come in two sizes – small for facial areas, and large for body areas. Hold the skin tight and move the device in vertical or horizontal lines across the face without lingering in any one area. The device exfoliates the skin, while creating a suction, so it very much feels like you are vacuuming your face. The treatment can be made gentle by using a blue disk with light pressure, or more aggressive by using a green disk with heavier pressure. Home microdermabrasion treatments initially should be done once each week.

I started with the small blue disk and quickly moved up to the green. I have pretty tough skin and did not feel like I got a good treatment until I moved to the green. Sensitive types will want to stick with the blue though. The small disk works well for much of the face, but I moved to the large disk for my main cheek areas and forehead. I had a bit of difficulty with either size keeping suction on my forehead area, but I eventually got it, and I had no problems anywhere else. It doesn’t take long to treat the entire face—maybe 10 minutes tops.

Effectiveness of the Personal Microderm: In terms of results, I noticed softer skin immediately. For achieving nice soft skin, this is the best home exfoliation that you can get in my opinion. The device is effective at removing dead skin cells, and the suction removes them from your face. In regard to melasma, I did not notice any improvement on my main areas, but I also have only done three treatments. As much as anyone with melasma would like a quick cure, there isn’t really anything that can be done at home that will get rid of melasma or serious hyperpigmentation in that short of a times.  I would not expect to see anything noticeable before eight treatments or more. What I did notice in three weeks was a little bit of lightening (we are talking rather tiny here, don't get overly excited)  in a new area of pigmentation (those typically lighten easier) and some general improvement in my acne. Although next week I will be posting about how other products have pretty much cured my acne anyway. But the overall skin smoothing and such was pretty impressive even upon the first treatment. I’ll post an update a few months from now on how it works on tougher areas of melasma. I had some success a few years ago with professional microdermabrasion, but it wasn't overwhelming and I wasn't consistent in getting treatment, so I am curious about how the home system will work on that. Regardless I find it a worthwhile investment in terms of general skin care.

After Effects or Side Effects of Home Microdermabrasion: Microdermabrasion can be a bit deceptive in that it feels gentler than it really is, especially with the home microderm device, so start gentle and move up to more aggressive over time.  After a treatment, it is normal for your skin to be a bit pink. Because of that, be careful with applying treatment serums immediately after a microdermabrasion treatment. Instead, apply a soothing moisturizer and be sure to wear sunscreen. You should be wearing sunscreen all the time anyway, but Microdermabrasion makes the skin more sensitive to sun, making this even more important, especially if you want to have any hope at treating dark spots, such as melasma.

Recommended Adjunct Products: For those battling melasma, I recommend trying PCA Skin (pHaze 13) Pigment Gel (Hydroquinone version) PCA Skin (pHaze 13) Pigment Gel HQ Free (Hydroquinone free version) as a serum, along with your favorite gentle moisturizer in order to maximize the effect of the microdermabrasion. I personally use DHC White Sunscreen for my oily skin to get moisture, sunscreen and lightening all in one.  Anyone fighting wrinkles who like retinoids may like Derma Doctor Poetry in Lotion, although I also recommend caution using a retinol product too close to any given microderm treatment since retinol can also irritate the skin—be especially careful with that if you have sensitive skin.  Those with acne might want to try Arcona products. I’ll be raving about those next week!

Related Reviews:

PCA Skin Care Melasma Treatment

DHC White Sunscreen

Derma Doctor Poetry in Lotion

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Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page