My sister, (who I will call I, to protect her identity), is also my dearest friend. Though we’ve had our share of ups and downs, I can’t imagine life without her. She willingly tries my alternative remedies (I’m a pharmacist after all) and gives great feedback on the myriad of skin care products I’ve made her try over the years. While my skin is tough as a horse’s hide (according to my mother, at least), I has sensitive skin. Skin sensitivity differs amongst individuals, but her comments help me to understand how a new product might work on a different skin type.
I thought it might be interesting to read a real live person’s take on skin care so that’s the inspiration for today’s entry…
The Tale of an Underground ZIT.
By: I
My sister, Sharmani, asked me to write something. So a-‘blogging I will go.
First a bit about me. I’m a younger version of her…less motivated, not so cool, not as knowledgeable about ingredients, and oh…did I say younger?
Recently, I went over to Sharmani’s house for an impromtou girlie night packing my five year-old son, a bottle of Cotes du Rhone, a bad romantic comedy — and a boil the size of a baby’s head brewing under my chin. I’m exaggerating, of course, but through the course of one day, what began as a tiny (yet incredibly painful) underground zit had grown to enormous proportions. (About the size of a baby’s head.)
“Ooooh!” said Sharmani, when I showed up at her door. She caught herself quickly, however: “It doesn’t look that bad.”
“Yeah,” I replied, “but that’s what they said about Mount St. Helens, just before it blew.”
“I was being polite.”
“I know. Maybe if I put some coverup on it?”
“ Hmmm…maybe,” Sharm said, unconvincingly. “Are you going anywhere today?”
“A dinner party.”
Silence. “Maybe it will be dark,” she said.
“Isn’t this only supposed to happen when you’re sixteen?”
“Well, you are forty-three… probably hormones.”
“Hormones?! How do I get rid of hormones?”
“Uh, you don’t. You get rid of their nasty, pimply effects,” she explained. “Try some Green Cream.”
“Green cream? The stuff you gave me for wrinkles?”
“Yup, that one. It’s classified as a retinoid (a derivative of Vitamin A) and while it can do some great things to help prevent and even reverse wrinkles by increasing cell communication (skin cells ‘talk’ to one another more effectively), increasing cell turnover (increasing production of new skin cells) and stimulating collagen production, it can help to cleanse pores thereby eliminating blemishes. ”
“Gee, what a great explanation! Maybe tomorrow you can rundown the inner workings of a two-stroke engine.”
Okay. She’s my sister – and a pharmacist. What am I going to do? I rub some on. And then again, a few more times during the day.
Shockingly, I had not turned into Eva Mendes by the time the dinner party rolled around. But that zit had actually shrunk. Now, it was less “Mount St. Helens,” and more “Bunker Hill.” I can – I will, I guess — live with that. For tonight, at least.
Some other cures for underground zits by the technical one (Sharmani). If hormonal acne is leaving you feeling like a teenager all over again, here are some ways to fight back:
- Follow a low glycemic diet. Diets high in sugars and simple starches can lead to an increase in estrogen, which in turn can lead to increased levels of testosterone. Oily skin and a surge in acne can follow.
- Eat a well balanced diet full of leafy green vegetables, fresh fruits and lean meats. Take a daily multivitamin/mineral complex. Acne has been linked to low zinc levels.
- Incorporate a retinoid like Green Cream into your skin care routine. In addition to delivering anti aging skin benefits, it can help to keep acne at bay.
- If your skin can’t tolerate a retinoid like Green Cream, consider a more gentle alternative like M2 HP Skin Refinish. Mandelic acid is naturally antibacterial and it can control and absorb oil production.
- Salicylic acid is extremely effective at penetrating oil glands, helping to prevent them being plugged with dead skin and the ensuing blemish that follows. If you are prone to break outs, a product like Neostrata Blemish/Spot Gel should be included in your skin care arsenal.
