Under My Skin

We all have it and we all wear it very differently – skin. It’s wrinkly, oily, splotchy and rough. It’s the fleshy suit we are assigned at birth to wear to every occasion. Over time it gets stretched-out, torn and stained. So, how do we take care of it? We’ve got some ideas.

Written by Kelli Fuqua Hart, Publisher of Family Times Magazine

From a new teenager who is literally, oh-my-gosh-so-over their face to mama’s sleepless night dark circles, we all struggle with keeping our skin healthy. There are practices we can perform, products we can use and habits we can adopt that will all lead to healthier, more radiant skin, but with all signs pointing to this or that as the next best thing, how do we know what to actually do when it comes to treating our skin?

We’ve hit the digital highway and done some research of our own. Additionally, we are sharing what we actually use everyday – products we know and trust (and no, this article is not sponsored) – to make it easy for you to find, buy and begin using some of the best products out there.

Likewise, we came across some pretty interesting information about skincare and wanted to put it all together in one quick and simple read. No matter how many faces make up your family, we’ve got some pointers for everyone.

Exfoliation: Sponge, don’t scrub (When: 2-3 times per week)

Schlepping away dead skin is quite satisfying but is it actually good for you? Physical exfoliants have been around since the beginning of time – scrubs made from sand, salt, coffee grounds and some seeds. Sounds kind of abrasive because they can be. Likewise, products with microbeads have been popular but cannot only be bad for your face, they can be bad for the environment. These tiny plastic orbs end up in waterways, eaten by fish that end up on your dinner plate! Don’t buy into the idea you have to feel the scrub to see the effect.

Replace gritty, irritating scrubs with a Konjac sponge. These natural sponges are made from the roots of a porous Asian veggie, which has a gel-like feeling when wet. It’s both affordable and easy on skin of all types. Simply soak your sponge in water or a facial cleanser and make gentle circles with the sponge across your neck, face, chest and back. The results are actually better, as they do not leave your skin red and raw.

What We’re Using: These sponges are a dime a dozen but we have been happy with the Honest brand sponges from Target. It’s phthalate, paraben and cruelty-free and hypoallergenic. $6.99.

Makeup to Break-Out

A huge zit has taken up residency on your forehead. What do you do? Most of us will go for the concealers, foundations and powders. But, is it possible your makeup is the cause of your breakouts? It is important to know what ingredients make up your makeup. The wrong products can actually irritate acne-prone skin, making problems worse. Look at your labels – go grab them, we’ll wait. There are keywords you will want to find to include: Non-comedogenic (or non-clogging), non-greasy, hypoallergenic, non-irritation, mineral based and zinc oxide.

Certain chemicals can lend to poor skin health so use CosDNA.com to help decipher between what makeup you should use and what you should toss. CosDNA is an online database that scores, for lack of better words, the “clogginess” of your makeup. You want to stay clear of any products that rank 3 or higher – products such as coconut oil, cocoa butter, most isopropyls and more.

What We’re Using: SKINFOOD Peach Cotton Multi Finish Powder helps control sebum through ingredients such as peach, green tea and witch hazel extracts. $13 on Amazon.com. Perricone Md No Makeup Foundation Serum with SPF20 is fragrance and paraben-free with a mineral base. $60 at Ulta. Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer corrects redness and is medicated to treat breakouts. $19 at Macy’s.

Protection Plus

You have likely heard your gynecologist talk “low dose” or “high dose” when it comes to contraceptives. In addition to using hormones to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, contraceptives have been used to fight acne. The “how” and “why” are things you will need to discuss with a trusted physician, but we can help point you in the direction of the “what.”

What contraceptives are proven to improve acne? Ask your doc about Yaz, Ocella, TriNessa, MonoNessa, Apri and Reclipsen. Perhaps you are currently using a contraceptive and you’ve noticed more breakouts? Products such as Depo-Provera, Mirena, Skyla, Implanon and Nexplanon are among those proven to worsen acne. A conversation with your physician could drastically improve your skin’s health so schedule an appointment today.

What We’re Using: TriNessa (Generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen) works wonders for minimizing menstrual symptoms and clearing up severe acne. Talk to your physician about what works best for you.

Moisture is Magic

We all know how important water is for, basically, every single thing. But how much do you know about humectants? The secret to youthful, supple skin is moisture. So, how do you trap as much moisture as possible within your skin? Answer: humectants. Where castor oil, silicone, coconut oil and beeswax actually repel water, humectants absorb moisture and draw it into the skin. These items include honey, coenzyme q10, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and glycols such as propylene, butylene, diproylene, caprylyl and triethylene.

What We’re Using: Young Living’s Essential Beauty Serum (which includes Jojoba seed oil, Reship Seed extract, Blue Cypress, Lavender, Myrrh and others) 1x each day. $27.30 retail www.youngliving.com

Best Cleansers

A quick Google search on “facial cleansers” will yield roughly 28,800,000 results. How can anyone possibly know what best cleans their face when everyone is fighting for the top spot? Let us help. There are three ingredients you need in a quality cleanser – a natural cleansing agent, humectants and botanical extracts. We can get into the weeds on what all of that means or we can simply show you what to buy, knowing your face and skin will be clean and healthy without any harsh chemicals and irritants.

This light, airy pump cleanser leaves skin fresh and stripped of dirt. The ingredients are 100% natural and organic, to include specialty oils, perfect for sensitive skin. All of the Natural Oats products are handmade and Earth-Friendly, as well as sulfate, paragon, animal and gluten free.

What We’re Using: Natural Oats Tea Tree Mint Foaming Face Wash is all-natural and made using organic Jojoba oil, tea tree and peppermint oils, hemp seed, lavender oil and more. $5 www.naturaloatssoap.com

Tips for Teens

What works for one teen, in the way of effective skin care, may not work for another. Even though the entire middle school is agonizing over breakouts, each child has different underlying issues and therefore requires different products and routines. That said, we don’t have the quick fix for your pimply teen but we do have some dermatologist compiled tips that will lend to overall healthier skin – things your entire family can be doing to create positive skin habits at home.

• Cleanse smarter, not harder. Teens with oily skin will do well with a gentle, foaming cleanser (see above), while teens with dry skin may want to try milkier products. Carrying blot papers will help with skin that gets oily throughout the day, especially after sports and PE class.
• Wash your face before bed. Forget the fact little bugs munch on your eye makeup throughout the night. Removing makeup and a day’s worth of dirt can prevent acne and other skin rashes. A quick wash or cleansing wipe can make all the difference - boys, this means you too!
• Don’t share makeup and brushes. First, ew. Second, oils and dirt can easily be transferred from your bestie’s face to yours. (The same goes for all sorts of germs so just don’t.)
• Hands off. Your teen’s hands touch God only knows what throughout the day and then they want to touch and pick at their face. Whatever dirt and germs are on those hands can easily clog pores on the face, so hand-washing and keeping hands away from the face can really help. The same goes for phones – keep anything that touches the face as clean as possible.
• Wear sunscreen. When your teen is 40, they will thank you for the 25 or 30 years of UV protection. Today, as much as teens squirm at the idea of stopping to apply sunscreen, it’s actually important they do. Sunscreens can help existing acne from darkening. Choose an oil-free product or use liquid foundations with sunscreen in the recipe.
• Picking and Popping. Thanks to Dr. Pimple Popper, we all want to squeeze and pop the monstrosity on our face. It’s bulging and embarrassing and we just can’t even. But encourage your child to let nature take its course. Popping and picking can lead to scarring and dirty fingers on the skin can lead to even more breakouts. The best course of action is a gentle cleanser, topical gels, warm compresses and a little medicated concealer until it has healed.

What (My Teen is) Using: Natural Oats Tea Tree Mint Foaming Face Wash (as mentioned above) to clean her combination skin. $5. Young Living Frankincense oil to help reduce inflammation, balance hormone and protect against acne. $99.34 retail (15 ml). Obagi Hydrate Facial Moisturizer hydrates the skin without angering it using non-comedogenic, non-irritating, non-sensitizing ingredients that are allergy-tested. $36 at Walmart.com.