Tag: Skincare

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Beauty Wellness

10 skincare tips for your hands.

It’s no secret that your hands and neck age the fastest of any other part of your skin. However even with knowing this information many people (including me) still don’t pay enough attention to our hand care as we should be. But you can hardly blame us, facial skincare is talked about so much that other forms of skincare get neglected. Not only do they age faster and easier our hands are also exposed to the same elements as our face but with less care and protection. Luckily it’s not too late to start taking care of your hands (no matter how old you are). 

Even though we may not hear about it as much there are many different hand care products and routines to help keep your hand in tip top shape. 

  1. Try a DIY hand mask

Masks have become super popular not just face masks but also hand masks. To make a DIY hand mask all you need is 1 avocado (ripe), 2 tablespoons of raw honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then put all your ingredients into a blender and blend it until it’s smooth. After you apply it to your hands you can put your hands into plastic bags or gloves to preserve the moisture better. After 10-20 minutes you can take your hands out of the bag and wash off the mask. 

  1. Use cuticle moisturizers instead of cuticle cutters

Cutting cuticles may seem like a good idea for pretty hands but it can actually make cuticles more rough and jagged. Since the cuticle is basically the root of the nail it’s super important to care for your cuticles. Instead of trying cuticles cutters try using creams or moisturizers instead. Cuticle creams lock in moisturizer and combat dryness by acting as a barrier. Some of our favorite ingredients to look for in creams are jojoba oil and vitamin E.  

  1. Always wear SPF

SPF is a must in everyone’s face care routine but the same goes for hand care. Our hands are super prone to sun damage and aging. Not to mention our hands are almost always exposed to the sun for example when we’re driving. It’s important not only to apple SPF in the morning but also reapplying during the day is important especially if you’re doing something where your hands will be exposed a lot. 

  1. Use daily moisturizers

Moisturizers are super important for achieving smooth and moisturized skin. Especially during winter it’s super important that you keep your hands moisturized. Not only are dry hands unappealing but they can also allow bacteria and germs to get inside your body. It’s best to apply hand cream after washing, sanitizing your hands or anytime your hands are feeling dry.

  1. Invest in a nicer soap

As you may assume a higher quality soap is better for your hands. Better ingredients cause less drying and more effective soap. It’s also important to moisturize your hands after washing them to make up for any natural oils stripped from the water and hand soap.

  1. Exfoliate your hands

You’ve probably heard of exfoliation for your face but you can also do it on your hands. Just like your face dry skin can build up and clog the pores on your hands. How you want to exfoliate your hands is completely up to you. First of all you could use a dry brush. Dry brushing has been shown effective to not only exfoliate the skin. Dry brushing improves blood circulation and cell regeneration which promotes detoxification. Detoxification can cause smoother skin, less fat/cellulite and reduce toxins in the skin. 

Another way to exfoliate your hands is by a mechanical exfoliation product or a scrub. While we don’t recommend chemical exfoliation on your face it is much better on your hands because the skin is a lot less delicate. The last way is by using chemical exfoliation which is what we recommend for the face but it also works on the hands. Ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are really good for this.  

  1. Use a hand sanitizer that uses moisturizer

Hand sanitizers are one of the many things that are great at drying out our hands. While hand sanitizers are hard to avoid because they are so important for our health (especially during covid) the best thing you can do is find a hand sanitizer that has moisturizing ingredients so it’s less drying on your skin. 

  1. Try essential oils

Essential oils are super effective in many different aspects. They are super helpful for regenerating skin cells and balancing skin. Whether you want to diffuse them into the air using an essential oil diffuser or use them directly on your skin the benefits are super powerful. It is important however to always dilute essential oils if you’re using them directly on your skin. 

  1. Use a skincare friendly diet 

Diet is super important when it comes to skincare even more than you may think. Not only does eating healthy help your skin to glow from the inside out but it can also help improve nail growth. Eating healthy helps nails to stay strong and healthy while also producing more cell growth in our nails. 

Some of the best foods for your skin include

  • Carrots 
  • Leafy greens
  • Berries
  • Tomatoes
  • Nuts
  • Salmon and fatty fish
  • Beans, lentils and peas

Some of the best foods for your nails include 

  • Eggs
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Leafy greens
  • Whole grains
  • Fruits and berries
  • Avocadoes
  • Sweet potatoes
  1. Always use gloves when washing dishes

Unfortunately washing dishes is a daily task for most people. Even more unfortunately it can have a negative effect on our skin and nails. That much exposure to water can cause your skin to be dry and cracked and your nails to be frail and brittle. But wearing rubber gloves is the simple solution to this problem as it block the water from your skin and nails.

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Beauty Wellness

8 Tips For Preventing And Treating Maskne.

If you aren’t familiar with the term maskne yet, let’s fill you in. As the name suggests maskne is a term for acne, irritation or bumps bumps in areas caused by a protective facemask. Althoug many have taken to calling this maskne it actually has a technical term “acne mechanica”. With covid becoming a regular in our lives we are never outside of the house without a mask on. While masks are super important for keeping ourselves and others safe from covid-19 they cause the perfect environment for acne to form. The prolonged amounts of not letting the skin breathe in that area can lead to sweat heat and friction causing acne. Luckily since it seems we’ll be wearing these masks for a while there are many helpful tips that have been discovered. 

So who has discovered these things you may ask. It seems with the constant search for a vaccine or end to covid there isn’t much room to worry about maskne. While masks are a current thing for many people in the world however east asians have had experience with masks long before covid. Not only are masks seen as a fashion statement in some parts of asia. It is also common to wear masks just to avoid a common cold. High pollution dust storms are also a cause for mask wearing in Korea. Long story short asians have been working out how to deal with maskne for a long time and have found some quite helpful tips. Below are some of the top tips to deal with maskne. 

  1. Cleanse daily

While cleansing is a regular for most people it’s super important when it comes to maskne. With the mask covering your mouth and skin it makes it super easy for you pores to get clogged by sweat which is why cleaning to get any build up out of your pores is super important. If you’re used to cleansing twice a day (once in the morning and once at night) and you’re struggling from acne we recommend trying to cleanse three times a day (once after taking off your mask). This way your skin can immediately be refreshed from whatever has built up under your mask from throughout the day. The only downside to this is that over cleansing is a thing so it’s important to pay attention to how dry your skin is when doing this. 

  1. Focus on keeping your skin hydrated

When you hear hydration when it comes to skincare you probably think of preventing dry skin or looking to gain dewy skin, while hydration helps with both of these it’s also effective at preventing maskne and acne in general. When your skin is lacking hydration it may cause the cells to produce more oil and sebum to make up for the lack of hydration. This in turn causes acne and breakouts. And on top of all this when you’re wearing a mask that oil gets trapped and that (along with any other moisture being caused from the mask) causes the perfect environment for acne. 

So the simple answer to this is to simply keep your skin hydrated. Some studies have shown that water while being great for just about everything else isn’t super helpful when it comes to skincare. So we recommend a really hydrating product, face masks and cream moisturizers are perfect for this!

  1. Avoid using makeup when wearing your mask

Makeup is often shown to be problematic when it comes to acne but with a skincare routine and daily face wash it typically isn’t too big of an issue. However now that we are wearing mask makeup is one of the many changes in the world. When you’re wearing makeup you’re always running the risk of clogging your pores but when you’re wearing makeup under your mask this becomes more of a risk. This is because the makeup can become squished between your skin and your mask, the mask can then push your makeup deeper into your pores. 

The simplest resolution to this issue is to only wear makeup on the top half of your face. If however you find yourself struggling with this make sure to use a primer which creates a barrier between your skin and the makeup. And make sure you’re removing your makeup at the end of the day and cleansing properly. 

  1. Invest in a silk mask

Silk masks are some of the best masks to use if you can get your hands on some. They are not only much better for your skin but they also look super stylish. So why are silk masks so much better for our skin? First of all silk masks cause the least friction of all the different mask materials. Friction causes a type of acne mentioned before called “acne-mechanica”. Silk is also much more breathable compared to other masks, which helps prevent that moist environment that is perfect for bacteria growth. 

  1. Clean your mask after every use

While you should be cleaning your mask anyways to clean off any germs it’s also effective to prevent maskne. Cleaning your mask is pretty self explanatory but it basically gets rid of any makeup, oil or bacteria that’s built up on your mask. It also sort of resets that moist environment the mask creates. 

  1. Use benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide is one of the many acne treating  ingredients similar to salicylic acid. Benzoyl peroxide works great for clearing up acne by exfoliating and shedding dead skin cells and killing bacteria that is underneath the skin. If you’re struggling from maskne or acne in general, we recommend starting with a 2.5% formula of benzoyl peroxide. If you feel the 2.5% isn’t working for you, you can try a 5% but be careful because benzoyl peroxide can be a striping ingredient (always moisturise afterwards).

  1. Focus on strengthening your skin barrier

If you’re trying to solve skin issues you’ve probably heard of strengthening your moisture barrier, seeing as it’s super important for your skin. However if you haven’t heard about it let me fill you in. Your moisture barrier is the outer layer of your skin that protects you from UV damage and controls your moisture levels. Unfortunately the skin barrier can become damaged resulting in redness, peeling skin, acne itchiness or roughness. 

Masks can be extremely irritating by the friction as well as the hot, moist environment caused by the mask, possibly causing a damaged moisture barrier. Luckily you can strengthen and heal your skin’s barrier. Using less stripping harsh ingredients such as chemicals, acne treatments or makeup wipes is the first step. The next step is making sure your staying hydrated drinking water, using stronger moisturizers and trying a humidifier can all help. Using a gentle moisturizer is also super important when it comes to a damaged skin barrier.

  1. Avoid touching your face

While touching your face should be one of the things on your don’t do list during the pandemic anyway, it can also help prevent acne. Touching your face is a great way to spread bacteria from your hands to your skin, which in turn can of course cause acne. While it’s difficult not to touch your face (trust me I know) it’s super important in preventing not only acne but also coronavirus.

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Beauty Wellness

A Guide To Achieving Smooth Skin.

Smooth skin is desirable for just about everyone, unfortunately a number of factors can make it difficult to get rid of rough and dry skin. Fortunately when it comes to skincare nothing is impossible including achieving the smooth skin of your dream, and there are a couple of simple techniques that can take you one step closer to having buttery smooth skin. 

Before we get ahead of ourselves how does rough skin happen in the first place? Well, there’s a couple of culprits when it comes to rough skin. It could be a skin condition such as eczema, a damaged skin barrier, or exposure of irritants to the skin. Unfortunately, skincare products could be contributing to this issue. One of the most problematic skin care ingredients is denatured alcohol. Although if you have sensitive skin other ingredients such as essential oils, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide can also be problematic. However, lack of skincare products can also become an issue, to be more specific lack of sun protection. Sunscreen is super important to matter what type of skin you have, UV damage can cause damage to important collagen fibers in the skin which in turn causes dry, irritated, and acne-prone skin. 

But the sun isn’t the only external issue, things such as air pollution, dry air or cold winds can be affecting your path to smooth skin. To avoid this it’s important to make sure cleansing and moisturizing are a regular part of your routine. 

  • Chemically exfoliate

Getting rid of dead skin cells is the first step to achieving glowing and smooth skin. Although the idea of a “chemical” exfoliation may seem far too harsh, it’s actually much gentler than a mechanical exfoliation. Instead of tearing the dead skin cells of like a mechanical exfoliation, chemical exfoliants use gentle (and safe) chemicals to dissolve the “glue” that is holding dead skin cells onto the face. However as with any type of exfoliation its important to be gentle and not to use it everyday we recommend 2-3 times per week. 

  • Start dry brushing

Another form of exfoliation that has become quite popular is dry brushing. Dry brushing has a couple of benefits which make it a handy tool when it comes to getting smooth skin. For one it exfoliates and removes dead skin cells but it also stimulates circulation, which reduces puffiness, improves skin elasticity, lifts and tones the skin. 

  • Use a humidifier

Smooth skin starts with hydrated and moisturized skin. While it is very important to hydrate your skin on the inside it’s also important to do so on the outside. Using a humidifier is a great (and easy) way to reduce the effects of dry air on your skin, and add extra moisture to your skin. 

  • Start using vitamin C serum

Vitamin C is a powerful skincare ingredient, it has anti-aging properties and repairs existing skin damage. This leads to  bright, smooth skin. It also helps prevent future damage from free radicals, by neutralizing them. 

Vitamin C also helps prevent and repair UV damage. When your skin is exposed to UV light it lowers your vitamin C levels. Using a vitamin C serum can reverse the effects of sun damage. Vitamin C also repairs collagen levels by supporting collagen growth. All of this combined make vitamin C the perfect ingredient for smooth skin.

  • Use a strong moisturizer 

Moisturizers are a must step when it comes to smooth skin. For starters they help treat dry and flakey skin, which are the opposite of smooth and hydrated skin. It also prevents skin from being too oily which can lead to acne and an oily appearance on the skin. 

Moisturizers almost always are made with ingredients called emollients. Emollients are some of the most popular types of ingredients when it comes to smooth skin because they trap moisture onto the skin while preventing water loss. Another form of ingredients often found in moisturizers are humectants. Humectants help to moisturize the skin by pulling moisture from the surrounding air and onto your skin. 

If your finding your moisturizer isn’t doing the trick for your skin try to find a stronger moisturizer with emollients (things like shea butter, squalene, beeswax and cocoa butter), or humectants (things like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, honey and niacinamide) to help on your road to smooth skin. 

  • Use daily UV protection

Harmful UV rays are a cause of a number of skin issues, but one thing they are definitely not helpful for is getting smoother skin. While this shouldn’t be surprising information, a key step in having healthy, glowing skin is protecting your skin from the sun. It’s super important to protect your skin with sunscreen of around 30 SPF. Keep in mind you also need to reapply sunscreen throughout the day and use other types of sun protection (hats, sunglasses, etc).

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Beauty

10 Simple Secrets To Dewy Skin.

There are constantly new trends in the beauty and makeup world. One of the most popular trends recently is dewy makeup and skin. This makes tons of sense, although it’s just recently become more of a trend dewy skin has always been desirable. That being said there are tons of tips to get rid of textured, blemished, and dry skin to move on to dewy skin. Below are some of our favorite tips to achieve glowing and dewy skin. 

  1. Exfoliate regularly.

Exfoliation is the best way to obtain brighter skin, it’s also super easy. The most important thing to keep in mind with exfoliation is to keep it to a minimum of 2-3 times a week. This is because exfoliation can be harsh and strip your skin if used too often. Dermatologists have found the best form of exfoliation is a chemical exfoliant as opposed to a mechanical exfoliation. This is because mechanical exfoliation can cause micro tears and damage to your skin. 

  1. Use serum.

Serums are great because there are tons of different formulas that focus on different benefits. Such as serums that brighten, exfoliate, anti-age and more. When it comes to dewy skin these are all great options but if you need a good place to start we recommend a brightening serum. 

  1. Use products that promote circulation.

Poor circulation has bad effects on the skin such as drying or aging skin. Unfortunately circulation can also be impaired with age which is one of the culprits to aging skin. Skin care products with stimulating ingredients such as niacinamide, peppermint and vitamin B12 improve blood flow to obtain dewy and radiant skin. 

  1.  Hang your head upside down to promote blood flow.

Blood flow is a great way to improve dull skin. A nice trick for glowing skin is to carefully hang your head upside down for around three minutes (be sure not to hang upside down too long and only stay if you are comfortable). This can help skin appear to have an “inner glow” you will also notice a slight blush on your skin.

  1. Use Vitamin C.

Vitamin C has become a popular ingredient when it comes to skincare. One of its many benefits is brightening the skin. This happens by interfering with the pigmentation production and improving overall skin health. You only need a small amount of vitamin C to see instant and visible improvements. 

  1. Keep skin hydrated with a moisturizer.

A dewy look starts with hydrated and moisturized skin. Anyone and everyone who’s interested in skincare should always start with a moisturizer no matter what skin type they have. For years there has been a misconception about moisturizers and people with oily skin saying that if you have super oily skin you don’t need a moisturizer. This is totally untrue; everyone should use a daily moisturizer especially if you’re looking to achieve the dewy look. For dewy skin we recommend using a low weight cream moisturizer rather than a thick oily moisturizer. 

  1. Focus on repairing your moisture barrier.

If you’ve noticed your skin is dry, flakey and irritated this most likely leads to issues with your moisture barrier. As we’ve said above moisturized skin is a crucial step to a dewy look which is why it’s important to work on repairing your moisture barrier if it seems damaged. Luckily there are tons of products aimed towards doing exactly that, look for products aimed to get rid of red, dry, flakey or irritated skin that use hydrating ingredients. 

  1. Use facial massage tools.

Recently massaging tools have become super popular from guashas to jade rollers there are tons of options when it comes to giving yourself a face massage. These tools decrease puffiness and promote good circulation. Most of these tools are also super simple when it comes to user friendliness. If you want something super easy to use we would recommend a jade roller as it does most of the work for you all you have to do is move the roller. 

  1. Cleanse your skin regularly.

Cleansing is a crucial part of the skin care routine. It’s super important to remove dirt and grime from your skin to prevent acne and dirt buildup. Some cleansers also include exfoliating ingredients for a more radiant look. Try finding cleansers with salicylic acid to help prevent acne, flakey skin and clogged pores. 

  1. Stay hydrated. 

Keeping hydrated is helpful for almost every bodily function. When you’re not drinking enough water it can cause your skin to appear dull while wrinkles and blemishes can appear more prominent. Hydrating properly has benefits for the skin such as keeping skin plump and improving skin elasticity. For an ideal skin glow, the average person should drink around eight glasses of water (or around sixty-four ounces). Staying hydrated will not only keep your skin glowing and clear, but it will also help make sure your organs and body are running smoothly.

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Beauty Wellness

What Is Plum Oil? And What Are Its Benefits In Skincare?

Recently there are tons of new natural skincare ingredients such as aloe vera, almond oil and plum oil. Plum oil is exactly what it sounds like, an oil extracted from the seeds of French Ente plums. It has a couple of benefits, Its most popular benefits being skin and hair. Plum oil has been shown to be a super powerful ingredient similar to dried plums, which have been added to our list of some of the top superfoods. 

People seem to love plum oil and its effect on the skin. Many people love how plum oil has a rich and non sticky texture while still offering many benefits, which is great for people with oily skin. 

So what are all the benefits of plum oil? Like many natural oils, plum oil has tons of proven benefits for the skin. Below are all of the reasons you should try adding plum oil into your routine. 

  • Sun Protection 

We can never get enough sun protection and even if you’re using a daily sunscreen we can always use a little extra. Plum oil contains vitamin E which naturally protects your skin barrier from harmful UV rays and sun damage. 

  • Heals skin

The skin on our face goes through a lot from acne scarring, to sun damage which is why healing our skin is so important. Plum oil uses its many vitamins and omega’s to help heal and protect the skin’s barrier. 

  • Hydrates skin

Whether they have oily or dry skin, moisturizer is a big part of anyone’s skin care routine. Plum oil contains omega fatty acids, which are moisturizing for the skin. As Well as this it contains Vitamin E which is another major moisturizing ingredient. 

  • Gives skin a radiant/bright look

If you’ve ever seen someone with glowing and radiant skin, there are many reasons and ingredients that could cause that one of which being plum oil. One of the greatest beauty benefits of plum oil is the glowing look it gives skin. 

  • Protects against free radicals

Free radicals are unfortunately responsible for breaking down collagen in skin which in turn causes aged, saggy or unflattering skin. Fortunately there are tons of ways to battle free radicals. And one of those ingredients is, you guessed it plum oil. Plum oil contains 13 nourishing omega fatty acids and Vitamin E and A which provide the skin the opposite of what free radicals do. They heal and hydrate skin, promote skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles. 

With all these benefits plum oil seems like a win win deal. However as always with natural ingredients and oils there is always a risk factor of side effects. Luckily plum oil doesn’t have many but there is always a risk or an allergic reaction. This is why it’s important to spot test the plum oil on your hand before slathering it on your face. 

Another wonderful thing about plum oil along with many other natural ingredients is its super easy to use. Once you get your hands on plum oil all you have to do is drop some into your hands and put it straight on your face. Simple as that!

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Beauty Lifestyle

12 Makeup Tips For Glowing Skin.

The way your skin looks can have a huge effect on how confident and good you feel, and even with makeup it can be hard to cover up skin blemishes and imperfections. However luckily it’s not impossible to get the perfect skin complexion using makeup with just a few simple tips. 

  • Take care of your skin.

It may seem obvious, or it may seem easier to just cover up blemishes with makeup. But it’s super important to put taking care of your skin first. If you’re taking good care of your skin and have a good skincare regime you won’t need as much makeup.

  • Apply concealer before foundation. 

Typically people apply foundation and then concealer, but it may be a better idea to apply concealer first and then foundation. Apply concealer on your nose, chin and under eyes. After doing this you wont need as much foundation and your skin will appear much brighter. 

  • Fully blend your foundation.

Blending foundation can be a bit of a hassle but it’s super important. Use a brush or sponge (more on this below) and blend outwards and down the neck. Blending down the neck is crucial to avoid looking like you’re wearing a “foundation mask”. To avoid it looking like you are wearing foundation blending it out fully is super important.

  • Use sponges and brushes.

Going along with the importance of blending foundation the most popular ways to do so is using a foundation brush or sponge. When it comes to deciding between a sponge or brush its all about preference, you can even combine the two. 

-Foundation Brush

A foundation brush is my personal favorite way to blend out foundation. It gets in every area of the face easily, and easily glides along the face unlike a sponge which requires a dabbing motion. To use a foundation brush just put some foundation on the back of your hand and directly dab the brush in the foundation and apply to the face. One of the only downsides to the foundation brush is that it can cause a streaky look on the foundation if it’s not completely blended, but this is pretty easy to avoid. 

– Sponge

When it comes to foundation a sponge is probably the most popular option. While it can be a bit more difficult to deal with and to get into tight corners of the face its can offer a more smooth and even look than the brush when the foundation is fully blended. 

  • Properly match your color.

Matching colors can really make or break your makeup look because it can be quite obvious if your color doesn’t match. Unfortunately for some people it can be extremely difficult to find a color that properly matches them that where mixing colors comes in. When you can’t seem to find a foundation color you can mix your own using two different shades. Mixing shades is quite easy, just take the two shades closest to your own and mix them together. 

  • Use primers.

Primers have become quite popular to not only give your makeup a better look but also add a protective layer between your skin and the foundation. Primer is great because it helps the foundation apply more smoothly by filling lines and wrinkles so the foundation won’t sink into it. It also acts as a moisturizer and plums the skin. The good news is for anyone with super oily skin there are tons of oil free primers so it doesn’t add to the shiny look oil gives the skin.

  • Use blush and bronzer.

Since foundation covers up any access color in your face it’s important to use blush and bronzers so it doesn’t look super unnatural. Blush and bronzer are also super easy to use but really elevate your look. 

  • Use a low coverage foundation.

Unless it’s absolutely necessary for your skin its best to avoid a full coverage foundation when possible. This is so you avoid a “cake face” or a super thick, unnatural sheet of foundation. It’s best to apply foundation in areas with unnatural skin tones or blemishes. 

  • Apply facial mist averterwards. 

A dewy look is super desirable and achieving it doesn’t just come down to how you apply your makeup but also what you do afterwards. Facial mists are a great and super easy way to achieve a natural and dewy makeup look. 

  • Use a potted foundation.

While potted foundations may not be as popular as liquid foundations, it offers a more natural dewy foundation look. Potted foundations are super easy to use possibly even more so than regular liquid foundations. All you do is place your foundation sponge directly into the pot and then it can go on your face.

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Beauty Wellness

How To Tell If Your Acne Is from Stress.

Stress is a common thing everyone goes through, unfortunately so are breakouts. Almost everyone has experienced acne at some point or another and they probably will experience more in their lives. Unfortunately there are a lot of different things that can cause breakouts whether it be hormones, clogged pores, unhealthy diet or even stress. That’s right, stress not only takes a toll on your mental health but also your skin, which can make stressful times even more stressful than they already are. The worst part about stress breakouts is it can be difficult to figure out whether stress is what’s causing your acne. But luckily it’s not impossible. 

Stress is a very probable reason you’re experiencing breakouts this is because when you’re stressed your stress hormones rise signaling your body to produce more oil in your oil glands. This however is different from hormonal acne caused by your period. Hormonal acne has the same effect on the oil glands. The best way to tell the difference is to track your acne. For example if you’re noticing you get breakouts during a certain time of your cycle every month it’s probably not a stress hormone (unless something stresses you out the same time every month). You can also track if you’re breaking out after using a certain product. It is likely related to that product rather than stress.

There is also another way to spot stress acne. Stress acne typically appears in the cartian spots on the face. If you often experience acne in your T-zone (above your eyebrows on the forehead, and down to nose and chin in a T shape) it is quite possibly related to stress. If pimples in that area are accompanied by blackheads, whiteheads, larger pores, shiny/oily skin, redness or itchiness it’s most likely because of stress as regular acne won’t appear with these symptoms. 

Now that you know what stress acne is it would be useful to know how to prevent it. But before we learn to prevent it we need to understand exactly how stress acne works. As it may seem quite simple, stress acne goes deeper than just stress. As you may know acne is typically linked to hormones the same goes with stress acne. Stress triggers the release of a hormone called cortisol also known as “the stress hormone”. Cortisol in high enough amounts disrupts the hormone levels that control the sebum balance in your skin, which in turn can result in clogged pores which can result in acne. Stress can also cause hormonal changes that simply worsen your acne. 

So finally how can we prevent stress acne? Firstly taking care of your skin and regular acne treatments are a great way to deal with stress acne. Some options to use for acne treatment are topical over the counter treatments such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. It’s important to figure out what works for your skin, if your stress acne isn’t going away it’s important to switch up your routine and figure out what’s going to help. If nothing seems to work, it’s important to talk to a dermatologist to see what you can do.

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Beauty Lifestyle

Can Aloe Vera Treat Acne Scars?

Aloe vera has become a very popular ingredient especially in skincare. Aloe vera is most well known for being a hydrator however it can also be an exfoliant, it has mostly been used for sunburns, dry skin and even eczema. Aloe Vera is great for just about every skin type especially because it doesn’t have an oily consistency. With this alone aloe is a great ingredient but aloe may also be a treatment for acne scars. 

Anyone who’s dealt with acne knows it’s awful, annoying and can be incredibly hard to get rid of. But even worse than acne is acne scars. Acne scars can be even more difficult to get rid of than acne, and can even take weeks or months to go away. Luckily there are a couple of treatments for acne scars one of which is aloe vera. 

But what exactly is aloe vera? Aloe vera comes from the natural aloe plant. It comes in gel like consistency and is quite simple to get straight out of the aloe plant. All you have to do is cut open one of the leaves from the plant and the gel will come out easily. 

There are a couple of benefits aloe has on acne scars one of which being repairing the skin. Like any other scar, acne scars are caused by a breakage in the skin. Luckily aloe vera can help prevent and treat these scars because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. As Well as this studies have shown that aloe vera increases growth factors from the cells that make collagen also known as fibroblasts. Aloe vera also heals wounds and inflammation. Which is exactly what acne scars are. This is because aloe vera decreases a chemical called thromboxane which slows down wound healing. It also contains something called magnesium lactate, which decreases histamine (a chemical involved in the anti-inflammatory response) and itching/irritation.  

But aloe’s benefits don’t stop with just acne scarring. Many people know aloe vera is a great treatment for sun burns or damaged skin but there’s even more than that. Going along with the sun burn treatment one of the benefits of aloe is soothing the skin. As mentioned before soothing the skin is the most popular use of aloe when it comes to skin care. It can be used to soothe itching, burning, and irritation. Another benefit is moisturizing, aloe has been shown to have a strong moisturizing effect however it may not be the best for people who need an extreme moisturizer such as people with eczema.  Aloe can also prevent transepidermal water loss or (TEWL) TEWL is something that happens when the skin gets dehydrated caused by water passing from the body, through the epidermis and into the surrounding air. This can cause irritation and dryness in the skin. Aloe contains something called phytosterols which soothe the irritation caused by TEWL and can also prevent TEWL itself. Lastly aloe vera can cool and hydrate the skin, this helps with the sunburn aspect because while it is actually helping the sunburn it feels nice on the irritated skin as well. This is due to the fact that aloe vera is 99.5% water. 

Now that you know how aloe vera helps to get rid of acne scarring, there are a couple of ways to use aloe so which one is the best for acne scars? There are a number of different ways to use aloe some of which including, gels, drinks and supplements. So far the best way we have found to use aloe for acne scars is gels or topical treatments. Taking aloe vera orally has shown to not have the same effect on healing scarring or other wounds. Whenever you notice acne scarring showing up on your skin you can start applying aloe right away for 1-2 weeks or until you have the results you want. Start your skin care routine normally by washing your face. After you’ve dried your face you can apply a thin layer of aloe to the skin and continue with your skin care routine. This should be done 1-2 times a day. 

With anything skincare products (especially natural ones such as aloe) irritation is a risk. Luckily since aloe is mostly water and not a strong ingredient it doesn’t have much of a risk for bad side effects. However, allergies are always a risk when it comes to natural ingredients. If you’re not sure whether you’re allergic to aloe or not, be sure to spot-test it on your hand or arm before applying it to your face.

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Beauty

Everything About Bacne.

What exactly is bacne? Bacne is short for back acne which is simply acne (similar to the acne on your face) on your back. Just like the face your back carries oil cells, dead skin and bacteria. This can lead to clogged and inflamed pores causing breakouts. The back also easily builds up sweat. Which makes it more susceptible to breakouts. 

There are also different types of bacne. These include whiteheads (a closed pore clogged with oil, dead skin cells, hair follicles or bacteria). Blackheads (similar to a whitehead, a closed pore clogged with oil, dead skin cells, hair follicles or bacteria). Cystic acne (acne that occurs beneath the skin typically red, painful or swollen). Papules (raised bumps on the skin that do not contain pus). Pustules (small bumps on the skin caused by oil, dead skin cells, hair follicles or bacteria typically filled with pus). 

Unfortunately there are a couple different things that can cause bacne. One of the main causes of bacne is hormones or excessive oil. Much like regular acne one of the main causes of bacne is hormones. If you’re going through puberty or on your period you may notice you have more bacne than usual. This is because hormones produce extra oil in the skin which in turn clothes the pores causing acne. 

Clothing can also cause bacne. Friction from the clothes or laundry detergents could be causing you acne. Clothes can also be causing you acne by trapping sweat or dead skin cells on your skin. 

Unfortunately another cause of bacne could simply be genetics. Just like you can inherent acne on your face or in other parts of your body you can inherent acne on your back. 

Lastly is not cleaning your back enough/not cleaning it properly. As mentioned before sweat and dead skin cells are a big cause of acne. This is why washing your skin can help prevent bacne. It is especially important to wash your skin after exercising. 

So how can you prevent and cure bacne? Luckily bacne can be treated and there are a few things you can do to prevent it. To prevent bacne it’s important that you don’t leave on sweaty clothes/shower after doing something that could cause sweat. Wearing breathable clothing especially when exercising is another simple way to prevent your bacne. Much like clothing backpack straps can also cause bacne, when possible avoid backpacks or anything that can cause friction in that area. Another thing to avoid when it comes to bacne is tanning. It may seem like a tan can improve your acne and make it less noticeable however tanning can increase the pigment and leave the scars longer. 

There’s also a couple of treatments for bacne, one of the best treatments recommended by dermatologists is acne medicated face/body wash. Some ingredients to look for in these cleansers are salicylic acid/benzoyl peroxide. Both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are great treatments for any type of acne. You can also use a treatment with these ingredients if the body wash isn’t for you. 

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Beauty

What is fungal acne, and how to treat it?

Fungal acne is a struggle for many because it’s hard to not only diagnose but also treat. The challenge with fungal acne is that it looks very similar to regular acne. Fungal acne is caused by an overgrowth of yeast also known as pityrosporum folliculitis. This shows on the skin in a form of small bumps similar to pimples. 

So what exactly is fungal acne? Fungal acne is a specific type of papular acne. Although fungal acne can seem very similar to regular acne luckily there are a few ways you can differentiate the two. Firstly fungal acne typically shows up in clusters rather than on its own as well as this typically regular acne shows up in different shapes and sizes while fungal acne typically appears as small uniform red bumps. Fungal acne typically shows up on the back or chest but it can appear on the face. When it is on the face it is typically on the forehead or near the mouth area. It is also typically itchy even more so than regular acne. 

So what exactly causes fungal acne and how do you prevent it? Luckily it’s once you know how it’s quite easy to avoid fungal acne. One of the number one causes of fungal acne is heat and humidity. People who live in hotter climates are more likely to have fungal acne, this is because the yeast that causes fungal acne thrives in humid environments. 

Another big cause of fungal acne is sweat. It’s pretty common knowledge to shower after a workout but your sweat isn’t just making you feel gross it could also be causing fungal acne. Since yeast can be contagious, contact with others who have fungal acne can also cause you to gain it.


Unfortunately, normal acne treatments don’t typically work on fungal acne. The good news is that once you spot it there are a couple of different ways you can treat it. One of the most popular treatments for fungal acne is actually dandruff shampoo. As surprising as it is many people have actually had great results treating their fungal acne by using anti-dandruff shampoo on their faces. This is because most anti-dandruff shampoo includes an ingredient called selenium sulfide. Selenium sulfide has antifungal properties. Another somewhat odd treatment for fungal acne is honey. Honey also has strong anti-fungal properties, putting straight honey on your face in areas with acne is a super-easy way to help fungal acne. Showering/washing your face more regularly can also help to prevent the yeast build-up that causes fungal acne. Other over the counter antifungal treatments are also a great way to treat fungal acne.