You are What You Eat: Let’s talk Spots.

Welcome to You are What You Eat: Chapter Two… this time I will be talking about blemishes, acne, spots, blackheads, alien invasions… 

I think breakouts and spots are one of the biggest annoyances that our skin delivers. From teenage skin to hormonal skin, women and men, suffer from breakouts right from the age of 13 all the way up to late 40’s. CAN SOMEONE JUST INVENT A SPOT ZAPPER ALREADY?!

In this post, I thought it best to try and answer some common questions, hope this helps you guys:

Why and Where do spots come from? 

We all get spots unfortunately from time to time, this is because our skin is covered in tiny little holes called pores. The glands inside our pores can become infected by bacteria, causing them to swell up and produce pus. Ew. The bacteria can come from numerous places: dead skin cells shedding  blocking the pores, wearing make-up, excess sebum production… dirt, grime and oil built up basically. 

Keep in mind: Spots and acne are pretty much the same thing. Acne differs because it is more severe, the spots become more inflamed and can be quite painful. If you think you have acne always seek a dermatologist for advice.

Our hormones control the glands in our pores, hence why teenagers are prone to break outs whilst their hormones are all over the show, the same goes for during pregnancy. Hormones are always going to be there, which is why even when you get way past your teens, you can still get breakouts. Stress has a huge impact on the skin. If you have a high power job, live and work in a stressful environment, whatever the reason you are stressed watch how your skin changes. 

 How can I help get rid of them and control further breakouts?

Drink as much water as you possibly can, this will flush out all the toxins your body holds onto during the day. It will keep your skin looking radiant. Avoid harsh scrubs and change to a more gentle scrub. Harsh scrubs can damage the pores making them more prone to becoming blocked with bacteria, they also have a tendency to just pick up and drop the bacteria to somewhere else on your skin..

Think about your skincare routine – DITCH FACEWIPES IMMEDIATELY. 

Double cleanse of an evening to remove every trace of make-up. 

Use a facemask or peel 2-3 times a week. 

Only put moisturiser where you need it, avoid oily areas for a little while. 

Ingredients to look out for that help spots:

Tea tree oil – is a natural antiseptic essential oil which dissolves skin oils and kills bacteria. 

 Products: Lush Tea Tree Oil Facial Toner | Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser | The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Exfoliating Pads

 Rose Water – protects the skin from bacterial infections as well as being gentle and soothing.

Products: Lush Eau Roma Toner | Chantecaille Pure Rosewater | Chantecaille Water Flower Fluid | Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

Clay – draws out impurities and tightens the skin as well as giving your skin the hydration and minerals it needs to be healthy.

Products: Chantecaille Detox Clay Mask | Eve Lom Rescue Mask | Eve Lom Dynaspot | SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Mask | Kiehls Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser | Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser

AHAs: aid in unclogging pores and freeing white heads and black heads. Lactic (from milk), glycolic (from sugar cane) and citric acids (from oranges and lemons) are the most commonly used AHAs.

Products: Pumpkin Enzyme Facial Peel | REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate | Zelens Resurfacing Facial Pads | Nude Miracle Mask | Elemental Herbology Facial Glow | Natura Bisse Glyco Extreme Peel

Salicylic Acid: opens up clogged pores and neutralises trapped bacteria, it also helps down white heads and black heads. 

Products: Cane and Austin Acne pads | Dermaquest Glycolic Cleanser | Eve Lom Dynaspot | Dr Brandt Pore Solution | Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant | Revive Acne Reparatif

What can I use to cover them up?

Thank goodness for make-up! There are plenty of foundations and concealers on the market to help hide blemishes. However, with so many to choose from how do you know which ones will work best? Remember you want something with good coverage, something that is lightweight so your pores can still breathe, maybe spot fighting ingredients within the formula, and one that will help take down the redness. As I have oily / spot prone skin I thought I would give you a list of my personal favourites:

Foundations: 

Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Foundation | Nars Sheer Glow Foundation | Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation | M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid | Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation 

Concealer:

Laura Mercier Secret Camoflauge | Illamasqua Concealer | M.A.C Studio Fix Concealer | Benefit Erase Paste

Setting Powder:

Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder | Illamasqua Transclucent Setting Powder | M.A.C Mineralise Skinfinish powders | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Application Tip: Apply foundation first, use a brush instead of finger tips on the areas that you have blemishes. Use a small point brush to cover spots – you can be more accurate and cover the area better. Always set areas of concealer with powder to stop it from moving. 

    Will changing my diet help?

YES! By eating less sugary foods, drinking more water and cutting out fizzy drinks, you will be flushing out unwanted toxins which can have a big effect on your skin. 

Eat fruit. Apples, bananas, kiwis, strawberries, pomegranate etc all contain high levels of anti oxidants. These help protect your skin from “free radicals” that break down the cellular structure of your skin. 

Eat more fish. Salmon, mackerel, sardines etc all contain high levels of Omegas and fatty acids which are great for sustaining healthy skin.

Supplements. Try taking Spiralina tablets or drinking it (it’s not nice but worth it) as this helps improve your skin – great for breakout prone skin. 

I hope this post has helped you guys, sorry it has been a bit lengthy. If you have any more questions regarding skincare, particular ingredients, diet etc please feel free to leave me a comment in the box below. I also offer skin care consultations via email: [email protected]. 

See you soon,