Hello, I had acne for over a decade - those 10 years were the worst of my life.
During this time I would lack confidence, stay at home and even skip work and school - just because of my skin.
I have learnt a wealth of information from speaking with professionals and medical students during my time at university - Now I'm acne free and having the time of my life.
Cleansing products are designed to remove the excess oil, dirt, bacteria and even pollutants that get trapped in the outer layer of our skin.
These foreign objects can clog pores and cause infection - aka Acne.
I used skin cleansing products for many years whilst I had acne, my skin only reaped the benefits of these products after I learnt how to use them correctly i.
e.
Not at all.
1.
Hot Water Will Have the Same Effect Popular cleansers only remove dirt and oil from the outer most layer of the skin, but what other substance do you know of that will do this? HOT WATER! That's right; hot water will clean your skin just as well.
I would fill a sink full of boiling water - steam my face for 3 minutes, then wash with hot water (not boiling!)...
Believe me - it will have the same effect...
2.
Irritation of Skin When Applying the Product Acne is basically an infection, when our body is fighting an infection it does not need more irritation.
What I learnt was simple, If your face is clear then feel free to give it a good scrub, if it's pimple ridden with inflamed patches, don't.
When you apply the cleansing cream/gel over your face you are irritating that infection - it doesn't matter how careful you are at applying the products, you're going to cause more damage.
Think of it like a scab, if you touch or pick at the scab it will take longer to heal, this is because you are interfering with your bodies natural defences.
3.
Overuse Will Damage the Skins Protection System Cleansers are designed to remove part of the epidermis - the outer layer of the skin, but this is a protective barrier, it is the skin moisture barrier.
If this layer is damaged by harsh cleansers then your skin is exposed to bacteria, dust, smoke, sweat and make-up, in fact anything that blocks the pores.
Think of it like a weak bleach - you wouldn't add that to your skin would you? 4.
It's A Very Temporary Effect You might say "yeah, but my skin feels so smooth and oil free after a good cleanse'.
This is correct, I've been there.
You do realise the skin care industry is worth over $40,000,000,000 per year worldwide, that's 40 billion dollars! They want your skin to feel great after using their products! In my experience this 'smooth' feeling will last about 4 hours - it is temporary, what you want is something permanent, right? 5.
Overpricing Due to Commercialism As previously mentioned, skin care products are worth a LOT of money.
The big hitters in the industry are competing ferociously and spending a lot of money on multi-million dollar advertising campaigns, they need to price their products high enough in order to fund these advertising campaigns - get the picture? Why Use These Overpriced Products If you can use other systems etc? By all means, try out everything yourself - make up your own mind.
During this time I would lack confidence, stay at home and even skip work and school - just because of my skin.
I have learnt a wealth of information from speaking with professionals and medical students during my time at university - Now I'm acne free and having the time of my life.
Cleansing products are designed to remove the excess oil, dirt, bacteria and even pollutants that get trapped in the outer layer of our skin.
These foreign objects can clog pores and cause infection - aka Acne.
I used skin cleansing products for many years whilst I had acne, my skin only reaped the benefits of these products after I learnt how to use them correctly i.
e.
Not at all.
1.
Hot Water Will Have the Same Effect Popular cleansers only remove dirt and oil from the outer most layer of the skin, but what other substance do you know of that will do this? HOT WATER! That's right; hot water will clean your skin just as well.
I would fill a sink full of boiling water - steam my face for 3 minutes, then wash with hot water (not boiling!)...
Believe me - it will have the same effect...
2.
Irritation of Skin When Applying the Product Acne is basically an infection, when our body is fighting an infection it does not need more irritation.
What I learnt was simple, If your face is clear then feel free to give it a good scrub, if it's pimple ridden with inflamed patches, don't.
When you apply the cleansing cream/gel over your face you are irritating that infection - it doesn't matter how careful you are at applying the products, you're going to cause more damage.
Think of it like a scab, if you touch or pick at the scab it will take longer to heal, this is because you are interfering with your bodies natural defences.
3.
Overuse Will Damage the Skins Protection System Cleansers are designed to remove part of the epidermis - the outer layer of the skin, but this is a protective barrier, it is the skin moisture barrier.
If this layer is damaged by harsh cleansers then your skin is exposed to bacteria, dust, smoke, sweat and make-up, in fact anything that blocks the pores.
Think of it like a weak bleach - you wouldn't add that to your skin would you? 4.
It's A Very Temporary Effect You might say "yeah, but my skin feels so smooth and oil free after a good cleanse'.
This is correct, I've been there.
You do realise the skin care industry is worth over $40,000,000,000 per year worldwide, that's 40 billion dollars! They want your skin to feel great after using their products! In my experience this 'smooth' feeling will last about 4 hours - it is temporary, what you want is something permanent, right? 5.
Overpricing Due to Commercialism As previously mentioned, skin care products are worth a LOT of money.
The big hitters in the industry are competing ferociously and spending a lot of money on multi-million dollar advertising campaigns, they need to price their products high enough in order to fund these advertising campaigns - get the picture? Why Use These Overpriced Products If you can use other systems etc? By all means, try out everything yourself - make up your own mind.
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