Help! Skin SOS

[houseofsabrina]

I recently went to Montreal for Osheaga (music festival) but now I'm back home and my skin is totally freaking out. I didn't use my full skin care routine while I was away but I did NOT think it would get this bad. 

Any tips on how to tame breakouts ASAP? 

I just want my skin back to normal 😞 

For reference - my skin is normal to combo. 

[comeoneileen88]

My tried and true method for taming breakouts is just stripping my routine down to the bare minimum for a few days. I sub out my normal Cleanser for something with salicylic acid like Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Cleanser followed by a basic moisturizer like Clinique Moisture Surge. I find this method will usually calm my skin down within a week and once things clear up I start to reintroduce my other products like eye cream, retinol, serums, and masks. 

[GhostInTheShell]

I keep a bottle of Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment around for breakouts. It contains Sulfur, AHAs, and zinc oxide that immediately dry out the zits. You don't shake the product - instead dip a q-tip down into the liquid until it picks up some of the pink sulfur then dab it on. I leave it on overnight and usually zits are reduced in size and redness and more manageable in the morning.

Another product I like is AmorePacific's Treatment Enzyme Peel. Pour a little powder into your palm, wet into a lather, then rub your face with it for about 30 seconds. It strips all the oil off your face leaving it squeaky clean. Just make sure to moisturize after - even though you're breaking out - to rebalance your skin. Both products mentioned are on the expensive side but last quite a while. 

Hope you found something that works! 🙂 

[volcaniclungs]

Hi there! 

It's likely that the long days at Osheaga and the heat would increase the chances of your skin clogging up, so it's best to exfoliate with chemical exfoliators, such as AHA or BHAs. Physical exfoliators should be avoided because they can be harsh on the skin and can compromise the skin barrier. 

AHAs are water-soluble and work on the surface of the skin to breakup dead skin cells and increase the cell-turnover rate. BHAs also work similarly, but are oil-soluble and thus, can penetrate deeper into the pore to unclog it at the root. 

Although it's not sold at Sephora, I currently use Cosrx's AHA Liquid and it improved my acne-prone skin immensely. A product that might work well for you now would be First Aid Beauty's Facial Radiance Pads. 

[houseofsabrina]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely try to add some AHA/BHAs into my routine. I have the Herbivore Moonfruit night cream (that I'm pretty sure contains both) that I'm going to switch to until my skin calms TF down lol. 

[lovesluca]

This is going to sound really crazy... ice dips for your face.  Ice will help calm the inflammation and get your skin back to normal.  Either get an ice cube and slowly rub it around on your face or dip your whole face in a large bowl of ice water a few times.  Pat dry and continue with your skin care routine.