Acne Advice From a Very Famous Dematologist
We’d love to share some advice we read today. It was on Vanity Fair’s beauty blog, which we love and read daily, and the advice was care of celebuderm Patricia Wexler, the super-quotable women’s-magazine mainstay who has a line of cosmetics that you couldn’t pay us to use.
This was a list of “did you know?” tips from really famous dermatologists (and one weight-loss expert), all of whom, like Wexler, have their own product lines.
Pat Wexler took on acne, and we’d like to weigh in on the advice she gave.
From the top:
Did you know…that bad luck isn’t to blame for that monster zit on your really important day? It’s stress. Stress increases the cortisol level in our blood, which then increases oil production and clogs pores, which creates a recipe for disaster.
Plus 10! Stress is to blame for a lot of acne. It can trigger some very real and very skin-unfriendly physiological effects. All too often root causes are overlooked in acne treatment, so it’s great to see her get straight to the point here. But wait….
To prevent it, use a good salicylic acid cleanser regularly.
Minus 3! Stress is to blame so…use a salicylic acid cleanser (like, ahem, hers)? How about “try to focus on reducing your stress” and then offer some helpful tips on how to unwind, like turning off your BlackBerry at night, or meditating and doing yoga, or having sex more often? Anyway, even if you go holistic, we understand that often enough you just get a freaking zit anyway (or, like, five). So what to do?
If you feel something coming on, try a topical product with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide with an anti-inflammatory ingredient to reduce redness because you don’t have to kill your skin to kill your pimple.
Minus 1,000! Ugh. Benzoyl peroxide. As we have mentioned: BP has been shown it to be free-radical-generating, and it has caused tumors in mice—to say nothing of its skin-peeling harshness. We strongly advise people to stay away from this topical.
We’re not trying to be fight-picky we swear! We just think that there’s a lot of bad acne advice out there. If you want some gentler, more holistic (but still effective) ways to tackle breakouts, you can read some advice here.
Final rating: -993
Love this- great analysis! Definitely a -993.
Sounds like “traditional” advice – the same stuff I followed for years as a teenager & young adult. Now, I’ve moved on & have skin that’s clearer than ever!
I agree, this is the typical advice that you get from every dermatologist which only helps to mask the deeper issue. That and food has nothing to with acne.
-993 is right. A few months ago, I started using oils on my face – when my face gets spazzy, I just mix up a little tea tree oil and vitamin E oil, dab some on any spots I feel coming on, and it clears up and chills out. Plain yogurt masks work, too.
P.S. I LOVE your book… it’s changing my life, for real…
Bought your book, and have to thank you for all the great information and suggestions on products.For the first time I feel like someone actually cares instead of trying to sell me something.You are greatly appreciated in this household.
I love your book too! It’s making so much sense … Thanks for this post — I wish people who were held up as “experts” were actually challenged by mag journalists on the safety and scientific wisdom of their advice. Sadly, it just seems like a way to hock their products.
I used to use benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid daily (and for years) because that’s what so many derms recommend. After reading your book I completely changed my skincare routine. Now I only use jojoba oil, Dr. Bronner’s soap (plain), and a mixture of tea tree oil and aloe vera. Works much better and is so much cheaper. And it has eliminated any desire to be a product guinea pig when flipping through fashion magazines.
For occasional pimples I just love my Zeno, it’s just as effective as benzoyl peroxide without the use of any chemicals whatsoever.
As far as your assertions on benzoyl peroxide, you need to do more research:
http://www.acne.org/faq.html#cancer
http://www.acne.org/faq.html#wrinkles
The study that you site is the anomaly; other similar studies yielded very different results in regards to benzoyl peroxide use.
Using natural products is good, if they work. However, to bash benzoyl peroxide (which does work, if used correctly), may take away the chance to be acne-free from many who suffer from the skin condition. I tried all of the oils and such that you have recommended on here, to no avail. Benzoyl peroxide works. You need to check your facts.
I agree with Miliani. The best acne advice one can give is to find what works best for you, assuming it’s safe – which, in fact, benzoyl peroxide is. People with certain skin types may experience peeling or itching, but adverse affects can be found in response to any kind of treatment (natural, clean, or otherwise) depending on a person’s genetic and biological makeup. I’ve met people who attempted completely natural and clean methods for acne remedies and met with disastrous results, ranging from itching and peeling to even worse acne than they began with. I agree wholeheartedly with your efforts to provide safe, wholesome, and healthy alternatives to mainstream cosmetics, but I also don’t think you should simply ban everything you can’t grow in your backyard garden. In fact, benzoyl peroxide is included in the World Health Organization (WHO) Model Lists of Essential medicines, which is a list of minimum medical needs for a basic health care system.