Visible skin problems, like breakouts, usually have the owner reaching for an exfoliating cleanser or lotion or mask or all of the above. In almost all cases, this does not work for long and the owner now searches out something stronger. Makeup is also employed, often in large amounts.
The problem does not go away, usually gets complicated further and the owner becomes resigned to the visible mess and continues to spend and spend on guided and unguided expeditions to futility. Years can go by.
The single most challenging part of this is to answer the why of it. Why has skin gone wrong?
Products and practices are the obvious and true answer. It is not complicated why skin has gone wrong. However, it is apparently very complicated to admit the reason is found in our choices.
If we admit to that, the next challenge is to find a solution. Of course, we have been looking for a solution nonstop and spending ourselves into penury in doing just that so this “find a solution” nostrum sounds almost sarcastic. But not so fast. A solution is at hand and has been all along and is quite simple.
The need to look at the problem in a new way is the simple solution. Take the obvious and reverse it is the ancient wisdom. Rather than do everything, do nothing.
Stop everything.
This is the first step and counter intuitive. That is why it is usually the last step, so don’t feel singled out. “Stop everything” means to set aside all the products save one. You only need to cleanse as a matter of hygiene so choose a cleanser. Two is better, to alternate.
That seems simple enough until you know that cleansers are a leading cause of skin problems. Choose a very mild cleanser, one without any betaines or acids.
It can be very difficult to find such a product you will soon discover.
My suggestion is 302 Skincare’s FACE & BODY BAR and REVIVE, both are available at 302skincare.com.
REVIVE is very unique and can also double as a moisturizer. So with two inexpensive products you have set yourself out a simple, simple solution to visible chaos.
It is important also to reduce makeup to powders, and only occasionally. Daily use will continue the chaos. Less is best.
This approach will bring your skin back to a baseline of normal metabolism and many of your visible problems will simply go away. Your skin will be stable and regain desirable qualities.
For those with unstable skin, prone to acne, this regimen will almost always resolve that instability. It will be very tempting to add something to the mix and if you do, then very soon after you are right back where you started with visible problems.
You need two months of stable, unchanging, simple cleansing and very minimal powder makeup (never liquid). This is easy if you are easy going and very challenging if you are impulsive. But it will work.
Now after that long introduction, what about the scars?
Acne scars do not arise overnight. They are a product of many influences including poor product choices. Oddly enough, very sheer, well organized and very desirable skin that is cellularly dense often suffers from this problem and it can be very troublesome to experience and picking at zits is a leading cause. The search for “smooth again” is often an ordeal and as described above, can lead to years of frustration.
A key point: chemical exfoliation WILL make things worse in the long run. This statement is against every sort of industry approach and advice, but it is true. No one ever improved acne scars by chemically exfoliating. Only the most temporary (a few days) visible effects occur and this is mistaken by the owner as the best, if disappointing, method.
Abrading the skin by various means, like scrubs, also will not solve the problem and often creates an undesirable pinking or worse, inflammation.
Lasers are expensive and only a few will assist in weeding out undesirable scar structures – and only for a short period of time (months) and if treatments are continued, new scar tissue will form – because lasers literally burn a very discrete area of tissue which in itself creates micro-scarring. More importantly, the original problem continues to come up again. The skin continues to form the scars, lasers cannot stop that.
Injections to fill in the uneven texture are expensive, results poor and do nothing to address the real problem.
The use of micro-perforation will temporarily flood the scar area with new cells but again this is not a solution to the underlying problem which is a continuing failure in skin architecture and cell organization.
SIDEBAR: The use of benzoyl peroxide is nowadays often employed when acne is persistent. This is the single most destructive topical extant today that can easily lead to permanent (that means irreversible) visible damage. It should be restricted to only the most severe pustular acne and for a very short duration at very low dose. The misinformed who advocate the use of this toxic chemical do a great disservice.
Going back to treating scars: “The underlying problem is a failure in skin architecture and cell organization.”
The real solution choices are very few, but happily, they are very effective.
The first choice is the use of Vitamin A.
There are many topical forms of this such as RetinA© and Tazorac© and Differin©, etc., and oral tablets of Accutane© unfortunately most always these are overprescribed leading to dry, flaking skin and much worse.
Vitamin A has a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde nature. It can dramatically restore the desirable layer-cake structure of the skin (that in scarring is a crumbled up mess), induce desirable capillary formation and other functional activities. But, if over-applied or taken orally to excess, undesirable things can happen. Many have experienced these negative effects and sworn off Vitamin A.
That would be a mistake. The topical use of Vitamin A as retinol limited to once or twice per week at maximum, will have an outstanding visible effect over time in helping to clear acne scars.
Such a product is available from 302 Skincare as A 1.0 DROPS and A 1.0 SERUM.
The next, and far more important anti-scar ingredient is the 302 molecule.
The scar is a collection of crumpled together cells and poorly formed proteins. As baby cells arise they knit together in rope-like strands but in acne scars the strands are knotted up and a kind of gristle forms.
The 302 molecule unwinds the knots and the gristle is replaced by soft, resilient tissue. 302 is very safe, with no unwanted side effects.
The 302 molecule is outstanding in combination with retinol (A 1.0 DROPS | A 1.0 SERUM) and over the course of time acne scars visibly and permanently reduce and for many the results are life changing. Step by step.
302 DROPS or 302 SERUM applied 2x per week is a great value and the single most effective anti-scar molecule available anywhere.
With an effective, mild cleansing regimen, as we discussed and using the REVIVE to spread both 302 DROPS and A 1.0 DROPS you will have the best tools anywhere to complete your search for effective, simple care.
Read about these products and their usage with in depth discussions at 302skincare.com.
