Dealing With Problem Skin

Your teenage years come with all sorts of firsts - first dates, first kisses, first time driving a car...first outbreaks. Clearly, some of those firsts are more fun than others, but there's no reason a few breakouts here and there - or even acne - should keep your teen years from being anything but memorable. I started breaking out mildly at first when I was around 15 or so, and had the pleasure of dealing with acne shortly after. If you're like me, and super sensitive about your skin's appearance (I swear, people were too staring at my pimples!!), your first instinct is to load up with concealers, foundations, and whatever else you can get your hands on to cover it up. As a teenager, I undoubtedly wore much more foundation than I needed, and looking back, it probably hurt my skin - and prevented it from healing - more than anything else.

First off, if you have anything more than a mild breakout here and there, my best piece of advice is to see a dermatologist. There's no reason to suffer through acne when you don't have to - there are so many creams and medicines available now, even the most stubborn skin can be affectively treated. Or, if you'd rather not or can't see a doctor, I highly recommend giving Proactiv a try - it really worked for me (and I'm not just saying that!), and it's not too expensive.

Lots of foundations now have salicylic acid in them, to help treat your blemishes as it covers. Keep in mind that if you're caking makeup on to cover a zit or a patch of bumpy skin, you will most likely end up drawing more attention to it. And it's never cool to pull a Britney and wear your zit cream out in public. It may be embarassing to not completely cover it up, but your skin also needs to breathe, and if your pores are blocked by heavy, cakey makeup, you're not even giving it a chance.

Also, as hard as it is, try not to pick! If it's something you just can't live with and you must pop it, clean the area afterwards with a good astringent and keep your hands away. Excessive touching just adds more oils to the problem area, and you also risk infection from all the germs under your nails! Even at my age, I still deal with outbreaks from time to time, so I do have to follow my own advice here, but the thing to keep in mind is to keep your skin clean, treat it when it's necessary (with medicines from your doctor or cleaning systems like Proactiv), and try to get out of the mindset that loading up on concealer will do the trick. Dot a tiny bit of concealer over the blemish or area you want to cover, and then blend your foundation over it, dusting it all over with loose powder to set it.