Maintaining Clear, spot free Skin at home.

A “Skin blasting facial” routine to clear my skin after a busy week.

This is a bit of a long one because it is close to my heart and also very important to me –

A few months ago I caught the end of something on TV which has really stuck with me for the last few months.

The programme was called Dying for Clear Skin on BBC3, a documentary about teenagers & young adults suffering from skin conditions and acne.

The reason it stuck with me was firstly because the condition was very seriously affecting the way these people live their lives and I get so many emails from young girls regarding this so it concerned me so much as I myself used to have sensitive skin and some of my closest friends/family have also.

I really know how it can make you feel insecure or self conscious so I wanted to give my personal advice and experience getting your skin to a point you are happy and comfortable with but most importantly, so you are confident in your own skin.

It may not work for everyone and Im not suggesting you use all these products at all but hopefully you will be able to take something from it that may help.

Since the age of 16 I have had a dermatologist (Dr Sebagh & Nick Lowe ). My mother is part french and this is pretty typical in France for mothers to get their daughters into a good skin regime. French women start very early on looking after their skin which is why they are known for ageing gracefully. I have learnt a lot from her!

Each skin type is different so its always good to have a consultation with a professional dermatologist who can advise you on the best treatments and topical solutions. I am a huge fan of Dr Perricone make up and skincare as well as and his meal plans for healthy skin. 

Self acceptance and  being comfortable in your own skin is the first step.

Confidence is something I used to struggle with when I was younger until I really began to listen to my body. The more you learn about yourself, the more compassion and attention you are able to give yourself and to others. This goes for your skin too, learn about how it feels, what affects it, whether a certain food makes you look and feel different. Its our bodies way of telling us something is unbalanced.

Model Life

When I am working I have to make sure my skin is at its best as much as I can, it is a lot of pressure especially when a typical day requires getting on and off a plane with air-conditioning, 4 am call times with jet lag, at least  4- 5 applications of make up under lighting, with brushes & cosmetics that have been used on many  people and it s a recipe for problematic skin.

Pretty much all my friends who are models have the same issues mainly because of the amount of  stuff our skin goes through on a day at work. It is a complete balancing act for me and if my skin is loaded with make up in the day I have to rely on my night time skin routine ( below), making sure I get enough sleep and I drink/ eat healthy ….. and don’t smoke.

It comes with the job but by dealing with this on a day to day basis I have learnt how to control it so hope my advice may help people who suffer from on going Acne & problematic skin.

In interviews the quick response is drink plenty of water and cut out junk  food – which is true but not very helpful for those people really suffering from skin conditions.

Good skin starts in the bathroom –  if you can maintain a good routine you will honestly see the benefits. It won’t happen overnight but after a few weeks of being good to your skin you will see improvements.

In terms of ageing taking care of your skin is essential so you can avoid injections & abrasive treatments  which can change the actual texture of the skin.

As my mum has always said – ” Age gracefully, be always, natural & laugh A lot ” she is by far one of the most beautiful women I know and Im not just saying that 😉

Things she has told me since I was young that have stuck with me…

“always sleep with a window open even just a little – the fresh air will decongest your skin. When you are sleeping your body and skin is healing itself.”

and

” Get GOOD QUALITY sleep especially when you are a teenager as there is so much going on in your body you need 8 hours but make sure at least some of that is before midnight”

French Pharmacies –

I love french pharmacies and a lot of the products and masks I find here because the quality is so high. They may not be particularly well known but they really do the job.   You don’t have to spend hundreds on Creams you just have to work out what works for you, the ingredients and your skin type – because I mix up the products they last a long time.

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REMOVE ON THE GO –

I always carry Bioderma Crealine H2O in travel bottles when I turn up to shoots because it is very gentle on your skin but very effective in removing make up quickly & gently after a shoot.

Sometimes If I know I have a packed schedule over the coming weeks I ask my make up artist  if I can remove my base make up over the lunch break and put it back on for the afternoon to save layers and layers of make up clogging up my skin.

It  can cause Acne cosmetica which will make your skin break out a week later. Most of what is going on with your skin is a result of what it went though maybe 1-2 week prior to the break out.

PRODUCTS

The one thing to remember is a spot will last  for just a week  but a scar forever – I promise that bad skin won’t last forever so while  treating the problem  the best idea is to ensure that you get maximum moisture into your skin with creams & serums that have healing properties to mend the skin around the spot.

Like your hair, you wouldn’t strip it with shampoo then not condition it afterwards to put the moisture back in to keep it strong and healthy.

ROACCUTANE/ACCUTANE

Bad skin may be problem in your teens  – 30’s but then you face a different problem as you age with  dry lack lustre ageing skin. This is a sure problem of Roaccutane or Accutane in the US which is used in severe cases or for a quick fix. Try and avoid this drug 100%  because the properties within it dry and kill off excess sebum causing your skin to speed up ageing if you are not careful, skin loses its fresh appearance years and years after you have stopped using the drug if you don’t look after it.

Not only on your face but your body too!

How do you determine the perfect combination of products?

Keep your skin guessing with the cleansers you use so your skin cells don’t build up a barrier (Ive heard this is a good tip for anti ageing too) If you can match your cleansers & creams  with your skin’s needs weekly or by season, your skin will be able to relax and heal itself, instead of always trying to keep up with the harsh chemicals or abrasive treatments you throw at it.

The idea is to keep it all balanced. My night time routine is the most important & I have a selection of cleansers mainly 3 that I know work for different things depending on how my skin is looking and feeling.

If you use the right products you can take over barrier duties on behalf of your skin and your skin can use all its energy to the natural healing process and improve your complexion

MY SKIN BLASTING PRODUCTS

Click on the pictures for more details –

Cleansing is the key for me to keep it clear and healthy if I’m working back to back or I suddenly have an outbreak the below “at home facial” routine is what I use for a couple of weeks every night to keep my skin clear and hydrated.

My 3 step cleanse is based on –  TAKE IT OFF, TAKE IT OUT, PUT THE GOOD BACK IN…

CLEANSE

1) A very gentle and Mild cleanser to lift off make up by french brand – AVENE. This is also great in the morning on its own when you don’t need to deep cleanse and strip off all the good oil your skin has produced in the night.

2) Next, a deep cleansing cleanser that gets the dirt IN your skin OUT – DERMALOGICA skin resurfacing cleanser is perfect for this.

3) A natural based, rich, moisturising cleanser. Ingredients that contain mainly plant extracts such as Rosemary, Chamonmile, Cocoa Butter and Eucalyptus essential oils to put what you have just stripped off back into the skin with a muslin cloth. LIZ EARLE OR KORA ORGANICS.This should leave your skin feeling fresh and moisturised already.

TONE & BALANCE –

I love an organic balancing spritz with natural ingredients. Pressed onto the skin with hands. LIZ EARLE OR KORA ORGANICS BALANCING FACIAL MIST A replenishing and nourishing facial mist with the added benefits of organically grown Rose, Noni, Aloe and Hibiscus. This combination provides the skin with antioxidant protection known widely to assist in supporting the skin’s own collagen production.

or

FACE VITAMINS

followed by treatment essence packed with lots of vitamins for the skin, again to balance it –

SKII TREATMENT ESSENCE

SERUM

Then my favourite product – CAUDALIE Vino Perfect. Its completely refreshes my skin and evens out any redness or uneven skin tone. I also sometimes use this straight under make up as a primer if I am going somewhere special as it radiates through your base makeup and makes you glow.

MOISTURISE 

Every other night I will use light moisturising cream although not super rich as I want my skin to be able to balance itself , breathe and heal at night and the serum moisturises for you. I love Nick Lowes range of moisturisers ( Dermatologist Nick Lowe specialises in problematic skin)

SPOT TREATMENT 

A treatment which isn’t drying and I can pretty much put it on every night during a busy work week to keep everything under control – DERMALOGICA CLEARING GEL

EXFOLIATING NO NO

Im sure for normal skin this is great but for acne prone skin this is an absolute no no.

What exfoliating does is generate the sebum glands. Excess oil production and inflammation are the two biggest factors of bad skin.

If you have acne and you start stripping off the top layers of skin with exfoliation, you are going to cause irritation.

Your skin is so delicate and responds to irritation by releasing more oil, in an effort to replace all the moisture that was lost during the harsh exfoliation.

Having acne-prone skin means that your skin already has a tendency to overproduce oil and so it will overcompensate even more after you exfoliate. The end result is more spots.

Dermalogica cream exfoliator goes on your skin like a mask and rinses off with no scratchy bits,  I do this twice a month, which really works.

I promise bad skin won’t last forever you just have to understand your body and make it work for you. I hope some of my tips and advice do help you in someway but it’s important to remember that everybody has different skin types and problems so always consult a professional dermatologist.

Love,

Elle x

Disclaimer: I cant guarantee that the above skincare products I recommend will suit  or work with your skin. I only use products I personally have tried myself and think are good and beneficial but it’s important to remember that everybody has different skin types, problems & allergies so always consult a professional dermatologist/doctor.