Beauty Q & A with John Gustafson

Our make-up, skincare and beauty guru solves all your beauty dilemmas

Hi John

I wondered if you could give me some advice on my problem skin. I'm 21 and over the past couple of years my skin seems to have got worse than when I was a teenager. I found out about six months ago that I have PCOS (poly cystic ovaries), which obviously makes my skin worse. I used to wear make-up everyday but have cut back on using it to see if my skin would clear up, but with no such luck, I drink plenty of water also. Over the years I have had numerous amounts of skin treatments from the doctor but nothing seems to work. It has affected me psychologically as I get paranoid anytime I'm out thinking everyone is staring at me! I'm hoping to go to college soon to train to be a Beauty Therapist and I'm very nervous that my skin may affect my application.

Please help!

Tasha

 

Tasha,

Having a problem skin will not affect your school application. If anything, it should lead you to be a more compassionate therapist, as you can understand how it feels to have a problem skin. The problem with advising you on dealing with polycystic skin concerns is that I am not a medical doctor. I work with a young lady that has your problem and, like you, has tried many of the medical routes already. From contraceptive pills to Roe Accutane with varying levels of success. I can tell you that some of the skincare I have found to be really helpful are products like Karin Herzog Vita A Kombi, Natura Bisse Oxygen, and Dr. Sebagh's Breakout Cream. Cleansing is also a step not to be overlooked, as you don't want to strip the skin at all. Decongestant cleansers like Eve Lom and Liz Earle tend to work very well to keep the skin soft and clean. You may also find that essential oil balms can really help to keep skin detoxed and unblocked so that when you have a hormonal shift, there is not much sitting under the skin to get infected and turn into breakout. Damage limitation is paramount. Decleor Baume Essential and Darphin Purifying Balm are two excellent choices. And remember Tasha, we are always much more conscious of problems than we need to be. I am the same with my pigment. It is all I see and I point out the problem far more often than anybody being able to see it on their own! You should look at a good foundation and concealer as part of your treatment and think of them as protecting your skin rather than blocking it up. If your skin appears more clear, you will feel better, you will stop stressing about it, and it will not get worse due to stress. It is a vicious cycle. Have they looked at any sort of hormone treatment rather than a skin treatment? It might be worth asking about. I really feel for you. Have a look at these products and try not to worry too much. Easier said than done, I know - but worry will only make it worse.

Best wishes,

John

 

Hi John,

I'm 19 years old and until this date have not used foundation on my face. I wouldn't say I have acne, but have spots from time to time. The spots leave marks on my skin. I'm just wondering which facial products I should use. Also I'm wondering which foundation would be best for me. I have tried Max Factor Colour Adapt foundation and have found "Ivory" suits me but still I am unsure. I am wondering which other brands of foundation would be good to use? I would like my skin to look flawless and natural.

Regards,

Sara

 

Sara,

At 19, I would keep things simple. You are still experiencing the sort of breakout you get when you pass through your teens. Skincare should be fairly clean - a good cleanser that will leave you comfortable, a balancing toner, and a moisturiser that is not too light nor too heavy. Neutrogena and Johnson & Johnson both do slightly medicated lines that, without costing a fortune, help to minimise breakout. If you can go a little higher in price, Dermalogica is good for periodic breakout and they do an excellent blemish product called Special Clearing Solution. For your makeup query, I like the Max Factor. What is the doubt you have? If the colour is good and you are happy with the finish - Max Factor is a really good range. I would have to say that I am also really impressed so far with Lauder's new Nutritious Mineral Liquid Foundation. I like the finish and the texture, though there are only 6 shades so far. Other brands worth checking into are Prescriptives and Clinique. Both have superb colour offers and lots of formulations to choose from. Have a look at those and if you don't manage to find what you are looking for...hit me up again!

Best,

John

 

John,

A while back you mentioned to someone in the Q&A that you were testing out a new product for pigmentation. You didn't mention what it was at the time. Do you remember what it was and have you found it to be any good?

Hopefully,

Theresa

 

Theresa,

I DO remember what it was and yes, it is working! The product is one of the Bakel products I have been talking about in the Q's for the last couple of months. It was the last product I had to test out and I must say, hand on heart, that it is one of the very few products I have ever tried that has shown me any difference in the depth of my own hyper-pigmentation. I was a little bit leery as they were recommending that it be used every other night as your moisturiser. The Bakel products are already strange because there is nothing in them that doesn't need to be. There can be as few as two ingredients in the entire product, or in the case of the pigmentation formula... nine. That is all. And of those nine, five are the lightening ingredients that other companies may add one or two of. So it sounded - I don't know - strong, yet un-necessary for my entire face. So I decided to experiment. I used it more like a serum on the affected areas of my skin only. I had no sensitivity to it, which is why I assumed they didn't want you to use it daily. So I started using it twice a day. I applied my moisturiser, and then put a small amount of this slimy stuff on the pigment. That way there was a buffer between the product and me. Still no problems so I started putting it straight on my skin and moisturising over the top. I have now been using it for about three weeks and my pigment is about 40-50 per cent less visible. I am thrilled. If this is all the further it goes, I will still be happy. I find it easier to cover than ever before and have been recommending it to clients for the past couple of weeks. So far, several women who have purchased it have rung to say they too are seeing results. The price is £68, which is a damn sight cheaper than micro-dermabrasion or laser. But if you are thinking of trying it, make sure you are putting on a sunscreen every day without fail or your efforts have been in vain. The product is called Malic by Bakel and it is available anywhere you can find Becca cosmetics (they are the distributor).

Light at the end of the tunnel...

John

 

 

Got a beauty question? ASK JOHN

Do you have a hair dilemma you want to put to the experts? Then email us at hair@ukhandbag.com or click HERE to send us your hair questions

 

Please note, John's answers will be published on the site weekly as he cannot reply to emails personally.

Share this Print this