Dear John,
I'm in my early thirties and didn't really suffer from spots as a teen, but seem to be paying the price now. Adding to the problem I'm trying to combat the signs of ageing with anti-ageing creams and SPF's which seem to exacerbate the condition. The spots are generally confined to my cheeks and jaw-line. What can I do to protect my skin from UV damage and the sign of ageing as well as dealing with the spots?
Thanks in advance
Viv

Hi Viv,
This is one of the prices of living in modern times - late onset adult acne. Add that to the knowledge that the breakout is confined to your cheeks and jaw-line and you have a pretty textbook case that is most likely hormonally related as well. I seem to have the same problem. I WANT to protect my skin and use anti-ageing stuff but a lot of them are simply too active for my skin. And I have it even worse: at the tender age of 47, I need them even worse than you! What I want you to do is to start slowly and work into it. Don't rush into the stores and buy the latest "promise in a pot". Get a good quality product that doesn't have too much highly chemical content. That does not mean to become a neurotic that only looks for so called "natural products" - it just means that if an ingredient doesn't need to be there or is only there to fill the pot up a bit more, leave it out.

One thing I have found that really works for me is to concentrate on Dr's brands. They are based more in the science behind the cream than the luxury of the cream. N.V. Perricone, Natura Bisse, and Strixaderm are products that I have found cater to skins that are concerned with ageing but are not dry wrinkly skins. Those of us that are "knocking on a bit" can still have oilier skins. I certainly do. And I am very happy about it since it means my skin still has its own defence mechanism. Most Natura Bisse day products will also provide you with the SPF you are looking for, but this one will be a little bit more testing.

Remember, some of that can also be done with your foundation - though that doesn't look after your exposed neck. I find Chanel UV50 and Clarins Ultra40 both to be wonderful as daily protection AND a make-up base. Neither is white, slimy, or heavy. Shu Uemura also has UV Primer Bases though not as high. They are currently (allegedly) reformulating their daily SPF50, which was fantastic, but I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone regarding when it might re-appear. I hate it when that happens - you would think companies would WANT to keep customers informed, particularly when it is a hugely popular product. But this one just keeps disappearing from counters. Ah well. LaPrairie has recently added two new anti-ageing creams, the daytime one contains a very respectable SPF30 and I really liked it. But it is a little more costly than some people can afford. All three of the others come in at at least half the price. Slow and steady will win the race on this one Viv. Make a nod toward the anti-ageing and allow your skin to acclimatise to the increased action. Then step up again. And again - until you are getting the result you want.
All the best,
John

Dear John,
I have oily skin with large pores on and around my nose. Even though my skin is oily sometimes it gets dry and starts to peel off. When I apply foundation or a concealer my pores start to show more looking like dark spots on my nose and my under eye skin looks dark. Foundation/ concealer looks flaky. What should I apply to get smooth looking skin - with or without make-up - and tighten the pores?
Many thanks,
Rabya

Rabya,
This sounds to me like your skin is out of balance. When you over-cleanse the skin so you feel like you are addressing the oil, often it becomes too clean at the surface and you strip out the natural oils. Your skin will make up for this by producing more oil and opening the pores so it can flow out and balance the skin more quickly. It is responding to the messages it was given. But when the skin is stripped down it doesn't need more oil: it needs water. So even though the skin is oily, it will be dry and flaky in the same places. Sound familiar? You need to get yourself into a cleanser that allows you to remove the day whilst leaving your skin completely comfortable.

What is happening with your foundation at this point is that the oil is oxidizing the foundation in the pores and doing about the same thing that happens to an apple when you cut it and leave it out in the air. Look for a hydrating moisturiser that is made for a combination skin. Those two things are both very important! Then try to get anti-oxidant vitamins A, C, and E, as well as an SPF and you should be most of the way home. Department store brands are filled with things like Lancôme Bienfait Total, Lauder Daywear, and Clinique Superdefence, but you can also get more affordable products from Nivea, Garnier, L'Oreal, and a host of other chemist's brands.

As far as tightening pores...this one is sort of a Holy Grail. Once they have been enlarged, you can only just keep them clean and refined. However, I recently have started recommending quite a few Bliss Spa products and they have a rather splendid product called Steep Clean Pore Refining Mattifying Toner Pads. They are a little jar of pre-moistened discs that you use in place of you regular toner. And my goodness: they really do make the skin look visibly smoother and hold it more matte. I have had nothing but excellent feedback from clients and have added a jar to my own medicine cabinet for my two teenage boys. And they really do seem to be making a difference. Finally, you need to exfoliate regularly, and I might be able to help you with the first and last with another Bliss Spa product. They have a Fabulous Foaming Face Wash that is a daily cleanser with a very small exfoliating particle. So far I have found that it is comfortable on all skins except quite dry ones. And Bliss is not too expensive. Both of these can be had for about £45 and they are available in store and by mail order.
Good luck Rabya,
John

Hi John,
I've been reading a lot of your posts over the past months and have found a number of them very helpful and interesting. I have a question which I hope you can help with. I'm in my mid 30s and suffer from acne, mainly on my chin, which tend to be quite large and inflamed. Although my chin isn't the only area on my face where these breakouts occur these can be quite unsightly and tend to mostly leave scars. I also suffer from smaller acne / bumps on my forehead, nose and cheeks. I don't feel comfortable without make-up in public and tend to cover them with concealer and powder and tend to use liquid foundation very rarely as I found it gave my skin an oily shine and felt heavy on the skin. I also tend to wash my brushes once a week or every two weeks at most.
I'm not sure if the make-up products I'm using are the right ones for my skin. I tend to stick to mainly MAC / Prescriptives / Laura Mercier due to my Asian skin tones. I'm inclined to let my skin breath as soon as I arrive home and at weekends. Most brand experts just look at coverage (which works well) but don't seem to provide advice on whether the product is best for my skin type.
I currently use Neutrogena for my cleansing regime and bio oil (for 2weeks so far). I've tried many products (and some quite expensive ones) without any success. I have very oily skin and biggest problem is keeping make-up on for even four hours of the day. One of the other things I tend to use make-up for is keeping the dirt off my face from the underground which in the past has caused more breakouts without the use of make-up. I would like to try to keep to a simple regime and use as less products as possible and would really appreciate your advice. Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Nis

Nis,
I will do my very best to cover all of your concerns here...I hope I can go into enough detail without writing a book! What I am visualising reading your email is a congested skin. Never lovely and smooth...always some little bumps going on somewhere. And when one of them gets inflamed or infected (usually around the chin and mouth), the spots are much deeper and more painful - and likely to scar. We really need to get your skin clean to the very base. Having read the products you can afford to buy yourself, could you stretch to a cleanser like Eve Lom or Liz Earle? They are both amazing cult cleansers that have the power to really open the skin and suck out the gunk. Not everyone likes them, but they may really be a first positive step for YOU.

For moisture, I would highly highly highly (was that enough highly's?) recommend one of the three real oxygen delivery moisturisers to hydrate, disinfect, and start to heal the skin. You should look at all three - they are about the same price, but there are differences that are personal to your selection. Natura Bisse Oxygen, Karin Herzog Vita-A-Kombi, and Remede all use a technology that gets stable living oxygen into the skin. Living oxygen is the best know anti-bacterial, so if we get this into your skin as the moisturising product, you are less likely to have anything to trigger into breakout. And, the oxygen helps with the healing and scarring on your skin. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Bio Oil...but not for you. You will find this makes a mess after a short time and makeup is going to become a real nightmare. I don't have any issues with the makeup companies you use, though you should know Prescriptives is now a thing of the past. Sad. I loved this range and actually worked for them at the beginning of my career - I originally came to the UK 22 years ago to train and launch their Custom Blending process.

Can I recommend that you look into a mineral powder foundation? They are a bit of faff, but the lack of chemicals and the fact that you prefer powder and concealer might be the perfect combination. And Laura Mercier has a very good one if you like their products. Plus they give a good matte hold and can be retouched if you do get shiny. I would also look at Bare Minerals, Bare Essentuals, Jane Iredale, Clinique, and Arden. The last two are more convenient because of the packaging. But the ones I mentioned are good for Asian skintones. A bit less red and a bit more gold. This would all be simple and really shouldn't cost more than you are currently spending. It is more that you are zeroing in on highly effective niche products that you may not have read as much about. But THAT, my dear Nis, is MY job! LOL...
Best,
John

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