Beauty Q & A with John Gustafson

Hi John,
First of all, just want to say that your beauty Q&A is my favourite part of handbag and I can't wait for Friday to come around to pick up more genius tips from you! So a big thank you from me!
And now on to what is the bane of my life - my horrible skin! Since my late teens [I'm now the grand old age of 23] I have suffered - and I mean suffered - with tiny white fluid filled bumps around my chin and mouth area. I would say there are maybe about 20-30 of them in that area at any one time and I occasionally get them on my chest area too. Every week at least 5 or 6 of them will develop into full blown, angry red spots which take forever to heal but the rest of them just lie there under my skin making it feel rough to the touch and generally unsightly. I've tried extracting them with one of those scary looking tools but it usually just aggravates the problem. My skin can be quite dry at times so I don't think surface oil is to blame. I've discounted them being milia seeds because there seems to be too many of them and they aren't quite hard enough. In the course of 5 or so years I've tried absolutely everything; from Vichy to Eucerine, A-derma to Boots Expert [and everything in between] without any luck. At the moment I'm cleansing with Almond oil and using Olay Complete Sensitive Fluid. Make-up wise I'm using Laura Mercier's tinted moisturiser with a concealer on top.
Is there anything you can suggest that may help or should I just reach for the nearest brown paper bag? At this point I'm willing to sell my Grandma if it means I can get rid of these nasty little things so price is no problem. Apologies if I've completely grossed you out.
Many thanks,
Lou x

Lou Lou Lou,
Gross me out? Good luck with that! Made me wet my pants? THAT you achieved. Thankfully, good old Grandma has already had a rich and fulfilling life, so sorry luv; it is time to meet your maker! And how could I have not answered your question anyway? I mean, after all, you said three of the things that are music to my ears: I am your favourite, a genius, and a completely gorgeous stud that, while almost unbelievably handsome, still manages to come across as caring and human. OK, well you said two of my three favourite things. I shall therefore bestow upon thee the benefits of my knowledge.

Basically - I haven't a clue. Your skin sounds like a mess. Yuck. You may be able to find a better bag colour than brown though to brighten things up and spring trends are pointing toward brighter pastels! Seriously though, I see this sort of thing quite a bit Lou. I think you are correct in both your observations about it not being "surface oil" or milia are correct. However, it could be that it is partially caused by oils that are trapped under the surface of the skin and collect in little pustules just waiting for something to trigger a breakout. What we really need to do is get your skin clean. And that is not going to happen with almond oil. We need something that will soften the pores openings, draw out impurities, and still leave the skin balanced. We have quite a few ways to tackle that one. Simply using a hot face flannel held to your face for a few moments during the cleansing process will help. Better still would be a cleanser made to do this for you. Eve Lom, Liz Earle, Rodial A-List, Temple Spa In The Beginning, and the New Darphin Balm Cleanser will all work nicely. But if you would like a more "traditional" cleanser, Bliss Spa Steep Clean Pore De-Clogging Cleanser is an excellent option. This lotion cleanser self-heats to open the pores and then you can wipe or rinse it away. The key here is that if we don't open the pores to get those little bumps removed, you will always be walking uphill.

Self-heating masks could also work a treat and you can get them from Boot No7, Shiseido, Lauder, and Bliss Spa. Maybe once or twice a week and maybe just in the problem areas. Next, I would want something medicated to keep the breakout to a minimum and at least make it so that when the spots become infected, they are not so dreadful for you. N.V. Perricone Clear Skin Hydrator could be an excellent choice. So could the lighter Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions.

Possibly even better would be to treat the skin with oxygen based products to purify and disinfect the skin right the way down to where the new cells are born. Three companies will offer you that technology - Karin Herzog, Remede, and Natura Bisse. In your case...I would do one of the former. I can't really explain why to you in this particular case - it is just a feeling I have. I love Natura Bisse products, but I think the other two sound more like what you need. And that is where I would start. Fewer products that are highly trained and targeted. Let's see if they make a difference. And you won't even have to worry about your Grandmother - none of these will break the bank! Mind you...if she has read this you have already probably gotten yourself written out of the will for offering to sell her off anyway, so use your judgement. I hope this is a good beginning for you. And if you need fine-tuning with this, please write again - it will give me something to look forward to!
Bless your cotton socks,
John

Hi John,
I'm 64 years old and have combination skin. I'm not wrinkly except I have got lines above the mouth. I still get the occasional spot. My skin is very pale and sometimes feels stretched and red. I'm looking for a really good cleanser. I am just coming to the end of Guerlain foaming cleanser which is O.K. but I feel I could find better. I'm using Boots Intense Serum and Estee Lauder moisturiser for mature skin.
Diane

Diane,
I would love to recommend the new Shiseido Future Solution Creamy Foam Cleanser for you. I am assuming you like a wash off because of the Guerlain and this new Shiseido is simply gorgeous. It is £50, which sounds a lot I know, but you use a dot only about the size of a medium pea. The lather is like a rich cream and it will remove all traces of makeup and never dry the skin. It is a serious piece of skincare as well as a cleanser and works to prevent the formation of the natural sugaring process that is responsible for breaking down the support of the skin. I am really impressed with this, and since it launched about 6 weeks ago, it has really become a favourite for more mature skins that like to wash. I really think this is worth the price and will turn out to be cheaper in the long-run. Have a splurge and make cleansing a part of your skincare routine that you can actually look forward to.
Warmest regards,
John

Hi John,
Thanks so much for answering my question about comedogenic foundations a little while ago - I was really pleased to be able to carry on using the MAC Select Tint (although now they've discontinued it - arrrrrggggghhh!). I was wondering if you might be able to help with another question. I have had moderate/severe acne for years, controlled by various courses of Roe Accutane. It finally seems to be clearing up for good but I am left with scars on my cheeks. These aren't too bad - not really deep ice-pick type scars, but they are a bit red and the texture is slightly pitted and uneven. I was wondering what, if anything, I can do about these? I'm a student so on a bit of a budget. Any help would be really appreciated.
Thanks,
Madeleine

Madeleine,
I am so glad you got the answer to your question and it is great you have written us again! Scarring from breakout is a pain, but you can get it done in a couple of different ways. What needs to be done is to speed up the process of cell renewal and remove the marked layers as soon as you comfortably can. The reason I word it that way is that some of the resurfacing ingredients will make your skin a little red and sensitive and if you are trying to exfoliate it before it is recovered - you may end up feeling a little sore. That is a worst case scenario though.

You are looking for products that have glycolic acids or AHA's in them. These will do both: speed cell production and break the bonds holding the scarred and dead skin on. But it is not going to be a fast process. Every cycle takes a full 30 days and you are looking at a process that will most likely really take a year. You could speed things up by going for a course of micro-dermabrasion. If you were to do one every month or so, you would speed that up considerably. But it will not be cheap. Mind you - nor is it really costly. But it is a treatment. They cost. Micro-dermabrasion is a light peel. Your skin will feel a little sunburned and red the day you have it done, but that is all. A proper dermabrasion is much deeper and has a longer recovery time.

I will make a suggestion to you though. Being that you are a student and money is an issue - like it is for many of us - you could ring the local beauty colleges and ask if they need demonstration people for classes. That way you are being done by the trained instructor for free. Or you could have it done by a student about to get their license at a vastly reduced price. I have a lot of clients that do this for all sorts of beauty treatments and it really does work. Everybody comes out ahead. They have people to learn through and practice on, and you get a great treatment either free or cheap. This works for hair cutting and colouring as well. Give it a go and thanks for coming back for more!
Best,
John