Many Thanks!
Sophie

My thoughts are exactly what you mentioned - hormonal. I wish I could tell you otherwise and give you a list of magic products...but I can't. You need to go see your GP and a good dermatologist. Honest. Don't let this end up sapping your confidence or leaving you with acne-pitted skin. Cut to the chase and get it sorted. Once that is done, it would be easier for me to try to have a chat with you and go through your routine by product and make some suggestions. That could even be done over the phone via the Studio. I would love to help you out, so please make the first step and see if something really simple could solve the problem permanently. If you find you have hormonal skin to look forward to (and I know a couple of women that live with this condition), please write back to me and I will try to chat with you in person.
Deal?

John

Hi John,

First of all I always read your tips and have found many little gems that way. Well, I'm almost 30 and have started to develop problem skin it seems. I have a very oily T-Zone with normal cheeks and quite dry skin underneath my eyes. This causes the few wrinkles I'm slowly developing there to stand out a lot. Because of the oily T-Zone I've recently been battling breakouts that you wouldn't believe. Not only on my forehead, the sides of my face but also mainly on my chin. No matter what type of ointment I use it either irritates my skin or doesn't do anything at all.
I've been faithfully using Clinique products and the occasional facial oil (gotta try something new every year, right?) in the past but am thinking on changing that. Do you think that would make a difference and what type of creams or cleansing systems can you recommend to get that glowing youthful and most importantly blemish free complexion every one of those products advertises?

Thanks for your help,
Liana

Liana,

This is going to be another really tough Q&A issue. Your problem sounds to me to be an imbalance. You may be treating the entire skin for one area. By doing that you strip other areas, or leave them in a different condition to normal. When I get this sort of problem in front of me, I usually go for a trial solution of complete simplification. You NEED to get rid of the congestion, without drying out your skin. Otherwise any hormonal trigger or bit of stress and - BANG! Eve Lom Cleanser would be a really good idea as it does all of the above and more. One product to cleanse, tone, decongest, and exfoliate. And then a good moisturiser that just makes your skin work the way it was designed to. ProFerm Daycream twice a day might be a good idea (...plus an eye cream, of course). Dr. developed and using only ingredients that your skin understands. If you did that for three months, you would give yourself three full body cycles and then you could really evaluate what your skin is like. Where is it dry/oily? How long does it really take to shine? The persistent breakout is a concern as it is all over the skin. That may also point toward something hormonal. But if your skin is at a point where you really know where/when/how it feels: you stand a better chance of figuring that out. I know it will be a difficult couple of months, but you also may find that by just allowing your skin to do the work itself, it may turn a corner. I myself have finally discovered that the less I do the better my skin is. When I try to get all high-tech, my skin rebels. It is a fine balance.

Good luck mate,
John

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