Wealden Times | WT182 | April 2017 | Gardens supplement inside

Freshen
Up
Beauty
Josephine Fairley tames
unpredictable teenage skin
In the age of the ‘selfie’, I’ve discovered that teenagers
fret more about skin than ever. Notwithstanding
the fact that they can download filters which blur
spots and redness, make skin look radiant and lips
bigger, there seems to be more pressure than ever to
look ‘perfect’. Therefore, skin woes – in particular, spots
– seem to be even more anxiety-inducing in 2017.
No question: spots and breakouts can seriously
zap confidence and self-esteem, though; I have many
a young woman in my ‘circle’ who have been badly
affected, not wanting to meet with friends, rock up
for family get-togethers or take those ‘selfies’ – and
generally feeling very isolated despite this being an
incredibly common problem. Some of the rules for
caring for acne/blackhead-prone complexions remain
the same as they ever did. But there are, happily, some
innovative products and gizmos which are worth trying
on teen and troubled skin. The skincare world has
truly woken up to the challenges young
“The most
important step is
cleansing. End.
Of. Removing
bacteria and the
sebum that clogs
skin is really
important.”
women (and boys) face – and is offering
an increasingly wide range of solutions.
The most important step is cleansing.
End. Of. Removing bacteria and the
sebum that clogs skin is really important.
But this doesn’t mean blitzing skin
with ultra-strong products; it means
taking a softly-softly approach. First
off: no cleansing wipes. (Or only if
the alternative is quite simply going
to bed with make-up on; these are a
for-emergencies-only solution.) My
go-to cleansing recommendation remains Liz Earle
Cleanse & Polish, £15.50 for 100ml starter kit – but
other great choices include Cetaphil Gentle Skin
Cleanser, £8.99 for 236ml, and Derma E Purifying
Gel Cleanser, £15 for 175ml. (The whole Derma E
Purifying range is just brilliant for problem skins – see
my recommendation for a great moisturiser, below);
you can find both these ranges at victoriahealth.
com – and I quote their founder Shabir Daya on
acne, below. For an occasional deeper treatment, try
the Amie Radiant Dawn Exfoliating Wash, £4.95 for
150ml. The bottom line is that learning to cleanse
scrupulously is the best possible foundation for a
lifetime’s regime. One important tip, though: always,
always wash hands thoroughly before cleansing your
face, to avoid transferring dirt and bacteria to the skin.
Try a cleansing gizmo. Technology can prove a boon
to problem skins – in the form of some of the new deep-
cleansing ‘gadgets’ that have hit the market. I’ve
had great reports from teens who’ve used the Foreo
Luna, , £85 (a birthday-pressie price), which has soft
silicone ‘nodules’ and works in roughly the same
way as a sonic toothbrush, with micro-vibrations
loosening dirt – along with sebum and general gunk.
Ditch the toner. I once tried an experiment with
a Very Famous Toner because I’d heard that it could
take off nail varnish. It did. Many toners targeted
at teen skins are just way, way too harsh. If you
want a feeling of freshness after cleansing, switch to
good old-fashioned rosewater – which does the job
beautifully, gently (and smells delicious). Neal’s Yard
Rehydrating Rose Toner, £16 for 200ml, is honestly
as good as it gets (and was formerly known as ‘rose
water’ – so I’m not contradicting myself, here!).
Every skin needs moisturiser. Oil and water are
different – and for healthy cell communication,
moisturiser is a must. (It ensures skin
feels comfortable, too – and makeup,
which I’ll come onto, glides on
smoothly.) Choose one specifically
for oily or combination skins: The
Ordinary Natural Moisturizing
Factors + HA, £4.90 for 30ml,
Cetaphil Moisturising Cream,
£9.99 for 100g, from that greatfor-tricky-skins
range, or Derma
E Very Clear Moisturizing Cream,
£18.95 for 56g. Liz Earle Skin Repair
Light, £20.25 for 50ml pump,
is another perennially great choice. (I’ve
always liked that Liz Earle offers a travel/
trial size of much of their range – a good way
to check out whether your skin gets on with
something; a 15ml tube will set you back £8.)
Don’t trowel on the slap. It’s so, so tempting
to cover up every blemish – but skin needs
to breathe. A lighter coverage, with perhaps
an extra dot of concealer where there are
breakouts, will ultimately do your skin more
favours than applying a full-coverage base. As a
new handbag must-have for problem skins, I’d
thoroughly recommend Bioderma Sébium Global
Intensive Purifying Care, £14 for 30ml, which sets
out to control sebum with a one-shade-suits-all,
lightly tinted cream featuring AHA-esters said to
‘biologically treat’ the causes and consequences
of blemishes. It’s matte without being at all flat-
147 wealdentimes.co.uk