Tips for Dealing with Acne

Hi everyone. I was going to share some Fyrinnae swatches with you today but I'm having trouble getting good enough light to photograph the shadows. So I thought I would do a post with a few tips for you. I've been suffering with moderate acne on and off for several years now, and so I feel I have learnt some tricks which might help some people.

• Don't be afraid of moisturiser. If you want to cover spots, you'll need a smooth base to put makeup onto, and flaky, dry or scabby skin is going to be hard to do that with. Look for an oil-free moisturiser. It won't make your skin worse, but it will help your skin heal itself faster, and will help you avoid skin damage from acne treatments. I really like Neutrogena ones.
• Try a sheer base. You might be drawn to full-coverage foundations when you have blemishes you want hidden. But these are pretty hard to get looking even, will add time to your routine, and might clog your skin. Instead, try a tinted moisturiser, BB Cream, or a sheerer foundation. Then, use a concealer the same shade as your skin, and focus on areas that need extra coverage. Try Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (for drier skins), Bourjois 123 Perfect (for oilier skins) or Garnier Oil Free BB Cream.
• Concealer. Use a shade which matches your skin tone. NOT something lighter. That can work under the eyes, but will draw attention to spots. Pat it onto the spot, then blend the edges. Lightly pat powder over to set. Try Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer.
• Keep it neutral. Anything with red or pink tones will bring those colours out in your skin. Particularly be careful using strong reddish or pink tones in your blusher. Try using peaches or taupes instead. Try Sleek Blush in Suede, or using a bronzer to lightly contour.
• Grooming. Keep eyebrows neat and defined to draw attention to your eyes rather than your skin. Trim them with nail scissors, and lightly fill in with a light grey-brown.
• Confidence. I know everyone will say this to you, but it's true. No-one else cares about your spots as much as you do. Play up whatever features you like best about yourself, be it your eyes, lips, your hair or a nice outfit. If it makes you feel better, spend time covering your blemishes, then forget about it, go out and have fun.

Photo: Shutterstock

I hope some of these tips help a little bit. I know how much bad skin can affect your self-esteem. Being able to cover it when you want to really helps. For teens, I really recommend reading Bobbi Brown's book Teenage Beauty. It really helped me when I was younger.

Let me know if you like these kind of posts!