Dealing with the acne menace (2)

Fortunately, for us, supercharged sunblock is readily available. I like the velvety texture of Shu Uemura XTR Protector.

It leaves a beautiful matte finish, and works well as a makeup base, too.

And with a whopping SPF 50, the Protector won’t allow those rays to get anywhere near your skin.

Hormonal imbalance

Every month, I have to deal with what I call my PMP, which is just a cute-ified moniker for “post-menstrual pimple.”

And it never fails. The day after the main event stops, a little (or monstrous, at times) red bump will appear somewhere on my face.

It’s quite forgivable for the hormones to go berserk once a month, but there are a few women whose hormones just can’t stop jumping around and damaging the skin.

But while common knowledge dictates that birth control pills may end this dilemma once and for all, studies have shown that some pills available in the market actually aggravate the problem. The poison? Testosterone. A number of brands raise androgenic activity and raise testosterone levels as a result.

Stick to preparations with progesterone and estrogen like Diane 35, or consult with a reputable dermatologist.

Stress

It’s no secret. Stress can make things worse. And the stress shows on your face.

Stress worsens acne more than it causes it, sure, but it’s not something you can simply ignore.

The technicality lies in, again, your hormones. When stress strikes, your body produces cortisol, which has been long known to trigger acne outbreaks.

So how do we deal with it? For one, take the tried-and-tested solution with healthy living. Take antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E, or upgrade with green tea capsules (like popular brand TeGreen, which is said to be 100 times more potent than Vitamin C).

A less popular antioxidant, Glutathione, is usually known as a whitening supplement, but can also help improve skin conditions. - Lora Gahol

E-mail the author at lora_gahol@yahoo.com or lgahol@pldtvibe.net

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