How to Get Your Skin Back to School Ready With The Right Ingredients

Whether you’re acne prone or not, the stress of a new school year could trigger a break out, for students and teachers alike. Everyone wants to look their best and feel confident on the first day. 

In addition to maintaining a simple skincare routine and possibly a prescription medication, we have ten great tips to help you start your school year on the right track:

1. Wash face twice a day and after sweating. This is especially important for those that actively work out or are participating in school sports.
2. Use your fingertips to apply a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser. Using a washcloth can irritate skin.
3. Scrubbing your skin can make acne worse. Too frequent exfoliation is not good for your skin.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water.
5. Clean your makeup brushes once a month. Wash them with your shampoo and rinse well with water.
6. Shampoo regularly. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily.
7. Don’t pick at your acne and let your skin heal naturally.
8. Keep your hands off your face. Regardless of how much you wash your hands, they can still carry bacteria. Two other items to keep clean, as they frequently touch your face, are your pillowcase and your phone.  
9. Clean up your diet. Eat low glycemic food – less carbohydrates and refined sugars and plenty of water.
10. Treat yourself to a peel. Speak with your dermatologist to discuss the appropriate treatment for you, whether a chemical peel or silk peel. These treatments can be personalized to your skins needs.

Top Ingredients for Acne

Paying attention to what ingredients you apply to your skin can be very helpful. There are key ingredients to look for when purchasing skincare products for acne. Some can help calm the inflammation while others can be pro-active and prevent breakouts. Here are some crucial ingredients to look for:

Tocopheral

• Primary fat-soluble antioxidant in our skin
• Significant photoprotection against UVB rays
• Vit C + Vit E work in synergy and provide great photoprotection
• Has emollient properties

 Glycerin – skin-identical ingredient and moisturizer

• A multi-functional skincare superstar with several proven benefits for the skin
• Great anti-aging, wrinkle smoothing ingredient used at 4-5% concentration
• Fades brown spots alone or in combination with amino sugar, acetyl glucosamine
• Increases ceramide synthesis that results in a stronger, healthier skin barrier and better skin hydration
• Can help to improve several skin conditions including acne, rosacea, and atopic dermatitis

 Salicylic Acid – exfolient, anti-acne and soothing

• It's one of the gold standard ingredients for treating problem skin
• It can exfoliate skin both on the surface and in the pores
• It's a potent anti-inflammatory agent
• It's good for blackheads as well as inflammatory acne

Hyaluronic Acid

• Hyaluronic acid is a humectant; therefore, it helps in retaining moisture in the skin. 
• It promotes proper moisture balance in the skin, thus preventing the over-production of oil that clogs pores and causes breakouts.
• Moisture content acts similarly to fillers and can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
• Regular application of this can minimize the pores on the face.
• By keeping the skin hydrated, it helps to keep the skin toned and firm, ensuring that it does not sag.
• It acts as a barrier for your skin against external factors such as the environment, weather, etc.
• It can promote skin regeneration. 
• Hyaluronic acid also helps reduce and prevent age spots, pigmentation and skin tone issues. 

Niacinamide – cell-communicating ingredient, anti-acne, skin brightening and moisturizer

• A multi-functional skincare superstar with several proven benefits for the skin
• Great anti-aging, wrinkle smoothing ingredient used at 4-5% concentration
• Fades brown spots alone or in combination with amino sugar, acetyl glucosamine
• Increases ceramide synthesis that results in a stronger, healthier skin barrier and better skin hydration
• Can help to improve several skin conditions including acne, rosacea, and atopic dermatitis

Heading back to school means rebooting your daily routine. Make sure you include some new skincare habits into that regimen and you’ll be sure to see improvements. In some instances it takes more and a visit to your local dermatologist is needed. Our team at Desjarlais Dermatology and Aesthetic Center have been able to help many people struggling with teen and adult acne.