The angsty pimply early teen years are long gone. They've been packed up with the cherry docs and the Ride T-shirts. So how come the spots still rear their ugly heads and what can you do about
it?
A dermatologist can give you a truck load of explanations - hormones, environment, diet, bad taste in music. Everyone's skin will have a different diagnosis. If your acne is bad, this is your first port of call.
If it's not that bad, may I recommend my combined, multi-pronged, DIY approach of swimming in the sea, certain contraceptive pills, a thorough skincare regime including professional facials, a healthy diet and lots of water.
Maybe don't swim right next to the sewerage outfall pipes at Gunnamatta, Manly or Bondi. And definitely ask your own doctor if there is a pill that would work for your skin.
As for the skincare, I used to single-handedly support the
Blackmores company buying their ti-tree face wash. But along with the tube of
Clearasil in the bedside drawer, it now makes me feel a bit high school.
So having been through around seven bottles of Dermalogica's Special Cleansing Gel and
Daily Microfoliant over the past few years, I can highly recommend their range as the adult way of dealing with spots. You can get them from
Strawberrynet, or of course from a
salon.
Now instead of the clearasil, there is a clean and simple bottle of Dermalogica's Overnight Clearing Gel on the bedside table, and a vial of
MediBac Clearing Concealing Spot Treatment in my make-up bag.