When I think back to my teenage years, one of the things that make me cringe the most is how little effort I put into caring for my skin.
It’s not even that I was blessed with amazingly clear skin. Hormonal changes had me plagued with pimples and an oily T-zone that refused to give it a rest. At the time, I just accepted that it was part of being a teen and went on with my life, hoping that my zits and blackheads would make their exit when they were ready.
Now, I know better.
For my friends reading who have had troubled skin follow them into adulthood - you are not alone. Adult acne is very common and is caused largely by many of the same factors as adolescent acne: excess oil, clogged pores, bacteria, and inflammation. There are certain lifestyle factors that affect this like an unhealthier diet or fluctuations in hormones and stress, but the products you use can also play a role in your complexion.
Today we’ll be learning about how to use some of these products to extend the self-care that teen Gi so badly needed.
Cast Your Troubles Aside
Let’s start with those of you who have problem skin and active acne. The first thing you’re going to want to do is to soothe your skin - we don’t want to aggravate an already tenuous situation. One way to go is to treat your skin to the BIJA TROUBLE CARE line. The hero ingredient of this line is the bija fruit cultivated on Jeju Island known for providing excellent skin protection with an antibacterial effect. Products in this line help to protect skin against irritants while enhancing its natural defences.
We begin by cleansing with BIJA TROUBLE FACIAL FOAM. (If you’ve been wearing makeup, you might wanna start with the BIJA TROUBLE CLEANSING GEL to remove that first.) Then, of course, it’s toning time with BIJA TROUBLE SKIN - wipe-off toner to help exfoliate and remove impurities that may be leftover after cleansing. If you have dehydrated oily skin, you can consider BIJA CICA SKIN instead.
Once you’ve stripped your skin of its dirt and impurities, it’s time to moisturise! It’s a common misconception that those with oily skin should be conservative with moisturiser, but in actual fact you have to keep your skin properly hydrated to stop it from over-producing oil. Of course, it’s still important to use a product that feels right for your skin - you can start with a lightweight BIJA TROUBLE LOTION or BIJA TROUBLE GEL CREAM which is rich in bija seed oil and salicylic acid (2%) to help exfoliate and relieve skin troubles.
If you have stubborn acne or specific blemish areas, complete the routine with BIJA TROUBLE SPOT ESSENCE for more focused acne treatment. For some more intensive care, the BIJA TROUBLE MASK will help to calm and soothe your skin - best used once or twice a week.
Once your skin has tempered, with this routine or any other you find works better, you will have the opportunity to give it a chance to recover. If you’re at the place in your journey at which you’re dealing with acne scars, redness, enlarged pores, rough skin texture or other blemishes - you can skip straight to this next part.
Road To Recovery
Let’s welcome back innisfree’s new RETINOL CICA REPAIR AMPOULE for this section. As we covered in our previous BLOG POST about this product, when retinol is combined with cica - it becomes a powerful regeneration formula that encourages your skin to heal itself. Not only does it promote skin cell turnover (exfoliation) but it helps to reduce the visibility of acne scars and blemishes as well as tighten your pores.
For specific problem areas, there is also the very lucky acne patch - the RETINOL CICA AMPOULE FOCUSING PATCH that delivers overnight regeneration goodness to the odd naughty pimple.
Retinol is a high-efficacy ingredient even in its limited concentration of 0.015% in this product so it is recommended that you don’t use it in combination with chemical exfoliants (i.e. AHA, BHA) to prevent skin irritation. Avoid mixing Retinol Cica and Bija Trouble products as they contain salicylic acid. It’s recommended combining Retinol with soothing BIJA CICA line or moisturising products from the GREEN TEA SEED or LAVA SEAWATER lines.
“Gi! Gi! Gi! I’m worried about using a new product on my skin!”
Don’t worry - you’re not alone! To me, it’s a good thing that you’re being careful. It means you really care about your skin. You’ll be happy to know that the Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule has been put through multiple tests to determine it’s safe for use, even for those with acne-prone and sensitive skin.
But of course, at the end of the day, my advice is always the same. Take in as much info as you can, consider your skin condition, experiment a little, and then make the call for what’s right for you right now.
Trust yourself and enjoy the process!
X
Gi