Cheeky little devils

I just saw an ad for a popular TV acne product line last night, in which Katy Perry displayed a “before” shot of her bumpy cheeks. Poor Katy, she didn’t seem to notice that the only bumps she had were right where her cheek color was applied. Katy was suffering from acne cosmetica (acne that’s caused by cosmetics–who knew Latin was so easy to read!) The Red D & C pigments commonly used in powder and cream blush (as well as lipstick) are notorious for causing acne. Katy’s condition is so widespread, it should be called acne blushika.

Why are these synthetic, acne-causing pigments still in use? Because the natural alternative, carmine, is more costly. Per Wikipedia, “Carmine may be prepared from cochineal, by boiling dried insects in water to extract the carminic acid and then treating the clear solution with alum.” Yes, we’re enhancing our beauty with boiled, dried insects. But hey, they don’t cause acne, unlike petroleum-derived synthetic pigments.

Carmine is the only red pigment that is used in eye shadows, as synthetic red is not safe to use around the very-permeable membranes of the eyes. (Every few years some silly makeup artist advises the use of blush for eye shadow. Not only is this not healthy, it’s unflattering.)

Here’s how to get rid of those cheeky little bumps:

1. Switch to an all-mineral blush. They used to be hard to find; in fact, prior to the “mineral” makeup craze, we had to substitute eye shadows in similar shades. Be aware that natural pigments are not as brilliant as synthetics. You’ll need to apply a bit more if you’re using mineral blush.

2. To get rid of bumps, you have several choices:

• You can let nature take its course and in about 90 days all the impactions (bumps and clogs) will have worked their way out of your pores.
• Have a facial with expert deep pore cleansing. We have a treatment called the Express Cleanse (45 minutes) which focuses on extraction of pore impactions. You can always add extra extraction to any facial protocol we offer (Deep Pore Purifying Session, 15 minutes.)
• You can apply a product containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid to those areas, to help peel the epidermis as well as the inside of the pore, releasing the debris. We have a range of these in serums; ask your esthetician for the best one for your skin type.
• If your bumps have progressed to actual pimples (become inflamed and pus-filled) you can apply a 5% Benzyol Peroxide treatment to kill the anaerobic acne bacteria that have set up shop in your pores. Finish your evening cleansing with a three minute ice cube massage (put the ice cube in a plastic bag.)
• Acne is an inflamed condition, and inflammation can be caused by hot water, hot compresses, over-exfoliating, squeezing and all the stuff you do when you want to banish bumps. You may unwittingly be making the situation worse. Whatever you do, treat your skin gently!