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llendrinall · 3 years

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What if the golden trio + Draco magically get sucked into a universe where Riddle was killed before the potters were. And they grow up from babes to adulthood not remembering anything until they suddenly get their memories when each reach the age of 21 and ohh imagine how hard itd be on each's parents cuz they dont know whats wrong and all. Then bam Ron shows up engaged to a muggleborn he never spoke to in school and Harry and Draco are spotted on a date in a muggle zoo. The Malfoy's flip and so do the Potters.

It'd be a lovely story of healing, connecting and love and honesty I think they deserve it after the shit they went through.

The memories come to them in dreams. At first it’s just a strange, upsetting, dream that has a bit more consistency than dreams usually have and that lingers through the day while dreams fade away before you get out of bed. By the third night they have almost all the memories back, each dream slotting nicely with the previous one. Harry is understandably freaked out. He makes a quick trip to Godric’s Hollow to go hug his parents and then spends a lot of time looking at the one family photo they have in the living room, the one in which Harry and Dudley were seven. He stares at Petunia’s smile and wonders whatever happened to give him such horrible ideas about his aunt.

He and Ron are friends, living together as they went through the Auror training and now in their first year working as Aurors. Harry talks to Ron because he can’t shake that horrible feeling of dread; all the things he could lose or maybe all the things he has lost. That’s when they realize they have the same freaking memories, the same dreams, down to the nasty details like Ron leaving during the horcrux hunt or Harry being kind of a jerk about Ginny.

Ron, being Ron, is blessed with an eminently practical and down to earth sense of life. The dreams are strange and it would be very interesting to learn how come they got the same dream-memories, if something happened to their other selves and why are they suddenly remembering now. All those are very good and valid questions that someone should investigate. For now, Ron is going to find Hermione Granger and do whatever it takes to make her fall in love with him so he can marry her.

It turns out that Hermione has been getting the same dreams, the same memories, and when Harry and Ron – those two classmates she was friendly with but not super close to – come knocking on her door, she cries and she doesn’t know if it sadness for what they lost of joy to have them back. Ron once again shows his superior sense by grabbing her hand and saying that yes, this might be a super duper weird spell, and yes Hermione is right to suspect it and want to know why and where it came from, and yes, there may be some dark forces playing around; but none of that changes the fact that he loves her and even if the memories proved to be fake he will still love her because she has the courage and smarts to suspect the meaning of these memories and basically what Ron is trying to say is that he loves all iterations of Hermione. Sorry, but she is stuck with him.

They get married that same day, with Harry acting as a witness. Then they go tell their respective families. The Grangers take it surprisingly well and don’t even threaten Ron with dismemberment if he ever hurts Hermione. Instead, they ask him to do right by her. Ron, who might be going a bit mad, makes a vow of devotion and loyalty with his actual knee on the floor and the Grangers love it. They named their only daughter Hermione, of course they love it when an actual chivalric hero comes into their living room.

The Weasleys are a different thing. They know enough about magic to be suspicious of the sudden memories. Mrs Weasleys gives Hermione the stink eye because, to be honest, this sounds a lot like a love-potion. It’s only because Harry is there with the same memories and no wish to marry Hermione that Mrs Weasley doesn’t call the Wizarding Patrol immediately. Also, the twins and Ginny dislike Hermione. The twins slightly less so because they only had to suffer her as Prefect for a year, but for Ginny it was three long years of Hermione barring her from hexing and/or beating people. It was very frustrating and she blames Hermione for every pimple she got during that time. If Ginny had been allowed to hex Parkinson or Malfoy of freaking Finch-Fletchley every time they were their annoying selves, Ginny would have been much calmer and mellower and her skin would have reflected it.

So the Weasleys are not happy but there isn’t much they can do about it other than keep a close look on Hermione and wait for Ron to see reason.

It is a very busy weekend to say the least. On Monday Harry has vertigo because the week seems awfully empty (disarming a blood hex and capturing its creator, ppft, what is that for someone who remembers fighting Voldemort?). Harry would rather have his hours full so he won’t be overwhelmed by his thoughts. There is so much death in the memories! His parents, Sirius, Remus, Peter, even Regulus who is profoundly weird and very snobbish but James insists on inviting him to events and he keeps coming despite how uncomfortable he looks. They are all dead in Harry’s memories.

There is also Malfoy, who is even more of a jerk in the memories and who grew up to become an actual Death Eater like his father, someone who almost killed Dumbledore and who, when the time came, saved Harry’s life with a lie.

On Thursday the Auror office receives a call of dark activity in Minaford Park, which is where Draco Malfoy is living these days. Harry takes the assignment and makes quick work of the boggart and the ghoul that somehow were trapped under the stairs and were screaming at each other. As excuses go, it’s not too bad. Harry is certain that Draco could have done it himself, but it is messy enough that it seems believable that he would prefer someone else to fix it for him.

Draco offers Harry tea, which he accepts. There is a very odd tension in the air. Draco is down to his shirt sleeves and has shadows under his eyes and when he looks at Harry… It can’t be said that he looks at him funny. Draco was his usual snobbish self while he watched Harry getting rid of the creatures. But there is something in his eyes when Harry takes a seat and accepts the tea cup. Something almost like sorrow.

No, not sorrow.

Compassion.

“Look, Potter”, Draco says. “I am too old to start having prophetic dreams, but this affects you directly. You figure out if someone is playing with a timer-turner or what, here it goes.” And he tells Harry everything.

As one could expect, Minaford Park has a very beautiful garden. Draco and Harry spend hours after lunch walking through it. Ah, yes, Harry stayed for lunch. Draco insisted. He still had things to tell Harry and he was growing hungry.

They meet again on Saturday, ostensibly so Harry can tell Draco what he and Hermione had learned. Ron says he doesn’t give a damn where the memories came from. He only cares what he can do with them and so far he seems to be doing pretty well, having married Hermione and encouraged Bill to ask Fleur Delacour out. Hermione and Harry are a bit more worried, but Harry will admit the research effort goes 30-70% in Hermione’s favour.

Talking with Draco is good. He seems to share the same dread as Harry. Draco confesses that he is not happy with his conduct, or rather the conduct of the Draco that could be. He talks a lot about the fear and nausea at having the Dark Lord in his house, the smell of despair that took over the manor, the mad glint in his aunt Bellatrix’s eyes. Since Draco talks about his aunt, about seeing her mad and cruel and talking proudly about torturing the Longbottoms, Harry feels that he can talk about his own aunt Petunia and Draco will understand. Lily and Petunia don’t have the closest relationship, but to think that she could treat Harry like that…

The Sunday visit to the zoo isn’t a date. As soon as Hermione learns that Draco also has the memories she assigns work pairs and tasks. She sends Harry and Draco to check the reptiles in case they see something like Nagini in there. Both of them have the most memories of her. They should be able to recognize the snake.

Nagini is there and she is surprisingly cognizant for a snake which makes them suspect that she might be a horcrux. The discovery leaves them cold, a new kind of vertigo opening before them. They didn’t live through it, they are only memories, but the exhaustion of the war feels real and they don’t want to go through anything similar again.

Draco asks to go see the penguins and it might seem silly and contradictory, but watching them helps a lot to keep the chill from Nagini away. Neither can tell who initiated, but while in there they begin to hold hands. They go to see the butterflies next, which are in the next pavilion, and suddenly everything in the world looks much better. They don’t kiss when they part, but the way they look at each other is worth at least three kisses.

On Monday Harry receives a short message from Remus that simply says he has sequestered the Prophet’s copy but he doesn’t know how long he can keep Harry’s parents from seeing the news. Harry takes the morning off work and goes to Godric’s Hollow immediately so they can learn about Draco from him rather than the salacious gossip column.

James simply says, “MALFOY? You… MALFOY!?”.

He seems upset. Then he freezes and for the next ten minutes James says nothing. He doesn’t move. He is just there, in the kitchen, one hand in the air and the other holding a cup of tea that is growing cold.

“Harry, dear, I want you to come to dinner today.” Lily says. She has a worried frown but is otherwise unperturbed. “And tell us everything about those memories. Even the bad bits. This is important. It can be dangerous.”

“Yes! Dinner!” James screams, suddenly unfreezing. “Bring him to dinner. Tonight.”

“What?”

“No, you are right. It might be too formal, too soon. Quidditch, then. Does he like Quidditch? He must. I remember you complaining about him while you were in school.”

“He… likes Quidditch, yes.” Harry says hesitantly because even now he is not sure if his dad is talking about Draco.

“Perfect. We shall go see a Quidditch match, the three of us.”

“James.” Lily warns.

“Does anybody in this house know when the next Quidditch match is?” James cries over his wife’s warning that he is doing it again, just like with Sirius.

“Saturday.” Remus says.

“That’s too late! When is Sirius back?”

“Wednesday.” Answers Remus and despite his transformation exhaustion he nimbly steps away from Lily’s strike with the newspaper. Usually Remus would spend his transformation at home, but since Sirius had to go on a trip he came to James and Lily’s so he would have company, which led to the fortunate circumstance of being able to take the newspaper and delay the news.

“Honestly, Remus.” Chides Lily.

“I’m not encouraging him! You can’t call answering his questions encouragement!”

“It is decided, then.” James announces from the chair. He has climbed a chair and is speaking from atop. “Friday, you bring young Malfoy home. We will play Quidditch and some board games and have dinner in the yard. Sirius shall bring Regulus so Malfoy is not the only Slytherin.”

“James, listen to me…” Lily tries with little faith that James would listen to anyone.

That same morning, at eleven, Lucius Malfoy receives a howler from James Potter composed of thirty-two seconds of mad laughter, which means that James must had listened to Lily at some point or most likely that she was able to take his wand.

It couldn’t be said that James Potter was happy to hear that his beloved son was dating a snobbish Slytherin prick, no, but as soon as he realized that Lucius Malfoy would be equally unenthused about it, it had awaken James’s unhinged tendency towards confrontation with the established power and forced adoption of families’ black sheep. He had done it to Sirius, he had done it to Remus, he had done it to Peter (even if it failed catastrophically) and he was doing it to Regulus now. He had even befriended Severus Snape. Oh! Snape! He should invite Snape too. That way they could make teams of four. He would come if Lily asked him to.

And afterwards they explore those memories, and Lily looks worried and so does Snape. Regulus goes very quiet for a while but then he gives his opinion of what has happened and it’s the most words anyone has heard him speak but the multiverse theory makes a lot of sense.

The Weasleys warm up to Hermione eventually. They can’t tell why, exactly, other that Ron is beaming these days. Also, every time she comes to the Burrow she brings a gift to Arthur. It is a very obvious ploy to make them like her but it works because she sees the gift through and answers all of Arthur’s questions no matter how long it takes. The twins took notes when she gave her physics lecture. It was most informative. They created two prank artefacts out of it.

They find the few horcruxes Voldemort managed to make. Peter, who had a falling out with the Potters years ago, resurfaces and tries to steal a horcrux and bring back the Dark Lord out of spite. According to Regulus some people are dedicated to bring their own destruction and you can’t do anything about it. Barty Crouch Jr. also tries to bring Voldemort back, but by then Lucius Malfoy has been adopted by James even though he is a powerful adult man with his own family. It makes no sense. If anything, Lucius should be the one informally adopting people and grooming them under his wing to be his devoted friends and allies. But Lucius had become James’, just like Severus warned him it would happen, so he puts a stop to that Barty Crouch nonsense pretty quickly and to any other former Death Eaters with ideas. Lucius might not like the Potters but he likes the idea of Voldemort taking over his house even less, and whatever else his happening, it makes Draco happy, so.

What little of Voldemort remained alive, it is now dead.

The four of them, they have the shadows and regrets of two lives, the fear and pain of two wars, but the happiness afterwards… Oh, it is worth it, it is very, very worth it. It is the happiness of two lives, tenfold.

#asks #harry potter #memories #au #Anonymous #verse: memories from another life

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mugiwara--ya · 7 years

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also like. fuck dermatillomania, seriously.

this was supposed to be a short post but fuck it lol this is HUGE

when i had my first really bad breakout at like, 18 (from fucking contraceptivesl!!!!!! like before i did have a couple uh..idk if i would call em breakouts, but like you know, just regular teen acne, and my gyn was like “you have a bit of acne so these pills are gonna help ya!!” FUCK YOU I BARELY HAD ANYTHING) i remember waking up one day, rubbing my eyes, then touching my forehead. and i felt a TON of tiny bumps. i was like, the fuck? and i wiped my forehead with my bed sheets because i thought i had dirt or somethig on my face. and i touched again and they were still there. i immediately got up and looked at my big mirror, and i swear it was like half an hour straight of just looking at my forehead, with dozens of closed comedones, and it was.. it was terrible. people used to tell me how pretty my skin was, that my face was so soft and perfect, and asking me which products i used (i did have a skincare routine because i couldnt risk fucking up my face, i’ve always picked at every single imperfection so i had to make sure i had none to begin with)

so yeah i fucking panicked. my skin was my confidence. i barely used bb cream for dark circles or when i wanted to look extra nice, and that would be it. my appearance was (is) everything to me.

and thats when derma fucked up my life (now that i think about it i DID almost die of an infected wound that i picked at when i was a toddler but ANYWAYS). im pretty sure that if i had just taken care of it as a normal fucking person, it would have just gone away, healed, the end. i even stopped taking those pills. but i picked at it. i picked and scratched and squeezed and put needles on those hideous fucking things because i just needed to get them out. i would spend HOURS every day picking at my skin. and it only made it worse. not only those didnt go away for a few months, not only did i cause terrible scarring, but i pretty much spread all that nasty shit all over my face. and yeah, my acne itself was never TERRIBLE, at the beginning most people couldnt even tell and with just a bit of makeup i was ready to go! but i just..kept picking at it. because i was terrified. i made scar after scar. painful acne would grow under those scars. and i would pick at it even if the previous one wasnt done healing. my mom would look at me and tell me how hideous i looked. “put on some makeup i dont want to go out with you looking like that”. i would go into work and they would tell me “the fuck did you do to your face now?!”

it wasnt acne itself. it was all the scarring i made. you can cover up acne with foundation. but scabs? open wounds? it looks like shit. and i put on makeup anyways, and i literally wasnt able to go out without it, but i always knew everyone could see my scabs. patchy, ugly, painful looking scabs. i was ashamed of it. my confidence was gone. i felt uglier every day. i knew it was all my own fault. everyone kept telling me “just stop picking at it”.

but i got so desperate. so anxious. i used to have anxiety attacks when i tried to lie down and not pick at my face. i tried picking at ingrown hairs on my legs to distract me and it worked for a while, but as soon as i saw my reflection i was gone, like i couldnt control myself, i dissociated completely and when i was back on my body i looked at my face and just cried. i cried and cried because i fucking did it again.

this lasted for about three-four years i think, and it got even worse when my actual acne got Very Bad between last year and this year, especially because i had run out of all the skincare products that actually worked and didnt have money for new ones so i tried to settle down for local products (that didnt work), i was stressed the fuck out because i had secretly dropped out of university, my hormones were crazy (endometriosis ayyy), and idk it was Bad. but then again. my acne was never REALLY terrible, like yeah it was worse, but never like cystic acne or like full face of it (i had on my forehead, nose, inner sides of my cheeks, around my mouth and chin, like mostly the center of my face) and i never had that many violent painful pimples at the same time (mostly because i would pick em out as soon as i could) but THE SCABS. My skin also got really oily and my pores were fucking huge, and even if thankfully my skin is pretty good at healing itself (i dont have deep scars, its mostly hyperpigmentation with little to no texture after it has fully healed) no matter how fast my scabs healed (a couple weeks usually) i always made myself new ones, like !! why !!

now, a few months ago, i started taking contraception again. another brand, because i couldnt stand period pains anymore. and this time..it actually helped! my skin got a bit less oily, i started getting less pimples, and a bit after that, i finally bought new (korean) skincare. the only non-prescription skincare that has ever worked for me lol. etude house i owe you my life. i also stopped smoking cigs, and i’ve really been trying to eat healthier. trying. shut up

and i finally started getting better, slowly!! and i dont know, just having a routine helped a lot in regaining my confidence, taking care of my skin helped my anxiety, and i kept thinking “i spent a SHIT TON OF MONEY on these things, i’m not gonna ruin it by picking”. and yeah i still did it/do it every now and then, but WAY LESS than i used to, and now i strategically pick at stuff that can be easily covered up by hair, i never put my hands directly on my face (i wrap my fingers in cloth or something), and always clean my face afterwards, im a Conscious Picker™ now

and last week i finally decided to go see a dermatologist! (ABOUT TIME!!) and yeah she told me most of my skin problems are due to excoriating, and my actual acne can be treated easily, and gave me a bunch of prescription products to help get rid of it and control my oily ass face. and bitch!!!! just five days in and MY SKIN ALREADY LOOKS SO SO SO MUCH BETTER! (LIKE IGNORING THE FACT THAT I HAVE TWO HUGE SCABS NEAR MY MOUTH AND TWO MORE ON MY FOREHEAD AND A LOT OF HYPERPIGMENTATION)

and im just. i look at the mirror and i wanna cry. i wanna cry because im getting better. im scared of ruining it, but im just so motivated. this time im not letting my anxiety get in the middle of what i want. im insecure, i still struggle to believe im beautiful with or without acne or scars, but im worth the try, i deserve to take care of myself and do things that make me happy, and if im vain ! whatever! feeling my skin soft makes me happy! looking at the mirror and loving how i look makes me happy! keeping a routine, washing my face, putting on creams till i look like a glazed donut, it makes me happy! going out without makeup and not caring makes me happy! putting on makeup and not caring if some scabs or hyperpigmentation still shows because i know its all getting better, it makes me happy!

i am stronger than i thought and i am stronger than the anxiety derma gives me. i just needed to work out a way to go around it lol. also im tired as fuck and ive been writing about this for like two hours. no one is gonna read this but whatever lol i love myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BITCH I LOVE MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!! IM GLOWING!!!

#personal #dermatillomania #acne #recovery #generalized anxiety disorder #bfrb #excoriation disorder

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therebespiritsahead · 7 years

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1/15/17

I’m just about to sleep when I feel my attention called to my astral place. My younger unicorn, and most of my healing spirits have assumed a human form. I’m slightly worried and freaked as they have never done this before and my mind has them in doctors in surgery gear. I almost nope out when I see and feel S, a veiled fae woman I have/need to welcome into my home.

I know I am here for her wounds, I don’t remember us ever setting up something like this, but I think she requested we attempt to heal her. And so I try, the rest of my team assure me I have the knowledge to do this, and are here to back up in case it gets to graphic for me, or I cannot finish.

Trigger warnings for slight gore, disease mention, a bunch of nastiness really.

I really only know how to start this process because I have watched alot of Doctor Pimple Popper, because I tend to suffer, when I get them, from alot of deep deep pimples and I wanted to learn how to clean them out without doing alot of damage to my skin.

I start by wondering if we have any anesthetics....but then I worry because I don’t know her body chemistry if it will harm or possibly kill her, so we lay down a mildly thick layer of morphine like energy on her. I start by lifting her veil, which I did with her permission, only to her eyes at first, before I notice there are almost orange sized cysts and lumps covering her beautiful face.

Her sister C, is by my side immediately, and wants to know what I am doing, and so I explain that I am trying to help restore her sister to her former beauty and to clean out the infections under her skin and in her pores. P, the person whom had rescued these two ladies from their abusive homes, had told me she was very scarred and never to ask her to remove her veil, I don’t think he could see past her glamour that she put up. C is extremely defensive of her sister and wants me to get away, I ask instead of her trying to fight with me, if she would like to help, her icy powers would do good for numbing the wounds I open up in case the energy layer doesn’t work. She agrees and takes up a spot next to me, as I get a scalpel and slowly cut into the bigger meaner looking wounds.

Instantly I am hit with not only smells but energies of infection and wounds and pus and general disgusting nastiness, and we immediately begin slowly draining the wounds. My healing group gathers the towels full of the nasties, and throws them into a fire that one of my dragons is tending near by. When we have drained the first wound enough to get the the head, we notice it’s not a normal cyst, but it’s more crystallized and painful.I carefully remove it,and my healers begin to throw it into the flame when we notice it grows with heat.

I pull it out and zap it with some of my lightening ( Yup no shame I’m channeling chained lightening spell from Skyrim here) when that doesn’t work either. Her sister encases it in Ice, and I call some of my dragons, I ask them to take it to or at least deliver it to the Plague Dragon realm from Flight rising, bury it in the gaping wound because I have no idea what else to safely do with them. We are about to close the wound when my instincts tell me there is still more pus inside and we drain out as much as we can without putting to much pressure on her face. We, well now my Healing Group takes over from here, and I hear C thank me , there is a book series I read ( although it is fiction)that had a interesting method for healing...of anything.

You can find it in The Healer by C.J Anaya ( it’s also a really good series ) . You basically connect to the aura, the body’s initial intelligence, not the brain or soul or what have you, although I found you can, and if your energies can communicate, you can over ride the intelligence of the body and give it orders.(As long as the spirit/body accepts, you can’t do it on yourself sadly.)

I do just that, I connect to S’s body, with her permission, and gently nudge at the intelligence of her body, it lights up at my response( her energy feels like a sea the color and smells of her waves are of Lavender. I see the nasties like infection sharks, destroying her ocean slowly by physical wounds and mental trauma/self consciousness ), and I gently guide it over the next few days to break down her scar tissues ( which has healed over a bunch of wounds and crystallized nasties) and to slowly push out the black heads and the pimples and to release all the build up junk when she sweats. She not to happy at the thought of having to take warm showers or baths to release the junk/nasties, her soul tells me, because she was kept in scolding hot waters. I tell her I have plenty of bath bombs and oils for her to use, but that the warm water will help open up her pores so it is easier to release the nasties. I try to tell her body not to do this too rapidly as I don’t want to spook her if her she wakes up and suddenly all the damage is undone to her body, but she is all the more excited to wake up and get to work, I readjust the time, a few weeks will help her get used to it.

I ask my Household groups to make sure she has a room with large baths for the hot water, and to give her tubs of fresh cold water she can lay in at her own pleasure. They mentally show me such things have been prepared, the cold water in a steal tub in front of a large fire place for her . Fluffy towels and things like beauty oils and massage scrubs and luffas have been laid out all around.

C and S share a very very large room, which they like. C isn’t to happy that a few of my unicorns are males, because she has a severe distrust and hatred towards men, for understandable reasons. But she seems to calm down as they both slowly work to rid her sister of nasties. Before I am pulled away she hugs me and says thank you, and gives me a icy kiss on the cheek, which leaves me slightly frosted.

I smile and say she and S are welcome, and that I will do my best to help them past their trauma and help them become functioning members of my family in their own time. My Household groups show me that S has had alot of fun in my gardens, and has refilled most of the pantry with preservatives and canned goods.(She wants to watch cooking shows and teach/show me some of her own recipes) She cooks fantastically, and no one minds her veils, except my one baby bronze dragon and basilisk, although they like to sleep behind them. She minded at first, but it seems to give her a added sense of security, since V, the baby basilisk has the form much like a bush viper. His venom alone would kill in a matter of hours,although looking in his eyes would only paralyze for a few moments. She enjoys his heat and company.

They seem to all be getting along fine, except for C who eats in her room because I have a male dominated household, but she is slowly opening up, my Sanguine Vampire,and her explore my library, and although she requests he stays a bit away, they have sort of bonded, and like to read over various books ( I didn’t even know I had xD)

#The Shining Fae #first visit

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dawnasiler · 4 years

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4 Ways To Prevent Saggy Skin (That Really Work)

Bad news: once your skin is saggy, you can’t unsag it. Not with skincare anyway. There’s a reason Kris Jenner opts for facelifts, ya know?

Good news: you can slow down the sagging process and keep your skin tight for as long as possible. Would you like that, gorgeous?

But first…

Why Does Your Skin Sag?

Think of your skin as a mattress. Collagen is the frame that holds the whole thing together. Elastin is the springs that make it bounce back into place. Fats are the stuffing that gives it its volume. As every part becomes weaker, the mattress starts to sag.

The same happens to your skin. When you’re young, your skin makes all the collagen & co it needs to stay firm and elastic. But as you get older, it starts to slack on the job. Here’s what I mean:

Collagen: It’s the protein that keeps skin firm. As soon as you turn 21, you start losing 1% collagen a year. At first, the loss is so tiny, you barely notice it. 10 years later, you wonder when did your skin become so slack. By the way, things only get worse with menopause. You lose 30% collagen in the first 5 years!

Elastin: It’s the protein that makes your skin elastic. Once elastin breaks down, it’s very hard for your body to make more of it. Prevention is key here.

Fats: Remember the baby fat you couldn’t wait to shed? It filled up your cheeks and under-eye area, making it look smoother and plumper. As fatsdeplete with age, your face loses volume. Cue hollowed cheeks and eyes. (By the way, how unfair is it this happens only on the face?!)

Related: 8 Science-Backed Ways To Rebuild Lost Collagen

What Makes Skin Sag Faster?

Sagging is a natural process. But the rate at which it happens ain’t always natural. There are a number of things that speed up the process.

Here are the worst culprits:

Gravity: It pulls everything down.

Pollution: It generates free radicals that speed up the aging process.

Smoking: It speeds up collagen and elastin depletion.

Too much sugar: It causes glycation, a fancy way to say that it corrupts your collagen and makes your skin sag faster.

UV rays: They destroy collagen, elastin, and everything else they find in their way.

Weight loss: If you’re always losing and gaining weight, you’ll weaken the “springs” that keep your skin firm and elastic.

Related: How To Protect Your Skin From Pollution

How Do You Prevent Saggy Skin?

You can’t do anything about gravity or the natural aging process. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. Here’s what you can do to prevent saggy skin for as long as possible:

1. Wear Sunscreen

Sunscreen is NON-negotiable. UV rays are the number one cause of saggy skin (and all other signs of premature aging). Every time you go out without sunscreen, you’re aging your skin.

Even in winter. Even if it’s rainy. Even if it’s snowing. UV rays are sneaky. They get through the darkest clouds and get reflected on snow. Just because you can’t see the sun, doesn’t mean it’s not harming your skin.

FYI, UVA rays penetrate through glass, too. Don’t think you’re safe in your car or near those big office windows. Wear your sunscreen, ladies.

WARNING! You can follow all the other tips in this article, but if you skip sunscreen, it’s all for nothing. Sunscreen is that important.

Best Picks:

Related: 6 Sunscreen Myths You Need To Stop Believing Right Now

2. Use A Vitamin C Serum

Did you know that Vitamin C is essential for collagen production? The more your skin has, the more collagen your skin pumps out.

While it’s at it, Vitamin C fights off free radicals, too. They’re nasty molecules generated by UV rays, pollution, smoking… all the usual culprits.

Free radicals give you wrinkles and dark spots, make your skin sag faster, and even play a role in the development of cancer and other awful diseases.

The more free radicals are roaming your body, the faster you age. Vitamin C helps you neutralise them before they can wreak their havoc on your skin… especially when used with other antioxidants.

Make sure your Vitamin C Serum contains as many antioxidants as possible. At the very least, it must contain Vitamin E and ferulic acid. Studies show this combo makes Vitamin C work better and boosts sun protection, too!

Best Picks:

Related: The Complete Guide To Vitamin C In Skincare: What It Is, What It Does, And How To Use It

3. Add A Retinoid To Your Skincare Routine

Retinoid is a catch-all term for every member of the Vitamin A family, including:

Hydroxypinacolone retinoate (Granactive Retinoid)

Retinaldehyde

Retinol

Tretinoin

Retinoids slow down premature aging in 3 ways:

They fight off free radicals before they give you wrinkles and saggy skin

They boost the production of collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm

They speed up cellular turnover, the skin’s natural exfoliating process to make skin smoother and more even-toned

Tretinoin is the most effective – and the most irritating. So irritating, it’s available by prescription only.

Retinol works more slowly, but it’s less irritating. Still, it’s a good idea to start with a low concentration (0.01%) and work your way up to 1%. I show you how to do it in this article.

Retinaldehyde is somewhere in the middle. It’s more effective than retinol, yet gentler on the skin. The catch? It costs more.

I don’t recommend other retinoids for saggy skin prevention. These 3 have the most research to back up their claims.

Best Picks:

Related: What Type Of Retinoid Is Best For You?

4. Avoid Eating Too Much Sugar

I know, I know… I have a sweet tooth, too. There ain’t no way I’m gonna give up on cake, ya all. I just eat it only on my cheat day. Here’s why:

Too much sugar causes all kinds of havoc on your skin:

Wrinkles: Ever wondered why people affected by diabetes look older? Glycation. That’s a fancy way of saying that sugar hardens and cross-links collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep your skin firm and elastic. When they’re damaged, skin sags and wrinkles appear.

Pimples: High levels of insulin trigger the skin to produce way more sebum that it needs. Hello, pimples!

Inflammation: Too much sugar causes inflammation, which leads to wrinkles, dark spots and irritations.

Again, I’m not saying to cut sugar out of your diet completely. If you can do it, kudos to you. For most people (myself included), deprivation only leads to sugar binging a few weeks later. Ahem…

There’s a better way. The Low Glycemic Diet is a simple diet with only one rule: eat more foods low in sugar and fewer foods high in sugar.

By the way, don’t let the word diet put you off. The Low Glycemic Diet is more of a way of eating than a diet. It doesn’t ban any foods. It just encourages you to eat more of the foods that nourish your body and less of those that make you age faster.

If you want to know how to get started on the Low Glycemic Diet, check out my guide here.

Related: I Went On The Low Glycemic Diet And It Transformed My Skin

The Bottom Line

You can’t prevent saggy skin completely, but you can slow down the aging process considerably. How? Wear sunscreen, cut back on sugar, and add vitamin C and retinol to your skincare routine. And be patient! It takes months of consistent use to see results. Don’t quit!

How do you prevent saggy skin? Share your tips in the comments below.

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4 Ways To Prevent Saggy Skin (That Really Work) syndicated from Beautiful With Brains

#skincare #beauty #makeup

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the-connection · 6 years

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dawyer · 7 years

Text

Salt of the Sun

I enjoy guns and wearing makeup. Not necessarily at the same time, but why not go to the shooting range with a little lipstick? I like cooking for my friends, the kitchen is my temple. I enjoy watching the Bruins kick ass in hockey. Go Bruins!

The reason I like the term queer is because it fits me to a tee.

I am anatomically a 24-year-old, adult woman. Being queer does not make one a hermaphrodite. We seem to get this whole physical anatomy versus sexual expression versus sexual preference thing all mixed up. Any intelligent citizen can tell you're they're three different things entirely. But they're also mysteriously connected like a Chinese foreign investor and the Greek national debt are all tied up in your junk bond mortgage. Like a hot mess. That's what makes you interesting, even if we all seem incomprehensible at first.

I just don’t identify with stereotypically female or male characteristics. Take the blue and pink salad spinners, for example. His and Hers. His salad and her salad. Spin your salad blue for boys, spin your salad pink for girls. What the hell difference does it make? Whatever pesticides aren’t washed off the lettuce are going to give you cancer anyways, no matter what your gender is.

Sometimes guys think I'm anatomically a boy. I have my hair cut real short and sometimes I don't wear makeup when I don't feel like it. I'm only five foot eight and rather flat-chested, but I've got a nice ass, so it's really a toss-up. On that note, I went to the beach last week sans maquillage. In my zone, reading Camus on the coast of Maine outside of Portland, watching the Canadians migrate to their favorite Summer swimhole and listening to them speak French... this is my element. A little girl was afraid to go into the water and a man, probably her Dad, dunked her under the water real fast and rose her up like she was baby Simba, except this girl was screaming and crying that she wanna go back, wanna go back, wanna go back to Mommy. Sometimes Fathers don't realize how the early trauma they put their kids through can really fuck them up. My Father used to wrestle with me as a kid, playfully at first, but one day he pinned me down, my little arms and legs squished under his huge gut. He wouldn't let me get up until I pretended to stop breathing. Ever since then, I hate being under someone else, sexually or otherwise. Then I really start to freak out and have to explain the whole story. Most people are understanding of this kind of trauma, or at least they pretend to be understanding. Sometimes they never call or text me back, but that could be for other reasons.

My book down in front of my face and my eyelids getting rather heavy, I lie down on my stomach and close my eyes behind sepia-tinted sunglasses. For a few minutes I feel the breeze lap the back of my neck and the sun really going at it on my upper thighs, those pesky pale things. I'm wearing a blue tank-top, I burned my back a few days ago so it was still a little sensitive. With my eyes closed I drift off into a land where there are just orange auras moving around real lazily, like globes of energy, slow dancing to "Wonderwall" at a high school dance. The auras would sometimes blend into each other and become brighter, and then move apart. It was beautiful. I wasn't really there, but I was everywhere at the same time, just kind of floating amidst and above them. Then I feel a pungent garlic breath punch my face.

I open my eyes and get up on my elbow real fast, adjusting my eyes to the light. A man comes into focus, also lying down on the beach, his skin like a leathery, orange handbag and his face shiny with too much sun lotion. He wasn't that old, maybe mid 50's, but he looked like a beach addict, a real beach bum. His curly salt-and-pepper hair looked well-washed at least, and his arms were big like tree limbs and rather endearing.

"Hey man," he says, exposing some bleached, glow-in-the-dark white teeth, and continues, "What are you reading?"

"Well I wasn't reading, I was asleep... but anyways, I've been reading Camus."

"Came us!" He says, picking up the book and nodding his head over and over again, "I've heard of him, he's like a French revolutionary or something?"

"Not exactly, I mean he's pretty recent, like 1960's I think he died? Anyways some of his ideas were pretty revolutionary I guess you could say."

"Ok," He says, sitting up straight and side-glancing a few times over at my ass. An awkward pause of silence interrupts us, then a bee comes over and hovers above my side. I try to brush it away.

"Be careful not to hurt it!" He shouts, brushing my thigh with his surprisingly soft fingers, "Bees are our friends, we need them to pollinate all the flowers along the beach and give life to this otherwise dead world. They give life to the flowers, the flowers make fruit, we eat the fruit. But those damn cell phone towers are killing them off all over the place! I’m gonna take my hatchet and cut em down.”

“I don’t know if you can cut through steel cell phone towers, they look like pretty sturdy structures. Anyways last I heard it was farmers spraying their crops with nasty chemicals was the thing that’s done the bees in.”

He just leers at me for a moment and replies, “I remember the day those towers went up and things started to change. Let’s just knock one down and see what happens. You look like a pretty strong boy, you could help me pull it down.” He grabs my though and gives a strong squeeze.

Strong boy? True I’m strong, I always alternate between the shooting range and going to the gym every alternate day. That way I’ve got a sharp eye when I have a rifle, and I can wrestle when I need to.

“I’m not a...” I rethink my words, not wanting to explain what queer is, “not as strong as you think.”

“Well we could find out.” He looks over to the bushes at the edge of the beach. There’s nobody around but us, we’re at a No Swim section of the beach and all the respectful Canadians are down further at the lifeguarded section.

“Huh..? What do you...” I say as he squeezes my thigh again. I hate when random guys touch me like they’re testing the ripeness of an avocado.

“You play football? What grade are you in?”

“Eleventh. No, track and field,” I lie.

“Oh a junior, that‘s a good year. A rough one, but good. You’re in your prime.” He winks a nasty, long wink. There’s sand in his eyelashes. Then stands up and reaches for my hand. “Come on, let me show you something. Want to go see in the bushes?”

“Ok.”

We walk over, my hand in his big, soft one.

When we get to the bushes he says, “Now I want to show you something, but you don’t have to do anything. Just sit there.” He immediately pulls down his speedo to reveal a hard, veiny dick. He starts touching himself and making low, guttural noises, almost pig-like. His face was turning bright red. With all that orange skin, it was like watching a giant red pimple appearing on the skin of a grapefruit.

Then he starts touching my hair, and that sets me off. Up until this point, he was just putting on a show. It all seemed harmless, maybe to just show off his manhood in a softcore kind of way. To show who is the alpha male to the beta male.

I want to punch him in the groin, but I resist.

Instead, I take him in my mouth for two seconds, and he screams with surprise and pleasure. The thing smells fishy, combined with the burnt smell of sun lotion spread over the flesh of his lower abdomen. It immediately repulsed me almost to the point of gagging.

Then I bite, hard. Like an enchanted apple, though I’m the enchantress. And the apple is now forever cursed.

He lets out a beast-like yelp, and pushes against the sides of my head. It felt like my eyes would pop out the front of my face like a Looney Tunes character upon discovering that their tail is on fire. I stand up and run real fast until I feel it’s safe to. Then I turn around and see the dude doubled over on the ground, it looks like he’s crying.

I realize there’s something salty tasting in my mouth. I spit. Blood-tinted saliva. I spit until I can’t spit anymore and I run to the ocean and start throwing massive amounts of salty ocean water in my mouth to rinse.

Then I look back again. The man is still doubled-over, writhing in pain. I think he’s even sobbing. I gather my things and put them in my backpack and attach my bicycle helmet to my head. As I walk away towards where I locked my bike, an idea strikes me.

I run back real stealthily to where the man in sobbing and yell, “Hey bee fucker! You wanna try this?” And I pull down my bikini bottom, exposing my female anatomy. I shaved it that morning, so it is literally here in broad daylight.

He looks over at me and just stares, tears coming down his face. “You could have said,” he begins to say, and repeats, “could have...”. Then he starts to laugh. It sounded at first like a nervous laugh, the kind of slow, forced laugh when you’re not sure if someone is going to hurt you. Then it continued and became louder, and louder, and he gasps for air in between each one. Maniacal. Like he will never stop.

I yell back, “Could have said what?”

Suddenly he stops laughing, and says dryly, “No.”

I gulp what feels like a golf ball in my throat and turn the other way very delicately, and then start to walk fast. Like a suburban mom in the morning, but faster. When I get to my bike, I look back towards the bushes and don’t see the man anymore.

Maybe he rolled down into the ocean waves like a beached whale trying to return to wherever he came from?

On my bike, I feel free again. On my bike, I am invincible.

On my bike, I am alone.

0 notes

dawnasiler · 5 years

Text

Best Holiday Skincare Gift Sets 2019

I love this time of the year.

Walking around the dusky streets decorated with sparkling lights, sipping hot chocolate at a local cafe, and getting the best skincare deals of the year.

The shops are packed with gift sets offering you a brand’s best-selling products for a fraction of the retail price.

It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce your BFF to Korean skincare, try that luxury brand you’ve had your eye on for years, and treating your friends to pampering sheet masks.

No matter who’s on your list, you’ll find skincare gift sets that’ll please everyone, from the French skincare lover to the acne-prone teen.

Here are the best holiday skincare gift sets for 2019. Take your pick!

For Sensitive Skin: First Aid Beauty Skin Summit ($48.00)

The name says it all: First Aid Beauty Skin Summit is a first aid kid for dry and sensitive skin. Whether you’re suffering with it all year round or your skin got a case of winter dryness, this kit can nurse it back to health. It includes:

Pure Skin Face Cleanser (2.0 fl. oz.): A creamy face wash that removes all traces of dirt, oil and makeup.

Facial Radiance Pads (60 count): A gentle exfoliant that brightens skin.

Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal Mask (2.0 fl. oz.): A soothing mask with colloidal oatmeal to reduce redness, itchiness, and irritations.

Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum (0.5 fl. oz.): A hydrating serum packed with soothing ingredients to moisturize skin and calm down irritations at the same time.

Ultra Repair Cream (6.0 oz.): Packed to the brim with soothing agents, it deeply moisturises skin, strengthens its protective barrier, and reduces redness and irritation. You can use it on both your face and body.

Available at: Dermstore and Feel Unique

For The Mask Lover: Peter Thomas Roth Mask-Erade Kit ($19.00)

Is there a more relaxing pampering treat than a mask? Peter Thomas Roth Mask-Erade Kit features 5 masks for every concern, from wrinkles to dehydrated skin. You can gift them all to your mum or use them as individual stocking stuffers for 5 friends. Here’s what’s inside:

Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask (0.47 fl. oz.): A hydrating mask with antioxidants to make skin soft and supple.

24K Gold Mask Pure Luxury Lift & Firm (0.47 fl. oz.): A gimmicky mask with gold. It looks cool, but it only hydrates skin.

Irish Moor Mud Purifying Black Mask (0.47 fl. oz.): Perfect for oily skin, it helps to absorb excess oil.

Pumpkin Enzyme Mask Enzymatic Dermal Resurfacer (0.47 fl. oz.): An exfoliating mask that makes skin smoother and brighter.

Cucumber Gel Mask Extreme De-Tox™ Hydrator (0.47 fl. oz.): A soothing and hydrating mask for dry and dull skin.

Available at: Cult Beauty and Dermstore

For The Sun Worshipper: Supergoop! Your Everyday SPF Kit ($32.00)

Got a friend who loves basking in the sun? Supergoop! Your Everyday SPF Kit is the perfect gift. It has three sunscreen formulas to keep you safe in the sun and prevent sun damage (the nasty bugger that always turn into wrinkles later on):

Everyday Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 (2.4 fl. oz.): A lightweight, non-greasy formula for both your face and body.

Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 (0.34 fl. oz.): Ideal for oily skin, this oil-free sunscreen has a lightweight texture that shields skin without leaving a greasy mess behind.

Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50 (1 fl. oz.): A refreshing setting spray to top up your sunscreen doing the day.

Available at: Dermstore

For The Skincare Newbie: The Ordinary The Daily Set (£15.00)

Want to introduce your teen to skincare or have a friend who doesn’t have a proper routine yet? Get her on The Ordinary Bandwagon. The Ordinary The Daily Set features everything you need to start a basic skincare routine:

Squalane Cleanser (50ml): It effortlessly removes all traces of dirt and stubborn makeup from skin.

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA (30ml): A gentle moisturizer that strengthens your skin’s protective barrier and makes your skin soft and supple.

Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (30ml): A hydrating serum that plumps up skin, softens its texture, and makes the complexion glow.

Available at: Asos, Cult Beauty, and Look Fantastic

For Your Mum: Drunk Elephant The Midi Committee (£40.00)

As you get older, you need more heavy-duty skincare that can keep wrinkles off your face, fade away dark spots, and deeply moisturise skin. Drunk Elephant The Midi Committee covers all basics:

Protini Polypeptide Cream (30ml): A hydrating moisturiser with peptides that helps prevent wrinkles and sagging.

A-Passioni Retinol Cream (10ml): A heavy-duty moisturizer with retinol to reduce wrinkles and fade away dark spots (only for pro retinol users!).

B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum (5ml): A hylauronic acid serum that intensely hydrates dry and dehydrated skin.

Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser (22g): A creamy makeup remover that melts away all traces of dirt and makeup.

Bamboo Booster (1.7g): A gentle exfoliant that brightens and soothes skin.

Available at: Cult Beauty and SpaceNK

For The Natural Skincare Lover: Pai Natural Treasures Hero Collection (£50.00)

We all have that one friend who refuses to use anything that’s not natural. Get her a box of Pai Natural Treasures Hero Collection. It features daily staples for dry, sensitive, and eczema-prone skin:

Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser (200ml): A hydrating cream cleanses that removes every trace of dirt and grime, leaving skin clean and soft.

Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil (30ml): A moisturizing oil loaded with antioxidants that fights wrinkles, soothes irritations, and makes skin softer and suppler.

Chamomile & Rosehip Calming Day Cream (10ml): A gentle, moisturizing cream that soothes irritations while hydrating skin.

Dual Effect Sensitive Skin Cloth: Gives the cleanser a gentle exfoliating boost.

Available at: Content Beauty, Cult Beauty, and Free People

For The Korean Skincare Lover: Cosrx Favorites Best Sellers Set ($25.00)

Want to introduce Korean skincare to your BFF? Cosrx Favorites Best Sellers Set is the perfect starting point. Here’s why:

Low-pH Good Morning Cleanser (20 ml;): A gentle, pH-balanced foaming cleanser that cleanses skin without drying it out or irritating it.

AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner (20 ml): A gentle, exfoliating toner that removes dead skin cells, making skin smoother and brighter. It helps treat acne, too.

Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence (20 ml): Packed with 96% snail mucin, this essence is super moisturising. Rumour has it, it helps with acne, too.

COSRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion (20 ml): A lightweight moisturizer that makes skin soft and supple, calms down irritations, and leaves no greasy residue behind.

Available at: Skin Library and Soko Glam

For Acne-Prone Skin: Paula’s Choice Repair + Restore Oily Kit ($108.00)

Your friend’s complaining she’s getting too many pimples or can’t get her acne under control? Paula’s Choice Repair + Restore Oily Kit has what it takes to keep acne at bay and give her the clear complexion she’s longing for:

RESIST Daily Pore-Refining Treatment 2% BHA (88 ml /3 fl. oz.): A gentle exfoliant that gets deep into the pores, removing all the gunk that’s giving you blackheads and acne. It shrinks pores, too.

RESIST Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum (30 ml / 1 fl. oz.): A powerful antiaging serum with retinol, an antioxidant that reduces both wrinkles and acne.

RESIST Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator (10 ml / 0.33 fl. oz.): Packed with antioxidants, this lightweight moisturizer deeply hydrates the complexion and prevents new wrinkle from forming.

Available at: Paula’s Choice

For The French Skincare Lover: Bioderma Sensibio Routine Kit ($38.00)

I love French skincare for its no-frills approach to skincare. Bioderma Sensibio Routine Kit is the perfect example. It has everything you need to keep dry and sensitive skin soft and healthy all winter long. It includes:

Sensibio H2O (250 ml): A non-rinse micellar water that gently removes makeup from your face and eyes.

Sensibio Eye (15 ml): A gentle eye cream that moisturises the under-eye area and relieves puffiness.

Sensibio Light (40 ml): A soothing face moisturizer that hydrates skin, strengthens its protective barrier, and keeps redness away.

Available at: Dermstore

For The Man In Your Life: Jack Black The King Of Jack ($49.00)

Want to get your man into skincare? Jack Black The King Of Jack makes the perfect introduction. It has everything your man needs for both face and body care:

Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser (3 fl. oz.): A gentle foaming face wash for normal to oily skin types. It removes both dirt and excess sebum.

Double-Duty Face Moisturizer (3.3 fl. oz.): A soothing cream that moisturises skin and relieves itching after shaving.

Cool Moisture Body Lotion (3 fl. oz.): A moisturizing body lotion loaded with antioxidants to keep skin soft and young.

Beard Lube® Conditioning Shave (3 fl. oz.): A moisturizing pre-shave oil to prevent razor burn and irritation.

Charcoal Body Bar (1 bar): A multi-tasking bar soap that cleanses, exfoliates and moisturizes skin.

Available at: Dermstore and Ulta

What are your fave holiday skincare gift sets of 2019? Share your picks in the comments below.

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Best Holiday Skincare Gift Sets 2019 syndicated from Beautiful With Brains

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dawnasiler · 5 years

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Adult Acne: Why It Happens & How To Treat It

Remember when you couldn’t wait to grow out of puberty so you could finally say goodbye to your acne forever?

That didn’t happen. Now you’re dealing with both adult acne and wrinkles. How unfair can life get?!

If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone. Adult acne is on the rise. It plagues more than 50% of women in their 20s and and more than 25% of women in their 40s.

The good news: you don’t have to put up with it. Adult acne is just acne. Once you know what’s behind it, you can get rid of it. So what’s behind it?

What Causes Adult Acne?

Why is acne so much on the rise? Blame it on a modern blend of hormones, diet and bad lifestyle habits:

Western diet: Certain foods screw up your sugar and insulin levels, triggering inflammation and excessive oil production.

Hormones: A woman’s hormones are on a rollercoaster ride all her life. Pregnancy, your monthly cycle, even menopause can create an hormonal imbalance that triggers adult acne.

Makeup: Don’t get me wrong, makeup itself isn’t the problem. It’s when you don’t take the time to remove every last trace of it that pimples rear their ugly heads.

Pollution: Those nasty particles in the air puts an extra layer of crap on your skin that clogs your pores.

Stress: When you’re under a lot of stress (and who the heck isn’t?), you’re body releases more cortisol and testosterone. Yep, hormones that trigger the overproduction of sebum. Hello, pimples!

Now you know what you’re dealing with, here’s a quick guide to prevent and treat adult acne and get your clear complexion back:

1. Exfoliate Adult Acne Away With Salicylic Acid

Acne begins with clogged pores. Here’s how it goes:

Your skin pumps put too much sebum (your skin’s natural moisturizer). The excess gets stuck in the pores, where it mixes with dead skin cells, forming a sticky goo that clogs pores.

This sticky goo happens to be P.Acnes’ fave food. This bacteria thrives on it. The more clogged your pores are, the more P. Acnes grows and spreads.

There’s no way around this: if you want to get rid of adult acne (and you do!), the first step is starving those little buggers. If they can’t eat, they can’t multiply, right?

Enter salicylic acid. Also called Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA), this multitasking exfoliant treats acne in three ways:

Exfoliates: Salicylic acid dissolves the glue that holds skin cells together, so they get off your skin instead of falling into the pores and clogging them up.

Unclogs: Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, so it can get inside your pores and get rid of that sticky goo P.Acnes loves to munch on.

Soothes: Salicylic acid has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and irritation (another cause of acne).

If you have oily skin, you can get away with using salicylic acid every single day, either morning or night. Dry skin? Three times a week is enough for you.

P.S. Salicylic acid isn’t a one time deal. If you’re serious about keeping those pesky pimples off your face, you need to keep using it long after the breakouts are over.

Best Picks:

Related: Why Salicylic Acid Is Key To Acne-Free Skin

2. Stay Away From (Most Oils)

I’m not a huge fan of using oils on skin prone to adult acne. Your sebaceous glands already pump out too much oil. Add more and you’re just giving more food to P.Acnes.

It’s no secret oils contain fatty acids like Lauric acid that can clog pores. Coconut oil is the WORST culprit. It’s made up of 50% Lauric Acid!

And don’t get me started on essential oils, like citrus, geranium and sandalwood. The fragrant components that make them smell so good also cause inflammation. Guess what acne is? An inflammatory disease!

It’s enough to make you want to stay away from all oils, right? Personally, this is the approach I recommend. Using oils on acne-prone skin is playing with fire.

But… There’s an exception. Acne-prone skin usually lacks Linoleic Acid, a moisturizing fatty acid with anti-acne powers:

Exfoliates: Linoleic acid helps your skin exfoliates on its own. If you’re deficient, those pesky dead cells are more likely to fall into your pores and give you breakouts.

Regulates oil production: It inhibits the activity of enzymes (5α-reductase, to be precise) that trigger testosterone to produce more sebum than your skin needs.

Soothes: It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and irritations.

You see why a Linoleic acid deficiency can worsen acne? Add it back in and your skin heals faster.

The trick is to choose the right oils. You want oils that are high in Linoleic acid and low in other types of fatty acids, like Oleic and Lauric. The best ones are:

Evening Primrose oil (75%)

Grapeseed oil (72%)

Hemp seed oil (55%)

Rosehip oil (45%)

Safflower oil (68%)

Even so, I don’t recommend using oils too often. Three or four times a week is more than enough.

Best Picks:

Kiki Health CBD Oil 5% (£40.00): available at Cult Beauty

Now Foods Grapeseed Oil Sensitive Skin Care ($5.79): available at Walmart

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil (£19.50): available at Feel Unique and Look Fantastic

Related: How To Fight Acne With Oils The Right Way

3. Reduce Oil Production With Zinc

Zinc is an essential nutrient your body needs to work properly. For example, wounds can’t heal without it. It also helps with acne:

Let’s be clear: zinc can’t single-handedly rid of your adult acne. But these superpowers make it a precious alley in the fight against it.

Studies show that when you use zinc together with prescription topical antiobiotics, for example, you get better results than when you use antibiotics alone.

Again, choose wisely. Zinc oxide is a common ingredient in skincare, but it works as an UV filter. It can’t fight acne. Zinc PCA is a better choice.

P.S. Skincare isn’t the only way to get your daily dose of zinc. If you’re dealing with acne, it’s a good idea to eat more zinc-rich foods, like oysters, beef and nuts.

Best Picks:

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Zinc For Acne

Not sure how to put all this together? Click on the image below to subscribe to my newsletter and receive the “Acne + Aging Skincare Routine” cheatsheet:

4. Tweak Your Diet

Acne is like any other disease. You can treat the symptoms, but you’ll never get rid of it if you don’t eliminate the cause. Often, your fave foods are to blame. Things like:

Dairy: Lots of dairy products contain hormones that trigger the overproduction of sebum, leading to clogged pores.

Processed foods: They’re loaded with sugar and other inflammatory chemicals that trigger inflammation in your skin.

Sugar: It makes your insulin levels spike up. When this happens, your body also releases IGF-1, a hormone that triggers the overproduction of sebum.

Food you’re sensitive to: Foods that doesn’t agree with your body (even if they don’t give you a full-on allergy), can cause inflammation and worsen acne.

FYI, I’m not saying you have to eliminate everything that tastes good from your diet and eat only raw carrots. You’re not a rabbit.

But if you’re dealing with adult acne, it’s worth to experiment and take out a different food every few days to see if your skin improves.

The triggers are different for everyone. Maybe your skin’s fine with milk, but when you eat a Big Mac, it erupts in pimples. Or it can take a few biscuits every few days, but it can’t cope with daily croissants. You get the drift.

The trick is to focus on what you CAN eat. Fruits. Berries. Fatty fish like tuna and salmon. Grass-fed beef and poultry. Eggs. Nuts. Vegetables, even. There are so many foods that taste good and don’t give you pimples.

Struggling to make the switch? Check out these 5 delicious alternatives to commonly problematic foods to help you get rid of adult acne faster.

Related: Is The Low Glycemic Diet The Best Diet For Adult Acne?

The Bottom Line

Adult acne is more common than you think, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with it. A few tweaks to your skincare routine + diet can give it the boot once and for all. If you can only do one thing, go with salicylic acid. It’ll exfoliate your adult acne away and keep it from coming back.

How are you dealing with adult acne? Share your experience and what’s worked for you in the comments below.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.

Adult Acne: Why It Happens & How To Treat It syndicated from Beautiful With Brains

#skincare #beauty #makeup

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dawnasiler · 5 years

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How To Choose The Best Exfoliator For Your Skin Type

“I have sensitive skin. Can I exfoliate?”

“Last time I tried an exfoliator, my skin got so red and sore. Should I really give it another go?”

“Exfoliation’s not working for me. I’ve tried every scrub under the sun to get rid of my pimples, but those nasty buggers are still there. What else can I do?”

Don’t give up on exfoliation. No matter your skin type or what woes you’re dealing with, exfoliation IS the key to the brighter, smoother and pimple-free skin you crave.

But then… why does exfoliation often backfire? The problem is not exfoliation itself. It’s what you use to exfoliate.

That’s right. Different skin types have different needs. They need different exfoliators to fulfil them. Question now is, how do the heck do you know which one is right for YOU?

I’ve got your back. Here’s how to choose the best exfoliator for your skin type:

Why Should You Exfoliate?

First thing first: what the heck is the point of exfoliation?

Exfoliation does wonders for your skin. It removes the dead cells that accumulate on the surface of the skin.

You see, those dead cells have been there for a while. They’ve been attacked by UV rays, pollution, germs and all other sorts of skin enemies. Day after day, they’ve suffered so much damage, they’ve become rough to the touch, developed a darker colour here and there, and lost all their glow.

Get rid of them and you expose the newer skin underneath. These new cells didn’t suffer much damage yet, so they’re softer to the touch, even in colour and have a glow of their own.

Exfoliation doesn’t just make you look younger overnight. Now those dead cells are out of the way, your skincare products can penetrate skin better and faster.

One more thing: some exfoliators can get inside the pores, unclogging them from within. Bye bye breakouts!

Related: 10 Reasons Why You Should Exfoliate Your Skin

How Do You Exfoliate Skin?

Did you know your skin can exfoliate on its own?

Problem is, as you get older, this natural exfoliation process breaks down. Your skin can’t exfoliate as well as it used to on its own.

You can tell when this is happening. You skin becomes rough. It loses its glow. You may get more pimples than before.

That’s your cue to give your skin a helping hand. You can do this in two ways:

1. Physical exfoliation

Physical exfoliation means you’re manually scrubbing dead cells off your skin. You can do this with:

Apricot kernels

Clarisonic

Foreo Luna

Microbeads

Salt

Sugar

Washcloth

Basically, if you’re using a scrub or a “cleansing device” (they’re exfoliators in disguise!), you belong to Team Physical Exfoliation.

Physical exfoliation is the most popular type of exfoliation. Heck, for years, those harsh apricot scrubs were all you could find at the drugstore!

I’m not a fan of physical exfoliation. Let me count the reasons why:

Natural particles like apricot kernels have rough, jagged edges that scratch and irritate skin

Plastic microbeads are polluting

Cleansing devices are too harsh to be used everyday as advertised

Massage them a little too long and you irritate skin

Massage them longer on the cheeks than the forehead and you get uneven exfoliation

They’re one-trick ponies that only exfoliate skin

Related: Is The Clarisonic Good Or Bad For Skin?

2. Chemical exfoliation

Don’t let the name scare you. Chemical exfoliation is a gamechanger.

Chemical exfoliation uses acids to dissolve the “glue” that holds skin cells together, so they can slough off.

I know it sounds painful but it’s not. Not unless you abuse it. Exfoliating too much or too often always leads to irritation. In small doses, chemical exfoliators are way gentler than scrubs, exfoliate skin evenly and go the extra mile.

I’ll go into the benefits of each exfoliant in a minute. For now, all you need to know is that chemical exfoliants belong to two different families:

Alpha Hydroxy Acids: they’re suitable for dry and sun-damaged skin. The most famous members are glycolic acid and lactic acid.

Beta Hydroxy Acids: they’re suitable for oily and acne-prone skin. Its most famous remember is salicylic acid.

Related: Why I Prefer Chemical Exfoliants

Why Exfoliation Can Screw Up Skin (And How To Avoid It)

Exfoliation is like magic for your skin. But even good magic can terribly backfire if you do it wrong.

You see, those dead cells are there for a reason. Their job is to protect the living cells underneath. If you remove too many layers of dead cells, you expose the rawer cells that weren’t ready to come to the surface yet.

That’ll turn your face red (and hurt like hell). So how do you avoid it? Easy. To find the best exfoliator for you, you need to know two things:

Your skin type (if you don’t know it already, check out this post to find yours)

How often you can exfoliate your skin type before it starts to complain

Related: How To Determine Your Skin Type (Plus, Free Test!)

The Best Exfoliator For Each Skin Type

If you’ve read this far, you know your skin type. So what’s the best exfoliator for it and how often should you use it? Let’s find out:

Oily And Acne-Prone Skin

What to use:

Salicylic acid. This beta hydroxy acid is the best exfoliator for oily skin – bar none. It exfoliates skin in two ways. It removes dead cells from the surface of the skin, and then penetrates inside the pores, getting rid of all the crap that’s clogging them up. Bye bye blackheads & breakouts.

How often?

This is the skin type that better tolerates exfoliation. I recommend you start exfoliating three times a week. But, if your skin can take it, you can gradually increase frequency.

Best picks:

SHOP THE BEST EXFOLIATORS FOR OILY SKIN

Related: Why Salicylic Acid Is Key To Spot Free Skin

Dry Skin

What to use?

Glycolic acid. This alpha hydroxy acid doesn’t just get rid of dead skin cells. It also boosts the production of collagen and hydrates skin. That’s something your skin badly needs!

How often?

Glycolic acid is awesome, but don’t overdo it. Two or three times a week is enough.

Best picks:

SHOP BEST EXFOLIATORS FOR DRY SKIN

Related: The Complete Guide To Glycolic Acid

Combination Skin

What to use?

Salicylic acid to unclogs your pores and glycolic acid to hydrate skin. You can use different exfoliants on different areas of your face or opt for exfoliators who have both.

How often?

Two or three times a week. If your oily areas are very oily, you can slowly increase frequency there.

Best Picks

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($68.40): available at Sephora

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Overnight Purifying Gel ($14.99): available at Feel Unique and Ulta

SHOP THE BEST EXFOLIATORS FOR COMBINATION SKIN

Related: How To Care For Combination Skin

Normal Skin

What to use?

Your skin is able to exfoliate on its own. If it’s soft and glowy, leave it be. But if, as you get older, you notice it starts lose its luster and become a little rough, go for a glycolic acid exfoliant. It’s the best exfoliator for your skin type because it boosts the production of collagen, helping to keep wrinkles at bay.

How often?

Go easy on exfoliation. Your won the skincare lottery so don’t mess it up now! Once or twice a week is more than enough.

Best picks:

SHOP BEST EXFOLIATORS FOR NORMAL SKIN

Related: How To Care For Normal Skin

Sensitive skin

What to use?

Your skin is very delicate so you need to use the gentlest thing you can find. That’s either a washcloth or lactic acid. Lactic acid goes the extra mile: it hydrates skin too.

How often?

Once a week. For your skin type, it’s more than enough.

Best picks:

SHOP BEST EXFOLIATORS FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Related: Glycolic Acid VS Lactic Acid: Which One Is Right For You?

The Bottom Line

Exfoliation is for everyone. The key is to find the best exfoliator for your skin type and needs so you can get brighter, smoother skin without any side effects.

Do you know what the best exfoliator for your own skin type is? Share your picks in the comments below.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.

How To Choose The Best Exfoliator For Your Skin Type syndicated from Beautiful With Brains

#skincare #beauty #makeup

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