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  It’s that magical time of year again. Makeup melts off our faces, we can’t bear to have clothing touch us—and, paradoxically, clogged pores make us want to cover up as much as possible. Isabelle Baranda at Betterhealthyskin.com in hot, humid New Orleans, knows Southern skincare. Her advice? Adjust your regimen with the seasons.
   
 

Shed Extra Layers
“Heat and humidity lead to excess production of sebum—your skin’s natural oil. This can clog pores,” Baranda explains. “To keep skin clear, find an exfoliating product that works for you.”These days, exfoliants range from mechanical (mitts and buffing beads) to chemical (Vitamin A and glycolic acid), and from mild to intense strength. “If your skin is not sensitive or tends to be oily, switch to a medium- or high-strength chemical exfoliant during hot weather.”

Mask Your Imperfections
“A mask with sulfur or another astringent can remove the excess oil from summer skin, as well as the dead skin cells that can trap oil and create breakouts,” advises Baranda. “Toners are also great but take care not to strip too much—your skin may overcompensate by producing more sebum. Be sure to use a light moisturizer or moisturizing sunscreen after you tone.”

Drink. . .A Lot
Nothing clears skin like lots of purifying water. Water keeps the skin healthy and working the way it should to eliminate oil and toxins without clogging. “I always drink a full glass of water before any meal,” Baranda says. “Not only does this help

   me get in my eight glasses a day; it makes me feel full so I don’t overeat.” Flavored waters (with no added sugar) are also making hydration a little more palatable.

Be Cool
“Ice is clinically proven to reduce the inflammation of breakouts and increase the penetration of skin care products,” says Baranda. Needless to say, it can also provide general relief from the stupefying heat. To avoid making acne-mountains out of congested molehills, apply a frozen compress or ice cube to inflamed skin twice daily for 2–5 minutes.

Protect Yourself
“The best way to reduce the signs of aging is to limit your sun exposure,” advises Baranda. Take extra care if you are using an exfoliating solution with Vitamin A or acid. Baranda suggests wearing a hat outdoors and applying sunscreen the night before sun exposure to allow the product time to penetrate.“SPF 30 is sufficient to block out 95 percent of the sun’s harmful rays,” she adds. “Choose a non-comedogenic, moisturizing sunscreen for a simple finish to your summer routine.”
 

 

Reprinted with permission by Deep Magazine, Spring 2007, page 37. © 2007 Deep Magazine. All rights reserved. Illustration by Hilary Archer.
 

Avoid clogged pores by controlling your skin's oil production
Dead skin cells fall into skin's pores, mix with excess oil and bacteria grows. The skin then becomes inflamed causing blemishes or acne. The use of toners not only clears the skin of contaminates and dead skin cells, they also contain astringents. Astringents have a "shrinkage property" which stops the discharge of oil and coagulates the skin's proteins and causes drying.

The additional benefit of toners include preparing the skin for precise absorption of skin conditioners by removing residual contaminates and dead skin cells. Dead skin cells and contaminates block your way to healthy skin. Toners leave your skin felling tight, clean and fresh.

Recommended toners:

  • Normalizing Tonic is formulated for normal to combination skin with little to no oil production.
  • Normalizing Tonic Forte is formulated for oily skin types and for those who have acclimated to Normalizing Tonic.
  • Mandelic Acid Toner 3% and 9% are for those who want the benefit of toners with the added value of even skin tone and discoloration treatment. Mandelic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid known to reverse blotchy hyperpigmentation and dull, aging skin tone. Its antibacterial propertyies also help to clear blemished skin.
  • It is important to use a toner before applying skin conditioners.

Using skin conditioners to rejuvenate the skin
The use of skin conditioners such as vitamin A or Mandelic Acid products accelerates the exfoliation process and stimulates the growth of new skin cells. Thus the rejuvenation process begins and fresh, healthy skin is reveled.

Skin conditioners also bring blemishes to the surface and help loosen impacted pores and comedones so they are more easily extracted. Vivant's Vitamin A skin conditioners have a short molecular chain, allowing the product is able to penetrate the skin quickly.

Recommended skin conditioners:

  • Derm-A-Gel (Strong) is designed for those who have not used a vitamin A skin conditioner and or those who have dry, sensitive skin. Derm-A-Gel is the lightest vitamin A skin conditioner in the Vivant line.
  • Exfol-A (Stronger) combines vitamin A, lactic acid and glycolic acid to deliver a medium strength conditioner for those who have acclimated to skin conditioners and are looking for a rapid exfoliation. Treatment benefits also include; repairing sun damaged, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and age spots.
  • Exfol-A Forte (Strongest) is the most affective treatment for severe conditions such as acne, sun damage, and age spots. This formula is is designed for thicker skin. This product should be used by those who are acclimated to the Exfol-A.

Mask your imperfections
Masks helps combat complexion problems by exfoliating the skin, flushing impacted pores and reduce oil production. When skin becomes oily and comedones evolve; a quick and simple solution is often a mask.

Vivant's Therapeutic Clay Mask is formulated with sulfur and salicylic acid. Sulfur is a mineral when used on skin will dry out impacted pore, control oil production and retard the growth of acne causing bacteria. Thus lessening the symptoms of acne. Salicylic acid is an organic acid that assist exfoliation, minimizes clogged follicles and impacted pore. A proven treatment for pimples as well as severe acne.

When inflammation occurs
Inflammation is a side effect of impacted pores. It is very common and uncomfortable; however a very simple solution to this side effect is ice.

The Cool Pack delivers ice cold compression to reduce inflammation giving way to treating impactions, reducing the pain associated with inflammation and assist with the penetration of skin conditioners.