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Zap your teen's breakouts fast

By Sarah Beek

TEEN breakouts are a tough nut to crack, but achieving clear skin is possible with the right knowledge, know-how and proper treatment.

What causes teen breakouts?

Breakouts are generally part genetic, part hormonal. But unlike adult breakouts, which tend to be inflammatory and related to stress, teen breakouts are usually triggered by puberty.

As teenagers transition from children to adults, puberty triggers the movement of new chemicals in their bodies. Androgen hormones, often called “male” hormones even though they are in both males and females, become more pronounced — and trigger breakouts.

Why are they such a big deal?

Teen breakouts are completely normal but they can greatly affect your teen’s appearance. This can lead to bullying, stress, depression and low self-esteem. The good news? The hormones that cause them eventually stabilize, lessening breakouts as teens reach adulthood.

How should my teen treat breakouts?

Your teen’s key focus at this stage should be to unclog pores, minimise breakout-causing bacteria and control oil. Thorough cleansing, toning and moisturising day and night is a good start, as well as incorporating products that work to reduce impaction plugs, kill bacteria, control excess sebum and reduce Inflammation.

Dermalogica’s Clear Start Breakout Clearing Kit makes treating breakouts easy with a three-step cleansing, toning and moisturising regimen, as well as Clear Start Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment to deliver real results.

Your teen should also practice the following clear skin habits:

• Avoid comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients, which can worsen breakouts.

• Use gentle exfoliants instead of mentholated or alcohol-based toners, which can strip skin of necessary oils and trigger even more oil production.

• Drink more water to help flush out toxins, carry nutrients through the body and improve blood circulation.

• Keep sensitive skin in check with soothing, cooling ingredients and soap-free cleansers such as Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash.

• Avoid using fabric softener sheets, which are made of animal fat (namely beef lard), not to mention artificial fragrance. This comedogenic coating can get on pillowcases, irritate skin and clog pores.

• Don’t cleanse with very hot water, harsh soap, vigorous scrubbing movements, or rough loofahs and brushes. It will only make breakouts worse.

• Get an occasional skin treatment such as Dermalogica’s Clear Start Breakout Clearing MicroZone Treatment, designed to solve emergency issues on the spot.

Getting your teen to establish good habits and an effective skin care regimen now can help set them up for a lifetime of clear, healthy skin.

• This information was taken from www.dermalogicacaribbean.com. Sarah Beek is a professional skin therapist at the Dermalogica Skin Centre in the Old Fort Town Centre. For

more information or to make an appointment call 377-SKIN (7546), e-mail appointments@dermalogicaskincentre.com, or visit www.dermalogicaskincentre.com.

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