How to treat a breakout & heal skin within 1 week

Joli NSC

09 June 2020

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How to treat a breakout & heal skin within 1 week

How to treat a breakout & heal skin within 1 week

During covid lockdown  there have been two types of scenarios people have chatted about on social media.

 

  1. Their skin got really bad during lockdown with breakouts a plenty. Typically derived from stress, bad eating and lack of personal care (no need to shower… who’s going to see me?)
  2. Their skin got amazing clear during lockdown because they weren’t using makeup and their skin had a chance to breathe and remain fresh.

 

If you’re the second case scenario here are 5 steps to beat your breakout within 1 week.

STEP 1 - Back to Basics

Stop using ALL skin care and beauty products except the bare minimum (1 – 2 products at most) and stop wearing makeup if you can. This enables skin to breathe and keep pores clear, it also eliminates any potential products causing the breakout.

 

Go back to the most natural and lightest of all creams you possibly can i.e. Light Moisturiser only.

 

Avoid mineral oil/petroleum based products and products with harsh chemical ingredients that strip your skin of protective oils.

STEP 2 - Eliminate the cause

What have you been doing recently that might have caused the breakout?

 

Did you start eating massive amounts of chocolate?  Is dairy the cause?

 

Have you not been washing your hair or face regularly resulting in oils and bacteria building up on your skin?

 

Have you been touching your face (spreading bacteria) more than usual i.e. leaning your face on your hand(s) while you watch TV? [oops yes I’m guilty of that.]

 

Did you start using a new moisturiser or other beauty product? Going back to basics helps figure out if a product you’re using might be the cause i.e. maybe the new concealer is clogging your skin or it has an ingredient that is irritating your skin.

STEP 3 - Clean clean clean

Start cleansing your skin daily or at least every 2nd day to wash away bacteria that is building up on the skin and making your breakout worse! If you do cleanse daily you will see a difference within days and the breakout could be stopped within 7 days!*

 

My favourite product for this is Facial Wash because it is such a gentle cleanser, it lathers up into a white milky cream, does not contain harsh ingredients that strip the skin, does contain ingredients that nourish the skin.

 

*You might still have redness or residual scaring which will subside in time; though the main thing you want is no NEW, or fewer NEW pimples!

STEP 4 - Use an antibacterial toner

If you don’t usually use toner this is a good time to start. Toners wash away residue, can have antibacterial properties and also hydrate your skin, and breakouts can be causes by skin that is too dry resulting in excess oil production to combat dryness.

 

If you don’t have a toner add a teaspoon of eucalyptus water soluble solution to 125ml water. This helps kill bacteria on the surface of your skin and in pores.

 

Apply Light Moisturiser directly afterwards to trap that moisture on the surface of you skin, letting it soak into the dermal layers as appose to evaporating.

STEP 5 - Live clean

What you put inside your body affects what is happening on the outside. For example bad gut health can affect skin, as can dairy consumption and lack of fruit, vegetables and water.

 

Excess exercise can also play havoc on your skin and some people who usually go to gym daily have noticed their skin is better during lock down. Anyone with a theory on why care to share in the comments below?

 

Light exercise and 10mins of sunlight a day can also have a healthy affect on the skin. We all need vitamin D and vitamin D has anti inflammatory properties. With many people being cooped up inside of late, this could be contributing to the breakouts people are experiencing.

 

In any case, going outside and being around nature is a pleasant feel good thing to do.

There you have it, my 5 tips on healing a breakout within 1 week.