Dealing with difficult skin

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Dealing with difficult skin

Q) “I am 21 and have dry, congested skin, which is not oily! Yet every time I go to a beautician or department store, the staff recommend products for acne prone or oily skin types, which only dries my skin more. I’m sick of people seeing breakouts and assuming my skin must be oily because it has cost me hundreds of dollars and a cabinet full of useless products. I never had really bad skin as a teenager; the problem has only appeared in the last year.”

– Christine, VIC

A) “This is a very common problem and yes, an acne range will further dry the skin and exacerbate the problem. You have what we refer to as trans-epidermal water loss, or a lack of free water levels, which is impairing your barrier function and causing the dryness and clogging. This doesn’t mean that your skin is lacking oil; it’s just that the oil isn’t working properly for you. Oil floats, so if you don’t have good free water levels, the skin doesn’t excrete properly and, instead of moving up through the hair shafts and oil ducts, the oil sticks and clogs, causing blackheads and congestion, though the skin remains dry and flaky on the surface.

“To fix this problem, you need to have a professional treatment that will gently exfoliate that top dead, dry and flaky skin then re-establish good free water levels. To get that oil pushed through properly, I recommend you have a couple of treatments to clean out the congestion then continue with an at-home skincare system to keep the skin very hydrated as well as clear. Also, make sure you exfoliate once a week at home. My recommendation would be an exfoliant that contains salicylic acid as this is very good for congested skin but not too harsh. In addition, take a good essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement daily. This will help keep the skin moist and supple from the inside out, help repair barrier function, and keep the oil in your skin thin and flowing.”

– Debbie Dickson,head of skincare educationat Danne Montague-King


Bh product picks:

To visit a Danne Montague-King skin salon and discuss the best course of professional treatments, call 1800 222 342. You can also find more information at danne.com.au
DMK EFA – Essential Fatty Acids Supplements, $60
Ultraceuticals Ultra Active EFA-Replenish, $29.95
Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant, $61

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