3 replies to this topic

[adalyn]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share something that I thought would be helpful for you guys who have terrible post-acne scabbing like I do. It was really frustrating for me for a long time because I couldn't cover it with makeup effectively, but I found a way! If you guys also have effective ways of covering scabs too, please share!

Here's what I do to cover scabs:

1. Before putting on ANY makeup, make sure your face is well moisturized; and add an extra little dot of moisture onto the scabs that you want to conceal. Let it absorb.

2. This is important: use a primarily silicone primer! Go for a primer that has mostly silicones in it. Dot or pat a teeny bit of primer onto and around the scab. This effectively smoothes out the scab and creates a barrier between the scab and the makeup to allow it to heal better.

A primer that I use (that's not really a primer but is cheap and contains all the ingredients of a silicone primer) is Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel. Other examples included Smashbox Photofinish and Make Up For Ever HD Perfecting Primer. Drugstore priced silicone primers are Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Luminizing Face Primer/Neutralizer and L'Oreal's Studio Secret line of primers. I went for Monistat because it was $7 for 1.5oz.

3. If you wear liquid or cream foundation, apply that all over the face first. If you wear powder foundation (like I do!), conceal first, then apply foundation after. Here, use a full coverage wax based concealer to conceal; I use MAC StudioFinish Concealer,

Using your fingertip, pat concealer directly on top of the scab, and carefully blend it onto the skin around the scab. (You can use a brush, but I find a fingertip more effective at applying and blending.)

Other examples are stick concealers or ones that tend to have a very thick waxy consistency. Product examples are Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, Make Up Forever 5 Camouflage Cream Palette. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Smoothing Stick, and Maybelline Cover Stick Waterproof Concealer.

4. Set it with powder. You should be good to go! I use Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15.

Hope this is helpful!

Edited by adalyn, 06 November 2011 - 08:48 AM.

[cln]

Do those silicone primers break you out?

[leighbrack2]

Cin, I would recommend anyone who has breakout issues to stay far away from silicones. I have found that a much larger area of the population does breakout from the use of silicones. Some people here say they do not cause an issue for them, but my response to that would be, they may not experience the full skin clearing they could if they discontinued the silicones and silicones can take time to cause skin issues with some people so they do not link it to the use of the silicone. Silicones are chemically synthesized, it does not evaporate (it is an occlusive ingredient- meaning it traps whatever is on the skin), water is not sufficient to clean it off. I have heard of people using silicones as a selling point in their cosmetics by saying it stays on so well that it wont wash off for several days! What! And that is supposed to be good for those with acne prone skin?
As I stated above silicone emollients are occlusive - that is they coat the skin, trapping anything beneath it, and do not allow the skin to breathe (much like plastic wrap would do.)

Recent studies have indicated that prolonged exposure of the skin to sweat, by occlusion, causes skin irritation. Some synthetic emollients are known tumour promoters and accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are also non-biodegradable, causing negative environmental impact.

• Dimethicone
• Dimethicone Copolyol
• Cyclomethicone
• ending in *cone

Overall you really do not want to put anything on your skin (regardless if it breaks you out or not) that blocks your detoxification pathways. Your skin is your largest organ and a HUGE detoxifier. When you put a product over the skin that is occlusive (doesn't let the skin detox) you are asking for big trouble. It may not be in the way of acne but those who use antiperspirants are now finding a huge link to breast cancers due to the fact it stops you from sweating (detoxing) and therefore does NOT let toxins escape (trapping them in your body to recirculate). Those who have acne generally have detoxification problems anyway. This is a fact because whatever is not processed out the kidneys will surface out the skin (hence acne). This is why skin brushing is a huge form of detoxification and for those who have ever been to high end dermatologists or any high end spas, they always focus on detoxifying the skin, so trapping oils, dirt and toxins on your skin is not good for your skin.



No offense, Adalyn I am not trying to bash you, I just do not favor silicones and most people are simply unaware of the importance of our detoxification pathways and how skin issues (or worst case tumors) may develop if we block them.

Edited by leighbrack2, 06 November 2011 - 10:26 AM.

[adalyn]

cln and leighbrack: you'd be surprised but silicone primers break me out really bad.

But using it to spot conceal a scab that is already a skin barrier allowing the underneath cut to heal, and then putting a silicone barrier on top, hasn't given me any issues. I don't use it on my skin; I use it only for my scabs.

Personally, while I think there's harm for most people on putting an occlusive layer over the entire skin surface, I think there isn't much harm done when it comes to putting a dot of occlusive layer over a scab, which is already a skin barrier in itself.

So if I ever touched a silicone primer or a product I'd probably fling it across the room, except for the fact that I use a little bit of it to spot conceal nasty scabs.

Edited by adalyn, 06 November 2011 - 01:30 PM.