Do you feel that you are doing everything possible to manage your acne, with no progress? It's time to check your non-skin products.
This was me up until 2021.
I was doing everything—chemical peels, microdermabrasion, hydrafacials, professional skincare brands, spironolactone, retinol, etc.
It wasn't until I stripped down my haircare routine to the very basics that I realized
my hair products were the culprit in preventing clear skin.
It's something I think should be brought up when their clients don't see improved results.
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Other Tips
Step One
The first step in anything is to speak with a professional.
I am not a professional, and therefore, I cannot offer professional advice, only lessons from my own experience. Ask them about hair products, what ingredients to look for and avoid, etc.
I started to use Apostrophe at the beginning of lockdown. It's a great way to seek professional help without having to leave the comfort of your home. It's also a great option if you don't have insurance or you have poor coverage.
After six months on a prescription, I asked my General Doctor to write the RX because of the significant savings through my insurance.
I still use Apostrophe's retinol, which I love.
"Acne is a journey, so you’ll want expert guidance along the way. Apostrophe connects you with a dermatologist who went to medical school for a (really) long time to become an expert in all things skin. They’ll assess your selfies, medical history, and skin quirks to understand what your skin needs to thrive." Apostrophe
Step Two
Look up the Skin Safe rating of your current hair products on skinsafeproducts.com.
Step Three
Start from scratch. Strip down to the very basics for shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in products. After a few months, you can slowly introduce one product at a time. This way, you know what product is causing any reaction (acne).
This is also an excellent method to find out any sensitivities with skin products. From personal experience, here's a blog on my personal favorite products from living with sensitive skin.
I like the brand Free & Clear and Vanicream (affiliate links) on Amazon.
Travel-Size Products:
Shower Products: Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Shave Cream & Facial Wash:
After Shower Hair Products:
Other Products Offered:
Click the images below to see the SkinSAFE ratings for the Free & Clear and Vanicream products.
HELLO SEEN
The Free & Clear Conditioner doesn't do the best with moisturizing. So after a few months, I placed an order with SEEN for their no-fragrance deep conditioner and curl creme.
,
If that link doesn't work, here's one for $5 off.
SEEN, for some reason, only has an 82% rating on the skin-safe rating across all products. It seems like a lazy blanket rating and did not accurately rate the fragrance-free versions. (I'm guessing since the brand is still relatively new, hopefully, it will be updated soon).
"Non-comedogenic. Skin-caring. Dermatologist designed. Award-winning."
Other Tips:
When leaving your conditioner in your hair for a few minutes, place it in a clip to keep it away from your skin.
After washing your hair, place it in a turban while washing the rest of your body. The key is washing the rest of your body AFTER your hair to clean off any shampoo or conditioner.
I own about 6 of these "Ultra Absorbent & Fast Drying Microfiber Towels for Fine & Delicate Hair." I prefer the turban style over the "long-hair."
I change them out as often as I change my other towels. I bought mine as FabFitFun box add-ons two years ago.
Use a Silk Pillowcase and change it often.
For further reading on Acne & Hair Products, check out these articles:
"Hair products deposit residue on the hair—that’s what makes them work. But that same residue gets on the skin as product rinses down the face and body in the shower, or transfers from hair or a towel/pillowcase to skin, even 2-4 hours after rinsing"
SEEN shows an interesting chart showing how long hair products can stay on your forehead, cheek, back, etc.
"Even if you’ve never had acne, hair care products can cause breakouts. This is so common that there’s actually a medical name for it—acne cosmetica. This literally means acne caused by products we apply to our skin or hair."
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