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Not all skin conditions should be treated the same way. Just because you have breakouts or acne doesn't mean that you have oily skin and that you need an acne face wash, and an acne medicated moisturiser.

I had a client the other day in her mid 40's that came in with dehydrated, flaky skin, and small under the skin acne all across her forehead and jaw line. She was stressed out and anxious about her skin and said that she had spent hundreds of $$ on products that are not working. The problem was my client was misdiagnosed... she had dry skin to begin with and was experiencing a reaction to stress, anxiety and a totally wrong homecare plan. She did not need all those acne fighting products. It was drying out her skin and creating more problems. When people breakout, their immediate reaction is to pile on the acne medications. But that just tricks your oil production to go into overdrive, creating more oil and back up in the pores, while the top layer of your skin is suffering and experiencing inflammation and dryness.

The key to healthy skin is finding the perfect balance. You still need to hydrate and use products based on your skin type. Spot treatments, masks and specialty products may be used to treat the specific conditions that you are experiencing.

My game plan I prescribed for her specific skin type and conditions:

• Gentle non-drying cleanser (you need to keep skin clean and balance oil production)
• A glycolic acid exfoliant with antioxidants (dead skin also needs to be exfoliated to keep acne away)
• A spa grade (smaller molecule than OTC) gentle yet effective Benzoyl Peroxide product to be used only as a spot treatment (you need to use a spot treatment to kill the bacteria... a 2% Salicylic Acid would work great as well)
• A hydrating moisturiser with Rose Hip & Azelaic Acid in it to help fight inflammation and bacteria while hydrating the skin ( I replaced her acne moisturiser which she was using on her entire face, with a hydrating nourishing moisturiser)
• Supplements: Alpha Lipoic (fights inflammation internally), and Tumeric (refer to my blog on tumeric for the many benefits)
• Lots R & R.... find ways to relax and de-stress ( getting rid of stress will help to clear up skin as well;) )

To sum it all up, I encourage you to enjoy my tips and product recommendations along with all the other great information you find on the web or in magazines... but when it comes to your personalized skin care program,  I advise you to leave it to the skin experts to diagnose your skin type and conditions before you start treating your skin=) XOXO 

*Our waiting list (for personal consulting) is growing thanks to all of our great readers! Contact us at KBSkinStyling@gmail.com if you would like a personalized consultation.