SKIN CARE

Science of skincare

Products aid students in clearing their skin and preventing future breakouts

1. Products such as these can be used in skincare routines to improve acne and are readily available at stores like Target. Photo by Sydney Territo. 2. A bar of soap, such as Irish Spring, can be used to remove acne while showering, and can be found in most grocery stores. Photo labeled for redistribution by Wikimedia. Sydney Territo terrisyd000@hsestudents.org

Skin problems are part of being a teenager. As soon as puberty hits, skin becomes too oily or too dry and starts to break out. This happens through oils, dead skin, bacteria and dirt on skin collecting in pores, which forms pimples of some kind. Healthline says home remedies can help teens to combat the waves of zits they face daily, but sometimes it is not enough and they need to use medication instead. Despite the products that are used, facial habits can aff ect the amount of acne appearing on skin as well. Mayo Clinic advises teens to avoid touching their faces, washing them twice daily, using oil-free sunscreen throughout the day and using materials like soft washcloths and towelettes instead of harsher cleansers and washes. Senior Cadee Thompson has a set skincare routine, _hich consists of taSing off her maSeup with micellar cleansing water using a cotton pad, then rinsing her face and using a gentle cleanser and cloth. ;he then taSes off her eye maSeup using cotton balls, uses acne medication, and moisturizes her face with a Mario Badescu lotion. “I like the lotion, because it’s not greasy, but still moisturizes my face,” Thompson said. “I got the medication from my doctor, but the rest was experimentation.” For teens looking for ways to improve their skin, Mayo Clinic recommends using salicylic acid, which prevents pores from becoming clogged up by drying up excess oils left in pores. However, it can cause irritation of the skin and stinging, since it causes drier skin than other ingredients. Sometimes, students fi nd that a simpler skincare routine works better. Junior Sebastian Magers’ routine requires less products than Thompsons’. Magers has been using a Cetaphil

bar soap on his face, and then dabs The Ordinary salicylic acid solution onto his face using a cotton ball. “I started at the beginning of junior year, maybe in September,” Magers said. “My friend recommended The Ordinary, and my mom said that Cetaphil was really good for cleaning skin.” For teens looking for ways to improve their skin, Mayo Clinic recommends that teens with bad skin try using products with benzoyl peroxide in them. Products with a higher percentage of active ingredient are not needed, since they work just as well as a lower percentage, but tends to have more side eff ects. These products require patience since a lot of acne-repairing products take time to show results. Salicylic acid is considered by Healthline to be better for blackheads and whiteheads, whereas benzoyl peroxide is better for mild pustules, or pusfi lled bumps made of pores¼ dead _alls “Benzoyl peroxide oxidizes things, and destroys things, like how hydrogen peroxide is used on cuts to disinfect them,” chemistry teacher Dr. Lance Kuhn said. “Salicylic acid, I know from experience, is used in wart remover. It essentially dissolves the skin.” For teens looking for products with salicylic acid in them, Healthline recommends the Neutrogena oil-free pink grapefruit foaming scrub, since it is gentle on skin, but still powerful enough to combat breakouts, and does not have any oil in it. For Benzoyl peroxide products, Healthline

recommends Mountain

Falls Daily Acne Control Cleanser, which is ideal for sensitive skin, since it has 1% benzoyl peroxide in it. “Water can kill

you. Anything at a high concentration will, but you use detergent and soap every day,” Kuhn said. “It all comes down to concentration.” 2