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be, shouldnt we? We have access to the verybest facials, the most quffied dermatologistsin town on speed dialand 66 most advancedproducts under lock and key in the beautycupboard. We tend not to wear more thana slick of mascara during the day it's SBEP(Standard Beauty Editor Procedure) -because we let our fresh, flawless skin do thetalking, Until now I've taken myplace in thegood-skin club for granted, but it seems I,mbeing taught a lesson in appreciation.

It's no exaggeration to admit my self-esteem is at an all-time low I meet my beautypeers at King's Cross, hiding behinda generous application of Mchy DermablendCorrector and my shoulder-length hailwhich I'm using as a sort of cheek mask. I,mstanding in unfamiliar territory withunfamilia4 imperfect skin. That's it, you see.

Really great skin was always my thing - clea4tawny line-free - so why this? And why now?

I'm not alone. Fifty per cent of adultwomen suffer from acne at some point intheir lives. And science insists adult acne is

determined by environment, not genetics.Stress, hormonal change and cosmeticreaction are the main causes and, these days,stress a{fects us all, be it lack ofjob securirysleep or down-time - or over-indulgence incaffeine, smoking aa'td/or alcohol to copewith the above. Stress causes the body torelease cortisol, which in short, causesinflammation to work its wayup to the skin,s

sudace. This leads the walls of our pores tobreak and results in, well, pus, which wedevelop to release the bacteria clogging theskin. Stress also prompts our adrenal glandsto react, making androgen (male hormone)Ievels skyrocket and creating a hormonalimbalance that prompts breakouts. Oh good.

With the beauty world at my fingertips,what's the best plan of attack? Knowledge is

power, so I call dermatologist Dr SamBurting who say,s, 'It?s no use tryingto tackleindividual spots. You have to clear the poresand the only way to do that effectively is byusing products rich with salirylic acid, plusbenzoic acid to purify the infected areasand Retin-A to encourage the skin to )

FI T Fi beaufi director ltad atrLNtLESSr g ler:io n . until adult acne hit. This is herj ourneltt,rk toPtrRFE CT tkin @ry contuin sr,ueanng)

'1xxx, s*t, bollocks,' I mutte4 as I look atmy reflection on a drizzly winter morningI have angry cystic spots sl.rnmetricallyarranged down my face. No amount ofcover-up will disguise them and they're sosore. t-]re idea of squeezing is too lomuousto conremplale. But worst ol aII? I am aboutto board the Eurostar to attend a beautyIaunch in Paris andwill spend the next threehours in a carriage with 25 fellow beautyeditors - famously a breed of woman withsuperlatively beautifirl skin. Well, we should

ELLEUK.COM 357

regenerate faster- but it requires patience.,No quickfix, then.

The Retin-A cream is prescriptionstrength and, conveniently also the mostelfective anti-ageing ingredient. But mostwomen don't stick with it because it causesdisruption - yes, skin turnover increases,but this means dry angry skin for at leasttwo weeks. Dr Bunting also insists I abandonmy favourite pots and potions to use thevery mildest cleansers and moisturisers.I am desperatg so I do as she says. Thegood news - the bloody amazing relievingnews - is that it worls. Wthin four weeks,my skin is accustomed to the Retin-A (nomore sorg lizard-like dr1mess) and the spotshave almost entirely disappeared. DrBunting examines my skin weekly andreassures me that the acne is decreasingi

But this leads me on to the ne>ft concern:pigmentation. Will I be scarred? EdouardMauvais Jarvis, director of scientficcommunications at Dioq explains: ,InEurope, women typically havea homogeneity of a lower photo-type finplain English: fairer, paler skin], whichmeans scarring is less of a problem.,Unfortunately being half-Japanese, for mepigmentation is a bigger problem thanwrinkles and lines. He tries to make me seethe silver lining: 'There are fewer wrinklesbecause there is more protection againstthem. Sebum is good for plumpe, skin], Notsilver enough for me.

Thankfully, there are products to help.'Clinique's Even Better Clinical Dark SpotCorrecto4 [39], worls to inhibit melaninand calm inflammation,, says Dr TomMammone, Clinique's executive directorof skin physiology and pharmacology Butfor acne scarring look for a product thatdeals with spots and scars. hofessor MarkFerguson, from the University ofManchester's life sciences faculty, is anexl?ert on scarring and argues that the onlyingredient that can address scars is protein.He is developing an artificially producedprotein to promote cell regeneration andslow dorvn and heal scars.

In the meantime, there are othersolutions, which IVe listed here. If you pickthe rightoneforyotirskin and arepatien! itwill work. I won't lig though, the journeyw:as painfi.rl and not one I care to revisit. I

ELLEbeauQ

ELLE'S MUST:HAVEACNE, SOLUTIONSPREVENTAmeTreahnentPah, d48, fui Caru +Austin[2, 6] Use as part of your daily skinroutine. Each pad is soaked with salicylicand glycolic acid, which will keep poresunclogged and sebum under control.Cllcntance Soap-Fra Gel Cl,ewuer, dl 1.50,mtdAni-Shine ha!rttingLotian, d8.75, b2 EatTltermalzAabu [1, g] This duo containsbenzoic acid to regulate oil productionand salicylic acid to minimise shine.Skin Ckaing Fam I Bodlt Wash, d3 7,b1t Clmk's Botanirak l3,B] This washcontainsjasmine absolute extract to helpprevent redness and inflammation, whileremoving dead skin cells andminimisingthe appearance of pores.

TREATSuper $pot RanouE dl 2, b Ongiw 17)Dab a small amount on to the olfendingblemish. The salicy'ic acidwill tame thearea and speed up healingDryatg Lntion, {1 7.50, b1t Marin BafuscuA blend of calamine and salicylic acidto clearup and soothe whiteheads andpainfirl spots overnight.Mino-Pecl Ckansing Powdsr, d26, b1 SkemMix a small amount with water beforeapplying to the face. The salicylic-acidmix darifies skin and removes all tracesof make-up, which, if left, could leadto doggedpores and spots.

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CORRECTBiomedit Pigmmt Control, d2g,$rIa Rulu- Posal [1 0] The highconcentration of kojic acidinthisserum helps to even out skin tonediscoloured by blemishes.Cl,earllt Correcti:pe Dark Spot Solutiad3 4, b2 ICuhPs [5] This serum gendyencourages cell turnover in the skinand uses anewvitarnin C moleculebprevent clusters of pigmentation frrmformingas a result of acne scarringMega-Bright Skin Toru Corrating bu4d46, $, DrAndrew Weilfor Aigixl[+lUanti-irritants, like liquorice and whiepeony, to minimise dull and pigmenedskin formedby acne inflammation.

THEPROFESSIONALSNo 'fit' Slterlocf dl 3 Sfor 7 5 minutes, bt,B/aisA multi-pronged approach tocontrol oil production, fade blemishes"minimise the appearance of pores, e\EDout skin tone andprotect the skin agai4tthe harmful bacteria that leads tobreakouts. Enq (020) 7590 6146Bespolce Ame Fadnl, price on cowultatian,b2 EF MdispaA truly tailored treatrnentdepending on the level of acne andscarring, includingpeels to unclogblocked pores and LED therapy to killthe harmfirl bacteria that causes acne.Enq fuedinspa.com

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