Cologne writes: 

Skin guru, Dr. Leslie Baumann, shared her secrets with me on how to tackle every gal’s least favorite things: zits and wrinkles. In her opinion, no one should have to live with acne today given contemporary medicinal advancements and knowledge. And everyone should be aware of simple routines to effectively and efficiently prevent aging.

The most interesting and personally surprising recommendation Dr Baumann gave: everyone should use a retinoid daily—and not just for acne prevention, but for its powerful anti-aging properties, too.  (Thankfully, I have been using Differin for years, and am now thanking my dermatologist for maybe making me look a tad bit younger!)  Most retinoids can be obtained by a prescription (Retin-A, Differin), but it is also possible to obtain over the counter versions (retinol, which is found in many products from companies like Neutrogena and RoC). No matter what age or skin type you have, you should be using a daily retinoid.

As a girl who has tried practically every acne medication on the shelf, I was enthused by Dr. Baumann’s advice. First of all, acne is a combination of oil, bacteria, and clogged pores—thus it is essential to use products to battle all three of these issues. Certain products may fix one of these problems, (*cough*ProActiv*cough*) but only through fighting all three at once can acne be eliminated. Other than genes, friction can cause acne, as well as stress, dairy, and sugar (please, no wonder I break out).

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Jolie is thrilled that Allure’s Daily Beauty Reporter included her skincare tips alongside those of fellow beauty gals Daneen from Spoiled Pretty, Erika from Makeup Bag, and Amber from Beauty Blogging Junkie (if you’re not reading their blogs, you should be, as not only are these ladies super knowledgable, but they’re just good people to boot!).  Daily Beauty Reporter Jessica Matlin, an old magazine chum, quizzed me on which skincare product is currently revving my motor.  My answer?  IS Clinical Super Serum Advance, a powerhouse serum that’s full of antioxidants, brightens the complexion, helps keep acne at bay, increases collagen production, and does your laundry.  (Okay, not true…but it does everything else!)  It is, let’s be real, hardly cheap—$130 for a serum?  Dude, I still don’t have a car!—but if you’re as skin obsessed as I am, genuinely worth every penny.

It’s been three days since I had my Vi Peel, and the phenol acid, vitamin C and Retin-A peel is working wonders…if by “wonders” I were to actually mean “is causing every last ounce of my skin to kamikaze dive off my face in unattractive, flaky sheets.”  Pictures of the disgusting-yet-effective madness to follow shortly!

 UPDATE: Click here for my before and after photos to see the results!

It’s been about three weeks since I started Retin-A, and my skin is slowly but surely acclimating.  No more snake-like shedding!  No more necessity of hiding my face under a paper bag!  I still have a fair bit of flaking, but at least now it’s socially-acceptable, as opposed to “Ew…do you, like, have a disease?”  This weekend, at the Total Beauty Blogger Summit, I had my skin analyzed using a super-duper fancy machine, and while I have some sun damage (damn you, Florida!), my skin is in the 99th percentile when it comes to wrinkles.  I’m still waiting for the transformation, however—that moment when the first friend or stranger says: “Your skin!  It looks amazing!  What have you been doing?”  Don’t let me down, Retin-A…

Two weeks ago, I started using Retin-A, in the hopes of both keeping my acne-prone skin clear and ridding myself of ever-deepening fine lines.  Now, I’m only 27 and am hardly in the market for a face-lift, but since I was in my early teens I’ve been firmly in the “ounce of prevention, pound of cure” camp and figure this is simply the next stage in my fight against friendly engagement with aging.  The two years I spent living in Palm Beach wrecked havoc on my skin and aged me several years (Why did I not wear stronger sunscreen?  Why??), so now I’m frantically trying to reverse a little of the sun damage.  Retin-A users are advised to start slow, so I’ve been using it three times a week, and am trying to let my skin acclimate before upping my usage.  As it is, my complexion is already molting, to the point that friends have started to comment.  (”What’s with all this?” they asked confusedly, pointing to my flaking chin.  Sexy.)  I spent a week applying moisturizing masks at night, trying to balance out the dryness, until Dr. Solieman explained that this sort of resistance was not only futile, but actually counterproductive—he advised me to just bite the bullet and get over the initial “Oh my god, my face is falling off!” hump.  (My words, not his.)  Since Retin-A makes your skin especially sensitive to the sun, I’m using the kick-ass Obagi Nu Derm Healthy Skin SPF 35 sunscreen, which I heartily recommend for all skin-types.  It sinks in quickly, works well under makeup, and provides excellent broad-spectrum protection.  (My new hobby is checking out product listings on the Skin Deep website to evaluate toxicity; I still haven’t quite figured out how to use the database, but here’s the Obagi sunscreen listing, with great scores.)  As far as my Retin-A journey, I’ll keep you updated!

Out of nowhere, my complexion has exploded in breakouts; I suddenly resemble a thirteen-year-old boy.  Pinpointing the cause of zits is always difficult, particularly when you’re a beauty gal who regularly switches up her routine and enjoys “experimenting” with products.  (Substitute the word “experimenting” for the phrase “being stupid” and then we’re in business.)  Could it be the samples of antioxidant infused, anti-aging Vivite?  (But the skincare rep said it wouldn’t flare up my skin!)  The hint-of-color-plus-SPF Neutrogena Color Boosting Sunblock SPF 30?  (Um, the bottle says non-comedogenic.)  The two days when I ran out of cleanser and was using whatever I scrounged up in D. and A.’s cabinets?  (So why isn’t their skin breaking out?)  Or maybe it’s that good ol’ standby: stress.  Whatever the reason, I’ve been fighting back with military precision: first up, thirty seconds of careful washing twice daily with my beloved Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash.  At night, I apply Clean and Clear Persagel 10, which contains 10% benzoyl peroxide.  In the morning, I apply Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals Blemish Therapy, an invisible, sulfur-based treatment, followed by the peptide-packed, one-of-the-few-products-that-definitely-does-not-make-me-break-out In An Instant Instant Firming Serum.  Finally, I’ve been blasting myself once a day with the ThermaClear Acne Treatment Device, a handheld bacteria-killing badass that is very quickly making a difference.  Of course, all this complexion warfare is leading to dryness, but my skin and I are negotiating a fragile treaty whereby it understands that if it stops looking like a pizza, I will stop infusing it with benzoyl peroxide and sulfur.  Alors, then everybody wins. 

T. writes,

Hi Jolie,LOVE your blog. I was wondering if you’ve got any info/have an opinion about the Proactiv skin care line. I was thinking of giving it a try. Thanks 

Hi T., Thanks! I’ve never used Proactiv myself, but I have many friends that used it in college and had fairly positive results with it. I’ve met the doctors behind the line (Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields) and they’re extremely intelligent and very eager to help people get clear skin. However, I’ve used some of their other products and found them much too harsh for my sensitive skin, which is what I’ve heard at times regarding Proactiv. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the line, but the main ingredient is benzoyl peroxide, which is the stuff that’s in Clearasil. Most acne products nowadays use salicylic acid/beta-hydroxy acid (with perhaps a little glycolic acid/alpha-hydroxy acid) mixed in, since both are much less irritating than benzoyl peroxide. How bad is your acne, and how “tough” is your skin? If you’re very fair-skinned with only mild acne, I’d recommend using something else (such as Neutrogena’s anti-acne products), since your skin will probably have a bad reaction to it. If your acne is a little worse, or on the moderate side, or if your skin isn’t particularly sensitive, then I’d go ahead and try it—you’ll probably have fairly good results, although it may not completely clear up your acne. If your acne is pretty bad, then forget the Proactiv and head straight to your dermatologist, since they’ll prescribe you some products that will work better and faster. Good luck, and let me know what happens!

K writes:

Hi Jolie! I love your blog. I have a question - why can’t I pop my pimples? When I get facials, they pop them and it doesn’t scar, unlike when I try it. Thanks! 

Hi K.!Technically, you’re not supposed to pop your own zits—it’s true that it does very easily lead to scarring, hyperpigmentation, bleeding, and unnecessary face-touching, mirror-staring and “Why didn’t I just leave it alone?!” moaning. The truth, however, is that (shh) it is possible to pop your own blemishes, just like you’ve always suspected. Now, I’m not saying it’s recommended, and when done improperly, you could wreck some serious havoc on your complexion. But let’s be real here. You want to do it. You’re going to do it. So, at least do it right. First of all, never squeeze cysts—go for the white suckers just under the skin that are begging to be put out of their misery. Remove all makeup and wash your face and hands, to get rid of bacteria that might get into the open skin and cause an infection. (Optional steps: apply a warm washcloth to the skin for a few minutes, or sterilize a tiny needle with boiling water and rubbing alcohol and prick the surface of the skin ever so slightly. Personally, I never, ever go the needle route—I know people who have gotten infections this way. But I feel the need to mention that, if you are going to do it, then for the love God, sterilize it and be gentle.) Next take two cotton swabs or pieces of gauze and very (very!) gently press around the pimple until the white stuff surfaces and comes out, or when you see clear fluid. Don’t press too hard—and never until you bleed!—because you could force the bacteria further into your skin, which will just cause a bigger, badder pimple down the road. (As for me, if I’m going somewhere soon after my minor bathroom-sink surgery, I dab on a tiny bit of Hydrocortisone cream, to help the irritation and redness go down faster, then follow with a dab of medicated concealer.)