BEING BLEMISH FREE
THERE IS A SCIENCE TO CLEARER, CALMER, SPOT-FREE SKIN. WE ASKED ANTHONY MCDONOUGH FROM LQD SKIN CARE TO TALK US THROUGH THE FINER, SCIENCE-Y POINTS.
IT’S RARE to see a photo of someone these days that isn’t perfectly filtered and Photoshopped to make sure there isn’t a blemish in sight. Unfortunately, we can’t carry that filter around with us offline.
Most of us have, at some stage, been afflicted with the odd pimple or two. Once it becomes more than a few at a time, and they don’t completely clear up, it’s referred to as acne.
Acne vulgaris is a long-term skin condition characterized by areas of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, greasy skin and possibly scarring. Genetics is estimated to be the culprit in 80 per cent of cases. Smoking and diet (especially high GI foods) do not necessarily cause acne, but they both contribute to increasing the severity of the case.
If you were lucky, like me, you never suffered from it as a teenager. But I remember, with horror, anytime a pimple appeared. I can only imagine the torture of having full-blown acne.
I also know that a lot of guys who train at the gym get acne on their back and shoulders, often because working out increases testosterone levels and testosterone increases the levels of sebum in the skin and when there is too much sebum, the follicles can get clogged and pimples form.
Acne occurs most commonly during adolescence, affecting an estimated 80 to 90 percent of teenagers in the Western world. Believe it or not, in 2010, acne was estimated to affect 650 million people globally making it the 8th most common disease worldwide. Most people think of it as a puberty issue, however, while it becomes less common in adulthood, nearly half of people in their twenties and thirties continue to have some level of acne.
The severity of acne dictates its treatment, and there are many options available. There are several good foaming face wash products. Other products, which contain benzoyl peroxide as a topical treatment, can be effective at killing the bacteria, but can result in further damaging the skin, causing redness, dryness and irritation.
Below, I explain the ingredients in Lqd’s Blemish Control serum and why we believe they are the best.
Salicylic Acid is a topically applied beta-hydroxy acid that possesses bacteriostatic (capable of inhibiting the growth or reproduction of bacteria) and keratolytic properties (removing dry skin growths like sunspots and warts). Additionally, salicylic acid opens obstructed skin pores and promotes shedding of epithelial skin cells.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) works both as an anti-inflammatory as well as reducing the sebum production in the skin.
Symsitive 1609 is the key active ingredient from our Calm product to reduce the redness and irritation that is caused by acne.
Aloe Vera, Bisabolol, Chamomile and Cucumber are anti-irritants and antiinflammatories to ensure your skin is protected through the process of removing the blemish.
Lqd Blemish Control is great for getting rid of that pimple or ingrown hair, but it also reduces the appearance of oversized pores by removing whiteheads and blackheads, too.
MORE: Lqd products are available at David Jones and Sephora in Australia; Bloomindales in the USA and online at www.lqd.com.au Lqd Skin Care products are advertised with DNA.