Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/916074
64 january/february 2018 Expert: Mark Lees, PhD, Mark Lees Skin Care What are a few tried-and-true ingredients or treatments? • Flushing the follicles: Use benzoyl peroxide or an alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA)/beta hydroxyl acid (BHA) blend on a daily basis. AHA/BHA peels are great, but the daily 10 percent alpha, beta, or blend is what clears follicles and keeps them clear. • Elimination of fatty ingredients: Use only tested lightweight skin care and makeup products that are free of clogging fats. • Effective cleansers that control excess sebum: I recommend a foaming benzoyl peroxide cleanser in the morning and a noncomedogenic milk cleanser in the evening for makeup removal (some makeup removers can leave residues). What's a new ingredient or treatment you're excited about? I am excited about adding mandelic acid to the arsenal, which also has some brightening effects for pigmented acne-prone skin. I'm also excited about some newer ingredients like lichochalcone, which has antioxidants that can soothe. What are some enduring myths that need to be debunked? First, food does not have nearly as much to do with acne as people think. Food does not affect acne unless the client's diet is really awful—and even then it's not the food, it's the hormones affected by a horrible diet. If you eat pizza on Wednesday, that did not cause your zit on Thursday (unless you put the greasy pizza on your face). Second, a breakout after a facial treatment is not the skin "purging" itself. That breakout is caused by inflammation from the facial and extractions, and perhaps overstimulating products. Look for products that do not cause this. There are many products on the market that have not had proper irritancy testing, and they can cause these flares. " I am excited about adding mandelic acid to the arsenal, which also has some brightening effects for pigmented acne- prone skin." —Mark Lees ACNE ACNE