From painful chemical peels to extreme facials, there’s no shortage of beauty treatments that claim to combat breakouts. And when you’re dealing with an unexpected blemishes it’s easy to contemplate drastic measures. But before you book an appointment with your dermatologist or take matters into your own hands (literally), try these at-home tricks to calm your complexion:
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Dermatologist-in-training and all around cool girl blogger Aegean Chan is the savvy mind behind super-skincare blog, Aegmora. Chan educates and enlightens readers with particularly informative posts that tie together her science background and her extensive experience with beauty products. We love that she demystifies everything from familiar active ingredients like Benzoyl Peroxide to the newest trends like coconut oil. This week, Chan teaches us how to fight acne better, keep our skin hydrated, and protect it from the sun.
Many don’t realize that cleansing is a delicate balancing act, and also the foundation of great skin. Your skin is tough enough to withstand blistering heat, pelting sleet, and withering looks from haters, but it’s actually a microcosm of cells and structural elements that require a very specific environment to thrive. Just think of it as layers upon layers of the finest cashmere that form a protective barrier. It wouldn’t make sense to try to restore the beauty and softness of that cashmere with a rinse of pure acid or a few passes with a sand blaster, would it?
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Based in Washington D.C., Ayren Jackson-Cannady is so savvy that we wished she lived closer to NYC so that we could swap products with her. This beauty writer knows what’s up (she’s written for Fitness, Glamour, and Gloss Daily) and we’re excited to have her sharing her know-how and multi-culti beauty expertise as a contributing editor.
If there’s one thing we all know about baby products, it’s that they’re super-duper gentle. So if you’re complexion is extra-sensitive, a trip to Babies-R-Us might be in order. I just so happen to have a 7-month-old boy, so I’m at the baby supply store at least once a week (yep, they really do need that many diapers). What I’ve learned: mama can use diaper cream, too (though not necessarily on her derriere; I’ll explain). Here are the baby products that work wonders for mother and child.
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Dear Birchbox,
I’m getting over a cold and have to look picture-ready this weekend. Any tips for hiding red and splotchy?
Love,
Ashley
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Dear Ashley,
Colds are such a nuisance. Not only are you sneezy and snuffly, but your skin gets majorly irritated and flaky. We have just the thing for you. We’ve been testing Dermalogica’s latest line of results-oriented skincare products, UltraCalming. The five product collection is geared toward calming irritated, inflamed sensitive skin. As always, the products are no-nonsense (no fancy packaging or scents) and effective. The UltraCalming cleanser is a thick, non-sudsing gel that doesn’t leave a tight, dry feeling and the UltraCalming serum feels light but is a good way to keep skin extra hydrated. You can try the whole line with their special Treatment Kit, with minis (and you know how we feel about minis) of each of the products - at $40, it’s a great deal. Once your skin is under control, try Stila’s new One-Step Correct to counteract redness before you apply the rest of your makeup. And when all else fails, highlight highlight highlight. Peachy shimmer cures all.
xox
Birchbox
