4 Acne Treatment Boosters For Overachievers

You’re cleansing your skin and faithfully sticking to your skin care regimen, eating healthy and getting plenty of sleep. Isn’t there something else you could be doing to boost your skin care to exhilaratingly clear heights? Yes, overachiever. Glad you asked. The doctor has a few insider tips for you.

1. Ice, ice, baby. One of the easiest, cheapest and most effective skin care therapy boosters available is no further away than your freezer. Rubbing ice over your skin before applying a corrective product increases the product’s ability to penetrate skin, thereby increasing its effectiveness. The cold also reduces inflammation and redness by constricting blood vessels. Just massage cleansed skin with ice for two to three minutes up to three times a day.

2. Wrap It Up. For those tougher areas like your back, chest or shoulders, a layer of plastic wrap (yes, the stuff covering your leftover quinoa salad) over a topical medication can make the formulation up to ten times more effective. Apply a generous layer of product like Vivant’s BP 10% Gel Medication on the affected area. Let it dry completely before applying plastic wrap over the top. A snug t-shirt will help keep the wrap in place. Leave it for up to an hour. Be sure to avoid sensitive areas like underarms, sides and, most certainly, your face.

3. De-stress. Yoga, meditation, a leisurely walk around the block, chamomile tea and binge session of “Detectorists” (check it out on Netflix and thank us later), whatever your method, just reduce the madness. Stress is skin’s number one enemy causing hormone fluctuations that lead to breakouts. Anything you can do to avoid or reduce stress will directly affect the success of your skin care regimen.

4. Think Zinc. Zinc is a trace mineral that plays an essential role in skin health. It helps regulate cell production and turnover, boosts immune function, combats inflammation, and may decrease oil production. Studies show that acne sufferers are often low on zinc. For this reason, Dr. Fulton has recommended zinc for decades as a way to put some additional muscle into any acne treatment. Vivant's Day Treatment Lotion SPF 15, non-comedogenic daily moisturizer, has zinc peptides that promote healing, firm and rejuvenate skin. You can also try a supplement, or get more zinc into your diet. Oysters have more zinc than any other food, but they’re not exactly daily fare. According to the National Institutes of Health, other good sources are beef, chicken, nuts, beans, whole grains and dairy products.

A consistent skin care regimen in combination with a healthy lifestyle is A-level acne treatment, but a little extra credit can get you the A+.

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