POLISH UP
YOUR ACT
“Exfoliating is especially
important for blemished skin,”
advises Dr Harold Lancer,
dermatologist to Kim K and
Victoria Beckham. “Acne forms
when pores are blocked by a
plug of dead skin cells mixed
with sebum, so keeping those
pores open and exfoliating the
dead cell build-up is essential.
“If you’ve inflammatory
acne and large pores, start
gradually and only polish one
night for the first week. Work
your way up until you are
polishing morning and night,
but be very gentle – you don’t
want the acne lesions to burst
under your skin and infect the
surrounding areas.
“For blemished skin, it’s
important to find an exfoliant
with larger, spherical buffing
particles without any rough
edges so you don’t irritate skin
more.” Try (1) Derma Quest
Algae Polishing Scrub, $55,
or (2) Bliss Pore Perfecting
Facial Polish, $39.99. TheMAKEUP THAT
WON’T RUIN^
YOUR SKIN
We’ve all been there: your skin
looks awful so you pile on the
makeup, but it gets worse so
you pile on more. “If you’re
breakout-prone, you shouldn’t
use lipid-rich makeup,” says Dr
Williams. “Choose products
that are oil-free, but bear in
mind that claims like ‘non-
comedogenic’ are no guarantee
it won’t make you break out.”
Dr Bunting says her top
bases for her spot-prone clients
are (1) NARS Pure Radiant
Tinted Moisturiser from
Mecca Cosmetica, $56;
(3) Lancôme Teint Miracle,
$55, and (5) Giorgio Armani
Luminous Silk Foundation,
$92. For heavier coverage,
she recommends that you try
using (4) Coverderm Classic
Concealing Foundation,
$34.95. Dr Bunting also tells
her clients to give up their face
powder. “Some powders are
incredibly finely milled, so
they clog the skin’s pores. Use
blotting tissues to soak up oil
and control shine.” Got a real
corker to cover up? First, apply
a dab of (6) Cover FX Blemish
Treatment Primer from
Sephora, $34 – it seals the
blemish and creates a smooth
surface for concealer, and
contains salicylic acid to treat
the breakout. Team it with (2)
Cover FX Blemish Treatment
Concea ler, $34.cheaper option is (3) Clearasil
Daily Clear Clear ’n Refine
Daily Scrub, $10.49.
Using a daily cleanser
with a sonic cleansing brush is
another good way to give skin
a gentle de-clogging polish –
just make sure you change the
brush head regularly so it
doesn’t harbour bacteria. We
love (4) Clinique’s new Sonic
System Purifying Cleansing
Brush, $135, because it has
two different bristle strengths
to let you customise your
cleansing routine. The green,
angled tip has firmer, shorter
bristles to give a thorough
cleanse on areas prone to more
oil production and clogging,
such as your T-zone. The
white bristles are softer for
a gentler cleanse on more
delicate areas such as your
cheeks, where there are fewer
oil glands. It’s been proven
to loosen dirt and oil more
effectively than washing with
just your hands and, because
it turns off automatically after
30 seconds, there’s no danger
of overdoing it.Unclog pores
with Clinique’s
new sonic
cleansing brush.COSMOPOLITAN July 2015 125
12341 2 3 4 5 6STILLLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS JANSEN/BAUER