Cosmopolitan USA – June 2017

BEAUTY

60

GETTY IMAGES. PRODUCTS: COURTESY BRANDS.

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TREAT

STRATEGICALLY

Traditional acne

treatments like benzoyl

peroxide don’t know the

difference between bad

bacteria and good

bacteria. “Killing

off everything is not the

answer,” says Dr.

Friedman. Solution:

Use BP for spot treating

only, or try the serum

below, which helps

your body’s natural

acne-fighting bacteria.

NERD SKINCARE

A c n e Tr e a tment, $85,

nerdskincare.com

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HYDRATE OFTEN

Dry skin favors the

growth of potentially

invasive bacteria.

Hydration, on the other

hand, helps protect the

physical barrier and

maintain a healthy

microbiome. Best-case

scenario: when a

moisturizer contains

ceramides and

niacinamide (like the one

below). “Moisturizers

offer ‘food’ for good

bacteria to grow,”

explains dermatologist

Adam Friedman, MD.

LA ROCHE-POSAY

To l e r i a n e

Double Repair

Moisturizer, $20,

laroche-posay.us

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CLEANSE KINDLY

Face washes with strong

cleansing agents, like

sulfates, can create

bacterial imbalance.

Look for milder options,

with key words like

soap-free or milk.

(Cetaphil’s uses sodium

cocoamphoacetate,

a coconut oil–derived

ingredient.) Frequent

washing can also disturb

the skin microbiome,

so rinse with

only water in the a.m.

CETAPHIL

Foaming Face Wash,

$9, drugstores

RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE about one trillion bac-

teria on your skin. Don’t worry—it’s a good

thing! They make up an ecosystem called the

skin microbiome, which keeps your complex-

ion happy and healthy. But our modern-day

obsession with being squeaky clean and

germ-free—along with other factors like UV

radiation, pollution, and topical medications—

can reduce or increase the amount of certain

bacteria, wreaking havoc on your skin. But

numbers aren’t the only things that matter:

Diversity (hosting a variety of bacteria)

is just as crucial. Research has linked shifts

in the microbiome to inf lammatory issues

such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and acne.

To ensure your cleansing habits are helping—

not hurting—follow these three steps.

CLEAN FREAKS,

BRACE

YOURSELVES.

Research shows that an imbalance

of bacteria may lead to annoying

issues like eczema and acne. Read on

for the beauty-boosting truth.

BY MADDIE ABERMAN

Yo u r

Face’s

Dirty

Little

Secret