8 Common Skin Concerns (And How To Treat Them At Home)

Dark Under-Eye Circles Bugging You? Is Facial Redness Causing You Suffer? Then It Is Time To Act On These Skin Concerns And We Know How...

What's Your Skin Hangup (we know you have one or more!) Regardless of how porcelain-smooth your complexion is, even those of us with perfect porcelain skin have something about their complexion we loathe - even if it is something as inconsequential as fine lines between your brows that no one else sees but you see every time you look in the mirror!

When it comes to taking care of annoying skin issues like lines, wrinkles, acne, and dark spots, regular skincare doesn't often cut it. Sometimes though, that one fantastic product can take your routine one step further and take its effects even further.

Here, we take a closer look at eight of the most prevalent skin issues... and what you can do to minimize their adverse impact on both your physical health and mental wellbeing.

1. Redness

Facial flushing may be caused by anything from rosacea and psoriasis to eczema and seasonal allergies - all can contribute to severe facial flushing, but the key point here is not trying to self-diagnose; doing so could result in disastrous consequences - Rosacea often being mistaken for acne which could be catastrophic to your skin health - therefore seeking professional advice immediately from a skin specialist regarding symptoms and treatments is advised for best results.

If your skin is red due to harsh cleansing or potent actives in your skincare, or irritation from actives in your routine, consider altering it accordingly. Remove facial serum for several weeks and see if that helps, or switch up your cleanser with one that's gentler - sans parabens, sulfates, and fragrance - to determine which ingredient could be the culprit; Rose Water Refreshing Toner may also provide some soothing relief from irritation.

2. Shiny T-Zone

Excess shine around your nose, chin, and forehead is caused by overactive sebaceous glands producing too much oil for their size - something which may make your hair and lips shine but shouldn't manifest on your skin in excess. While hair and lips shine with shine is ideal, an oil-slick face may not be.

For maximum shine reduction, it is best to avoid oil-heavy moisturizers and invest in salicylic acid for its ability to cut through oil more effectively than any other ingredient. In addition, cleansing regularly but gently using detoxifying agents like charcoal may help.

Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is just the thing to get this job done. Formulated with activated coconut charcoal, it not only draws out toxins from your skin but also soaks up excess sebum while working its magic. Plus it contains aloe vera gel, glycerin, and non-pore-clogging lavender oil to keep the skin hydrated and balanced as you work its wonders - because we're smart like that.

3. Dark Circles and Bags Around Your Eyes 

Puffiness and dark, under-eye circles typically develop as you age as your skin loses collagen and weakens, becoming loose and saggy. Why does the area around your eyes appear to age more quickly than elsewhere? Because its thin and fragile skin lacks fat or muscle support structures to prevent sagging.

Dark circles tend to run in families, while both conditions can be worsened by sun damage, poor sleep habits, stress levels, dehydration, and irritation. Your first step toward clearer, smoother eyes should be making healthier lifestyle choices: Wear sunglasses outdoors when possible and sleep with your head elevated for maximum effect; in addition to adding Peptide Eye Gel into your routine to address dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles around the eye area.

4. Visible Pores

Your pore size is determined genetically; unfortunately, this makes shrinking them physically impossible (despite what some skincare manufacturers would like you to believe).

By keeping your skin healthy, strong, and supple you can reduce the appearance of enlarged pores. Of course, protecting it from UV rays is equally essential; UV rays break down collagen which compromises its structure causing it to weaken. Therefore it's advisable to use lightweight sunscreen as well as incorporate antioxidants into your routine to maximize protection.

Be on the lookout for cleansers and toners containing salicylic or glycolic acid as these help promote cell turnover by dislodging dead skin cells that build up on your surface, blocking pores. We highly recommend Ocean Minerals Super Toner which contains both glycolic acid, MSM, and our favorite antioxidant vitamin C!

5. Cracked, Flaky Skin 

Cracked and flaky skin can often be the result of dryness (or eczema). Dryness is often hereditary and caused by lack of natural sebum production; dehydration occurs due to inadequate amounts of water being present in the skin and can affect all types of skin types - dry, normal, oily...

Careful attention must be given when treating dry and cracked skin. Avoid harsh chemicals in skincare and avoid washing your face in hot water as this will compromise its protective barrier function while depleting essential fatty acids and lipids from its surface.

Use occlusive or emollient ingredients in your skincare to repair cracks and reduce moisture loss, like cocoa butter, beeswax, and botanical oils like jojoba, rosehip, or evening primrose oil. Our Vitamin C Night Cream contains some of the finest emollients like these for optimal skin hydration.

6. Frown Lines

Even if you have found the ideal eye treatment to tackle those lines around your eyes, what about those pesky 11 lines between your eyebrows that just won't go away? Without resorting to Botox injections - is there anything else that could work?

Frown lines form due to both natural wear and tear on your collagen and elastin as you age and repeated facial expressions like raising eyebrows, squinting, or frowning.

Facial yoga can be an effective way of combatting crinkly foreheads. A great exercise would be opening your eyes as widely as possible without wrinkling your forehead and staring directly at the horizon for 10 seconds before relaxing and repeating this exercise five times.

Stress, sun exposure, and pollution all pose threats to skin health; to combat this damage we recommend SPF and antioxidant serums such as the supercharged Vitamin C Super Serum+ which includes popular ingredients like Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, and Retinol.

7. Hormonal Acne

Acne is one of the most prevalent skin conditions in America and can affect anyone at any point during our lives. According to research, hormonal acne--which manifests when dealing with hormonal fluctuations during periods of menopause--affects approximately 25% of women aged forties while 50 % or more are affected in their twenties.

Retinol is an ideal ingredient for treating mild hormonal acne as it increases cell turnover to shed away dead skin cells and prevent pores from becoming blocked. Retinol should be introduced gradually into your routine; always perform a patch test first!

If your hormonal acne manifests with deep cystic bumps, oral medications might prove more effective than topical treatments in treating it.

8. Dark Spots

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, sun damage is the primary cause of dark spots on faces, hands, shoulders, and arms - areas most exposed to sunlight. So it follows that by limiting sun exposure and protecting your skin with broad-spectrum sunscreen each time you step outside you will significantly lower your chance of sun-related dark spots forming, but that was already clear!

Retinol, Vitamin C, and AHAs such as glycolic acid can all help treat minor surface-level discolorations effectively. Vitamin C has even been proven to prevent future dark spots from appearing - so make sure you add Vitamin C Facial Serum into your daily skincare routine if dark spots are an issue for you!