Dry skin and red marks

Question: “Dry skin and red marks”

Hi Mads! Really great site with a lot of useful knowledge :-)

I’ve had a lot of blemishes and in general very uneven skin with a lot of little bumps for about 1 year and a half.

About a month and half ago, I started taking birth control pills after consulting the doctor. Also, I paid a visit to the dermatology clinic a week ago, where you recommended me to use a mild cleanser and also a thin layer of Basiron at night with a thin layer of lotion on top. In the morning, I only use lotion after cleansing my face. I really think that it has helped! My skin is becoming really smooth and I hardly have any blemishes. There’s only a lot of red/brown marks left all over my forehead and on parts of my cheeks, which are very visible. Will they disappear in time?

Also, my skin has becomes very dry (especially around the mouth), probably because of the Basiron. But is that just a “phase” that my skin needs to go through – should I just keep up the routine that I have now? Or should I add moisture to my skin in some way?

Thanks in advance for your help :-)

Br,
Sofie

Answer to: “Dry skin and red marks”

Dear Sofie,

I thank you for your time on my web site and for your question. It was very nice to meet you too and guide you about skincare and lifestyle.

I am really happy that my advice regarding your acne has helped already! Congratulation on your “new skin”.

The best way you can treat acne is to use a mild cleansing product, which you gently massage in to your face morning and evening. This will remove grime, dirt and excess grease from your skin.

Afterwards, you must use a product with the active ingredient Benzoyl Peroxide, which will kill the acne bacteria in your skin (Propionibacterium acnes).

Lastly, you should use a mild moisturizer, which protects and at the same time helps with dry skin, which some people will experience because of the Benzoyl Peroxide. The crème should also contain:

• Antioxidants (there are hundreds of great sources for this: Green tea, red tea, vitamins, etc.)
• Moisturizing ingredients (glycerine, hyaluronic acid, etc.)
• AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid)/BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid) = exfoliating ingredients (glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, etc.)

The only difference there should be between a day crème and a night crème is that the day crème should contain sunscreen, which will protect against both UVA and UVB rays (for example a physical filter in the form of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide).

Perfect Skin Moisturizer is filled with the good ingredients mentioned above.

Perfect Skin Day Protector contains sunscreen and is filled with the good ingredients mentioned above at the same time.

Regarding your brown and red marks, it sounds like a lesser form of over-pigmentation. You should not worry about that, since they are probably appearing because of you starting taking birth control pills, which can jumble the hormones in your body a little bit. If the marks are not disappearing within a couple of months, please contact me again.

I look forward to hearing more from you and I wish you a really lovely day!