You know how it goes… a random pimple appears out of nowhere, and you have a big event coming up, do you pop it, put hot compresses on it, just cover it up, or curl up into a ball and cry until it goes away? Clearly, there are many solutions to this pimple dilemma, and I would know, because I’ve tried ALL of them. Luckily, I discovered the Skin Script Blemish Spot Treatment and discovered that it is truly amazing and does exactly what it says it’s going to do, as evidenced by my photos below of a mean ‘ole pimple that came out of the blue overnight and ruined my day. I used the Blemish Spot Treatment daily starting on a Saturday, and by Wednesday not only was the pimple gone, but because I didn’t squeeze it and do ridiculous things to it, it was barely noticeable!
The Blemish Spot treatment is made up of 4 main ingredients that work hard to dissolve your annoying blemishes.
Now, you may be wondering about some of the details mentioned regarding these main ingredients. For example, what is an alpha hydroxy acid? Or, what is sebum? What is an antioxidant and why is it good for my skin? Have no fear, Cara is here! Yeah, I know, that sounds ridiculous, but I mean it, I’m here to help you understand your skin and how to keep it healthy, strong, and as clear as possible.
Let’s start at the beginning. What is a pimple? According to Milady’s Standard Textbook for Professional Estheticians, a pimple is an inflamed, red or blue-red lump that appears when a follicle becomes filled with oil, dead cells, and bacteria which causes it to swell and rupture, causing the debris to escape into the dermis. Because the debris is irritating and causes inflammation, white blood cells rush in to fight against the bacteria and create pus, which is a sticky, yellowish secretion. So, this pus sits just under the skin and creates an unsightly blemish that sometimes can be pretty painful! How do we tackle it and make it go away? Well, that’s where the hydroxy acids come in. But before we get there, let’s talk a little bit more about where pimples come from.
Human skin has 2 types of glands. Sudoriferous glands, also known as sweat glands, and sebaceous glands, also known as oil glands. We’re going to focus our attention for a few minutes on sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands produce sebum which is an oily substance that lubricates the surface of the skin and helps prevent the surface from dehydration. The problem arises when sebum becomes trapped in the gland and creates a blackhead. The bigger problem arises when the blackhead becomes infected, and the trapped sebum and debris becomes more impacted, inflamed, and irritated, now you have yourself a pimple.
So, what exactly is a hydroxy acid? There are 2 categories; alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids. Alpha hydroxy acids are water soluble substances that act as chemical exfoliants, rather than manual or physical exfoliants. Beta hydroxy acids are lipid soluble substances, meaning that they are able to penetrate the skin through sebaceous glands. Ok, but let’s take it a step further. We’re talking specifically about 2 acids: glycolic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid and salicylic acid which is a beta hydroxy acid. Glycolic acid is derived from cane sugar, unripe grapes, and sugar beets, while salicylic acid is obtained from the bark of the white willow and wintergreen leaves. Glycolic acid has the smallest molecules and therefore can penetrate deeper into the pores than the other alpha hydroxy acids (lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, and mandelic acid). The combination of these 2 acids penetrates deep into the pores to fight off the bacteria underneath but also works to exfoliate the skin, helping to prevent future breakouts.
Now, what is an antioxidant? An antioxidant is a substance that protects the body through blocking or counteracting the damaging effects of free radical activity. Ok, that’s great, but what’s a free radical? Easy! Quite simply, it’s an unstable oxygen atom that tries to “steal” electrons from other atoms, causing cell damage; a process known as lipid peroxidation. Pretty simple, right?
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