1 and 2.) If you have breakouts on your forehead, they could be the result of stress, lack of sleep and possibly problems with your digestive system. If acne is right above your brow, you might be facing a cold in the very near future. Apparently this are indicates issues with the immune system.
3.) Pimples between the eyebrows are indicative of poor nutrition and food allergies. This also includes drinking alcohol.
4.) Breakouts on your cheeks can be the result of dirt (keep your cell phone's clean!), but they are also linked to pulmonary problems.
5.) The chin. Acne on your chin corresponds with the dreaded hormones. Ladies, I am sure you are with me and know all about this.
When I first read this list, I thought it was a bunch of crap. But after looking at my skin and thinking about my lifestyle, it actually is very accurate. During this semester, I have had a lot of problems with break outs on my forehead. And I have also been very stressed out and sleep deprived. Once my last final ended, I started sleeping and my stress was gone. Without changing my skincare routine, my forehead cleared up in a few days. I don't drink any alcohol, and my diet is decent (not amazing, but I still eat my fruits and veggies). I almost never get a pimple between my eyebrows. I almost have some kind of small pimple on my cheeks, and I do have asthma. Plus my phone does need to be cleaned. Whoops! And like clock work, one dreaded week each month, I get a nasty pimple on my chin. Then it goes away. I'm not saying this is an exact science, but it holds more merit with me now. So what is a girl to do? In today's world, we cannot avoid stress and a good 8 hours sleep is a completely foreign concept.
What You Can Do:
1.) Drink a lot of water instead of coffee (*tear*) and soda. I can say from personal experience that this will help. Green tea is also a great option as it contains antioxidants. I also like Yogi's Detox Tea.
2.) Eat well. Avoid complex carbohydrates and saturated fats. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet on a regular basis. Also add in omega 3 since they are good for just about everything.
3.) Exercise. This is beneficial in many ways in that it increases blood flow and produces endorphins. I always feel a lot better after a workout. Just be sure to cleanse your face afterwards or at least carry cleansing wipes.
4.) Get some sleep. I know this one can be challenging, but it is oh so important. Your skin (your entire body, really) repairs itself as you sleep. So if you skimp on sleep, you are depriving your body of of this.
5.) Incorporate salicylic acid into your skin care. I have eczema and my skin can get really dry during the winter, so I don't overload on this ingredient. I use Cetaphil as my cleanser, followed by Clinique's Clarifying Lotion. Using a moisturizer such as Philosophy's Clear Days Ahead is also beneficial, but I save this for when my skin is really misbehaving.I also have a product that I love that does not have salicylic acid, but works just as well: Arcona's "The Solution" works very well at banishing pimples.
6.) Use a clay or mud mask on a weekly basis. Clay/mud is wonderful because it sucks out dirt and oil deep in the pores without being irritating.
7.) Use a gentle exfoliator or a gentle peel to get rid of dead skin that has built up. A few of my favorites are Lush's Ocean Salt, Lush's Buche de Noel cleanser, St.Ives Apricot Scrub, Arcona's Cranberry Gommage, Freeman Facial Polishing Mask and Alba's Good & Clean Pore Purifying Mini-Peel.
*You can get an full set of Arcona skincare for your skin type. You can get them on Nordstrom.com, in store at Nordstrom or Arcona's site. They have one for dry, oily and problem skin. I have been using the one for oily skin and it has been very effective for me. It is also handy to have a good spot treatment like Clinique's Acne Solutions one and if your skin is being particularly agitating, a foundation that doubles as an acne treatment is a great option. I switch to Clinique Acne Solutions Foundation during those times.
What do you think of face mapping? Do you buy into or not?
