Get Flawless Skin for Prom
By Rachael Nichol
Follow the skin routine below that addresses your most frequent problem — blackheads, redness, blemishes, or dry skin.
How to Clear Blackheads:
-- Wash your face twice a day with a salicylic-acid cleanser to unclog the blackheads on your face.
-- Exfoliate once a week using a scrub with jojoba beads, which are oil-fee, nondrying polishers. Rinse first with warm water to remove the scrub, the splash with cold water to close your pores.
-- Moisturize every day with an oil-free lotion for hydration that won't clog your pores. Look for one with an SPF 15 or higher for sun protection.
Try: Noxzema Triple Clean Blackhead Cleanser, $4, drugstore.com; H2O Oil-Controlling Exfoliator, $15, h2oplus.com; Wet n Wild Fresh Face Skincare Clear Skin Oil-Free Moisturizer SPF 15, $6, drugstore.com.
How to Calm Redness:
-- Washyour face daily with a creamy, skin-calming cleanser that will counteract redness. Rinse with warm water (not hot) to avoid further irritation.
-- Apply a soothing seaweed-and-clay mask once a week for 10 minutes to reduce blotchiness and redness on the skin.
-- Moisturize every day with a lotion that has anti-inflammatory ingredients like bisobolol, a natural plant oil that is known to reduce irritation.
Try: Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser, $9, drugstore.com; C.O. Bigelow Seaweed Soothing Mask, $18, bigelowchemists.com; Purpose Redness Reducing Moisturizer with SPF 30, $13, drugstore.com.
How to Banish Blemishes:
-- Wash your face twice a day using a salicylic-acid cleanser to remove all of the dirt and oil that cause breakouts.
-- Steam and repair your skin once a week y standing over a sink filled with hot water for 10 minutes to open your pores, allowing them to be cleansed. Then apply a mask that contains salicylic acid, which dries acne and smoothes your face.
-- Moisturize every day using an oil-free lotion to hydrate your skin without clogging pores.
Try: Good Skin All Right Medicated Cleanser, $12, kohls.com; Neutrogena Oil-Free 60 Second Mask Scrub, $8, ulta.com; Clean & Clear Oil-Free Oxygenating Ultra-Light Moisturizer SPF 15, $7, drugstore.com.
How to Smooth Dry Skin:
-- Wash your face twice a day using a gentle, creamy cleanser to calm easily irritated dry skin.
-- Exfoliate once each week with a scrub that contains glycerin, which pulls moisture into the skin.
-- Moisturize daily using a rich cream or balm — either one will form a barrier on your skin that seals in water.
Try: Grassroots All Well and Good Soothing Milky Face Cleanser, $12, kohls.com; Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub, $7, drugstore.com; Skin Milk Facial Moisturizer, $6, drugstore.com
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