December 4th, 2014
Troublesome skin is something every make-up artist has faced. Whether it’s the stress of a big event, or dealing with a model who has been travelling non-stop. Especially for MUA’s working on special events or bridal make-up, it’s a good idea to keep a couple of products in your kit to deal quickly with blemishes. To diminish redness and calm skin, you can’t rely on products which take weeks to work. Warpaint have gathered together a selection of spot-busters which are worth packing.
French pharmacy favourites Vichy have a lovely treatment called Normaderm Hyaluspot (£10.50) from their imperfection-aimed range. This light cream is packed with hyaluronic acid to create a protective, anti-bacterial film over the surface of the skin. Salicylic Acid and LHA help to bring the swelling and redness down quickly as well. Vichy’s range are also known to be great on sensitive skin types, making this an all-around winner.
Another popular option from across the Channel is La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I (£9.50), which has a great super-fine nozzle to help keep the product hygienic. It’s one of La Roche-Posay’s more intensive treatments, which targets imperfections through several skin layers to really accelerate their healing, and also prevent residual marking on the surface. It uses Niacinamide to freeze the blemish’s development, then a combination of piroctone olamine and glycacil to purify the deep-set bacterial activity. The thermal spring water in all of their ingredients then helps to soothe and regenerate skin.
While Clinique’s Anti-Blemish Gel (£20) might be marketed as a longer-term, daily solution, it does get to work on break-outs right away, and it might be a good product to invest in if you’re working on a longer job, such as a film or TV series, where you can really help to improve your client’s skin over time, as it also helps to prevent new blemishes from forming. It works well to tone down redness and reduce the size of spots, without being overly-drying.
For a targeted treatment, the Sarah Chapman Spot Stickers (£19 for 16) take a novel approach. These hygienic, discreet clear stickers are a physical barrier containing the blemish, allowing it to be targeted by the potent active ingredients within the sticker. Chapman recommends they be changed every four hours, so if you have a couple of hours of notice you can pop one of these on your client and let it get to work!
There’s something special about the Swedish approach to wellbeing and life which seems to create some really amazing products – see our recent interview with FACE Stockholm’s Martina Arfwidson as proof! Spa brand Kerstin Florian combine beautiful natural ingredients with cutting-edge technology to create ultra-effective products, such as their Clarifying Oil-Control Serum (£61.25). While the word ‘serum’ might suggest it should be used all over (which, of course, it can be) it is actually best used as and when, directly applied to topical areas until the inflammation dies down. Alpine Willow Herb helps to calm angry skin, whilst antiseptic Peppermint works its magic.
For long-lasting jobs, any MUA worth their salt knows that the very act of repeating heavy or long-lasting make-up day in, day out can affect an actor or model’s skin. Making sure the skin is well cleansed at the end of a long day helps protect from future breakouts. We like the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils (from £30), which come in a variety of formulas to cater to different skin types. They melt away make-up, and even oily-skin types will appreciate their silky slip.
For an uncomplicated, ‘Does What It Says On The Tin’ product, you can’t get much better than the Origins Super Spot Remover (£15). Packed with Salicylic Acid to banish blemishes, skin-calming caffeine and red algae visibly help to deal with any redness which might have appeared alongside it. Its handy, petite packaging is great for travel too.
Blemish-prone skin often goes hand-in-hand with sensitive skin, so you might want to also stock up on a couple of calming skin products to help deal with sensitivity and redness. Try the Darphin Intral Redness Relief Recovery Cream (£43) or Kiehl’s Skin Recovery Salve (£40). You can find our full list of sensitive skin saviours here.
Another choice for longer jobs is the excellent Aveda Outer Peace Cooling Mask (£30). Ideal for calming irritated skin, it reduces redness and as it is a mask you don’t have to fear any horrible drying, tight sensation which accompanies some spot treatments. Skin is left clean, soft and noticeably less oily. Works well for a quick on-set pick-me-up, but works real wonders when used as a weekly treatment.
If you need a product to work at high speeds, or to cut off a developing spot which you know is developing, then you might like the Dr Nick Lowe Anti Blemish Spot Gel (£11). This purse-friendly pick is a light but potent gel formula using Salicylic Acid, as well as anti-bacterial Willow Bark, Tea Tree and Thyme and soothing arnica.
Older skin is by no means exempt from break-outs, which is why we love Skinceuticals for filling the gap in the market with their Blemish + Age Defense Serum (£64). It is a targeted, oil-free and ultra-light liquid to simultaneously treat adult acne and signs of aging. AHAs and BHAs combine to deal with and prevent blemishes, minimise hyperpigmentation and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. The higher acid levels means it is great for older, tougher skins, however it might not be so suitable for sensitive skin types.
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