Tips for Treating Spot Scars/Marks

Having extremely breakout prone skin for over half of my life (wow that's a depressing stat!), I face an ongoing battle not only with the breakouts themselves, but the consequent scars that follow. Now I am by no means a skincare expert, but I feel like I have a good grasp now of what routine I should follow and what products I should use to help those annoying red marks disappear quicker than they would otherwise.

1. Don't Pick Your Spots!

This is probably an obvious one, but years of fiddling with my face has taught me that picking spots can make them redder, more inflamed and take them longer to heal. Picking spots can push the infection deeper into the spot and damage the skin tissue around the spot, all of which means evidence of the spot is going to stick around for a lot longer. 

2. Regular Exfoliation

It is important to exfoliate as it encourages the removal of dead cells and allows new skin cells to be exposed. Regular exfoliation will therefore help red marks fade quicker. Regular readers will know I love the Pixi Glow Tonic, which is a liquid exfoliator that contains Glycolic Acid, an ingredient that naturally loosens dead skin cells without the need for physical grains or beads. I use this every day because I find it helps to reduce actual breakouts too, so is fantastic for a clearer complexion overall.

For a more intense exfoliation I use a radiance face mask either once a week or once a fortnight. My favourite is the Elemental Herbology Facial Glow Radiance Peel. This also contains Glycolic Acid, plus a whole host of other natural, active ingredients, including Jojoba Beads to manually exfoliate as you apply and remove the mask. This gives my skin an amazing glow; it looks brighter, fresher and clearer instantly.

3. Use Facial Oils

Independent studies and trials have shown that using natural or essential oils on the skin can improve the appearance of scars and marks. One of the most popular is Rosehip Oil and I use the Pai BioRegenerate Rosehip Oil, which according to Pai is the most concentrated Rosehip Oil on the market. The oil contains Trans Retinoic Acid, which converts to Vitamin A when absorbed by the skin and helps the skin to repair itself. I use this about four times a week, sometimes more, because it really does reduce redness over time. I also use and recommend the Antipodes Divine Face Oil, which contains a mixture of oils including Rosehip, Avocado and Jojoba.

I just want to give a little mention here to the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+. It's not a facial oil but more of a primer/serum. I'm still making a full judgement on this, but it really seems to be helping with reducing my spots and the marks they leave behind much quicker than before.

4. Wear SPF

We all know that the sun causes skin damage and when it comes to scars and marks the sun can actually them redder and darker, which obviously makes them look a lot worse. I'll be honest, I do forget to apply SPF sometimes. However now I have my Susan Posnick Brush on Block SPF30 in my handbag I can apply SPF at any point in the day and over my makeup, which means I'm a lot better than I used to be! My skin definitely looks less red when I've protected it from the sun.

I hope you found these tips useful! I'd love to know any tips you have for treating spots scars and marks?

Beauty Bird xx