Products that help with acne whether you suffer a little or a lot! Clinique, Bremenn Research Labs and DDF

I'm one of those lucky people that have never had any real issues with acne - my sister and brother did which really just bolsters my case that I'm adopted.  I do have the occasional, unwanted breakout so the products featured are a mix of those meant for acne prone skin and for those who suffer from the occasional breakout.

It's especially annoying to be getting wrinkles and acne at the same time because as many of you probably already experience, acne can go on long past your teen years - stress, environmental aggressors and hormones mean that more than one in three women in the US cite acne as a major skin care concern and the American Academy of Dermatology reports that half of adult women struggle with treating acne.

Of course taking care of your skin properly is key to mitigate the issue and here are a few products that you might find helpful:


Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup - 30ml - $30 - in 8 shades, it's 100% fragrance and oil-free. A powerful, yet gentle foundation formula designed to keep acne-prone skin feeling comfortable thanks to a blend of balancing ingredients that help to minimize sebum without depleting the skin's moisture balance.  The moderate coverage formula camouflages blemishes, neutralizes visible skin redness and helps to conceal the appearance of pores.  This lightweight, long-wearing foundation provides a refreshing cooling sensation upon application that blends easily and gently not to irritate already sensitive skin, while also working to actively treat acne.

Contains an active level of Salicylic Acid which works as an exfoliant, promoting the sloughing away of dead skin cells which can accumulate in acne prone skin, keeping the pores clear of cellular debris, Laminaria Sacharrina Extract - a sea algae that purifies and balances the skin.  It helps regulate sebum production to reduce the buildup of oil in pores while maintaining a balanced moisture level, Hydroxydecanoic Acid which helps control the spread of acne causing agents across the skin's surface.  The proliferation of these agents is often the cause of acne and Caffeine which helps to minimize irritation.  It also helps to reduce the visible redness normally associated with acne while aiding to sooth and calm the skin.

Bremenn Emergency Zit Stick - $23.10 - I knew as soon as I read that this is a favourite product of Snooki from Jersey Shore that this is something that needed to be in my life. - all sarcasm aside, this actually turned out to be an awesome product!  It contains a specialized benzoyl peroxide complex, a botanical extract from Boerhavia Diffusa - a plant native to India - and an extract from prickly pear cactus.  This is not a product geared towards someone with chronic acne but rather someone who gets visited by the occasional zit from hell - you know, the one that pops up when you least expect or want it.  It's super-concentrated and instantly reduces redness and swelling on contact while it begins to treat, heal and clear the underlying blemish without caking or drying.

Of course there's never a zit around when you need one so I ended up testing it on my husband who was growing a third eye on his forehead ( he would kill me if he knew I was telling you all this) and it really did look less red and swollen right away.  I applied it twice a day for two days and the whole thing was pretty much gone by then.  I have also noticed since then that the stick disappeared from my bathroom and seems to have made it's way to his bathroom which must mean that he likes it as I have never seen him abscond with one of my beauty products.

Bremenn Research Labs also have some other fun products including ones for serious dark circles, facial spider veins, upper eyelid lifter as well as a butt lift or boob job in a box.  You can find various products at The Shopping Channel, Shoppers Drug Mart as well as Sephora.

DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask - 120ml - $41.80 - if you're planning ahead and wondering what hell smells like, this mask has you covered!  Potent smell aside, this is a great mask for chronic acne sufferers as well as those who just want a great clarifying mask.  It's meant to be used once a week and promises to banish excess oil, minimize pores and to help prevent and heal blemishes.  You can also use it as an overnight spot treatment.  It's one downside is that the mask inside the container tends to dry up - I'm not sure how fast this happens - I've had mine for a really long time and I don't use it frequently - it's not a huge deal you just use a wet hand to scoop some out sprinkle a few drops of water on it and it perks right back up.  I only tend to use it in the summer when my skin does it oily thing so this container will probably last forever!

- Lisamarie -