The problem: The most common cause of redness is rosacea, which results from fragile capillaries that dilate beneath the skin’s surface. “Skin can evolve from redness to full-blown rosacea over time, so the quicker action is taken, the better,” says Kateline Turgeon, national training manager at La Roche-Posay.
At-home solution: Use products that are specially formulated for sensitive skin and avoid abrasive exfoliants. “No cream can close a blood vessel. But soothing ingredients or anti-inflammatory botanical extracts can be very effective in bringing relief to the skin,” says Jean-François Tremblay, a dermatologist affiliated with the Université de Montréal hospital and medical director of the MédIME clinic.
The problem: Pores are a fact of life — everyone has them. But big, unsightly ones (especially common on oily areas of your face) are a whole other story. “The skin’s pores dilate when it is producing excess sebum,” explains Tremblay.
At-home solution: Tremblay recommends using a good cleanser paired with an astringent, and frequent masks that will “help lift oil and rid pores of excess sebum.” You can also use exfoliating products that contain salicylic or glycolic acid, which help remove dead skin cells that get stuck in dilated pores, eventually causing blackheads and blemishes.
The problem: “Brown marks, falsely called ‘age spots,’ are actually triggered by sun exposure,” says Turgeon. They appear when the skin produces excess melanin (skin’s pigment), which can also be caused by skin irritation.
At-home solution: First, talk to your doc to make sure they’re nothing serious. Then, to treat spots, opt for brightening creams with hydroquinone, plant extracts or kojic acid, which inhibit the activity of tyrosinase (responsible for creating melanin) and correct pigment irregularities. These ingredients are often coupled with exfoliating AHA or fruit acids, which slough off dead skin cells, allowing the active agents to penetrate deeper. Results vary depending on the type of spot and its colour, though, and effectiveness is gradual. “It can take three months or more to treat brown spots but only 15 minutes in the sun to make them worse,” says Turgeon. The real key is to always use a sunscreen and wear a hat.
