* This article about problem skin solutions is a paid blog post in partnership with Silicolskin.
At one time or another, we all get issues with our skin, whether it be the odd breakout, full-on hormonal acne, oily skin, blackheads or angry spots. Hands up if you’ve tried all problem skin solutions under the sun that promise to get rid of your facial skin problems!
Common skin conditions and skin problems such as enlarged pores, spots, oily skin, dry skin, blackheads, etc. are irritating and there are many products to help. However, not all of them work very well, and it can be hard to find good products that help you.
Why try Silicolskin?
When the lovely people at Silicolskin* contacted us, they explained that their treatment was natural and effective for problem skin affected by hormonal fluctuations resulting in spotty breakouts and acne-type spots. It sounded too good to be true, but the Teen and I constantly get breakouts and we were happy to give it a go.
A bit more about us and the problem skin solutions we’ve tried
The Teen’s skin issues
Hi, I’m JP and I’ve just turned 13. About a year ago, I started getting blackheads and pimples and my mum told me not to pick my spots. She picks her spots…
My skin became quite uncomfortable, so I started using acne treatments for teens with various degrees of success. My mum also put together a teenage skin care routine for me but I’m usually too lazy to use the bits she put together for me.
Having breakouts really annoys me because it feels a bit painful when I feel a spot under my skin.
Mel’s skin problems: hormonal acne
Where do I start?
I didn’t really get acne as a teenager. A few breakouts feared from time to time and I had a bumpy forehead for a bit, but nothing dramatic. I felt grateful I’d escaped the teenage affliction…
When I got pregnant at 27, hormonal acne came into my life with a vengeance. It got even worse with every pregnancy. As I was growing babies, I started getting allergies to dust, trees, grass, shrubs as well as hormonal imbalance acne.
The hormonal breakouts got worse as soon as I got the Mirena coil. I put on 2 stone and started getting crater-like hormonal acne on my neck and jawline. I tried every hormonal acne treatment I could get my hands on. None made a blind bit of difference.
All they did was burn (hello alcohol!), stripped my skin and made it feel really really tight and dehydrated. That’s until I insisted my GP swap the Mirena coil for a hormone-free copper one three years ago. I also found natural skincare Tropic and threw away everything else I was using. I’m still getting breakouts every cycle, but nothing like what it used to be.
Having breakouts as a grown woman really knocked my confidence. I would try to hide them by plastering them with a thick layer of foundation or high-coverage concealer.
I’m a picker so I really didn’t help myself. I would dig, dig and dig some more. Newsflash: nothing ever came out. Not only didn’t it help my skin get less sore and the blemishes less angry, but it definitely made it all worse. Sometimes it was so bad I would wish I could stay home until my skin was less inflamed.
What is Silicolskin?
Silicolskin* is an alcohol, perfume and paraben-free gel that claims to get rid of spots and blemishes on your skin (RRP £9.75). Dr Henderson explains that “colloidal silica in a topical gel can absorb excess sebum and skin impurities to prevent the topic mix of sebum build up, blocked pores and bacterial action which can result in skin problems.”
When it comes to problem skin solutions, Silicolskin* is a more natural and less aggressive treatment than acid-based exfoliators or prescribed treatments you can get from your doctor.
How does Silicolskin work?
The gel works in only 10 minutes by absorbing irritants and bacteria from your skin and soothing the epidermis (outermost skin layer). What happens when you put the gel on your skin is it calms the epidermis, and the silica molecules act like a magnet. They attract and bind with impurities on the skin and get washed off when you rinse your face after 10 minutes.
How to use Silicolskin
Just apply the gel to problem areas and leave for 10 minutes. You can then remove the gel with warm water. It can be used up to five times per week. Research shows its effectiveness in improving the appearance of skin over a treatment time of six weeks.
You can use it as a mask, or dab it on individual spots. It’s recommended you do a patch test initially.
Is Silicolskin going to damage my skin?
Silicolskin is a gentle product that should not damage your skin in any way. It will make you feel fresher than ever!
Once applied, the gel feels a little tingly and you get a tightening sensation. When washed you can get a little redness but it fades quickly. We’ve both been using it before bed when needed.
The Teen & Silicolskin
Personally, I think using Silicolskin when you need it is a good skincare routine for teenage acne. It’s not complicated, doesn’t sting and it just takes one step.
I’d say it’s on my top 3 list of best acne products for teens, especially teenage boys who can’t be bothered with a proper skincare routine.
I was fairly happy with the results and would definitely recommend for others to at least try.
Why is Silicolskin the right option for a teenager?
After a few days of using it, I had got rid of a few spots near my nose and there was less redness and irritation around these spots. After 6 weeks, my skin is clearer.
My adult hormonal acne and Silicolskin
My acne is definitely linked to periods, and also to what I suspect might be peri-menopause.
I’ve been using Silicolskin on and off for 6 weeks, as I only tend to get breakouts when I’m pre-menstrual. On the first day I used Silicolskin, my periods were 6 days late. Hormones were at their worst, with breakouts galore on my face. Oh, and did I mention I’m a picker?
After I cleansed my face, I dried it and wet the areas where I wanted to apply Silicolskin. I gave the tube a good shake, as per instructions. I then put a thin layer of the grainy gel to the areas of concern (there were many). It felt cold initially, then tingly after a minute or so. The tingly sensation wasn’t unpleasant and lasted 2 or 3 minutes.
Once the gel was completely dry, all tingling sensation had gone and the gel had turned matte and slightly whitish. It was time to rinse.
I didn’t notice anything different afterwards other than my skin felt really dry and was screaming for moisture so I went with my usual Tropic* morning routine: vitamin toner, pure lagoon, skin feast. There was no redness at all.
I noticed that using Silicolskin* once a day for 3 or 4 days was effective and really helped ‘calm’ those angry spots bulging under my skin and if I didn’t pick, they’d disappear within a week. I’d definitely recommend Silicolskin, but on more mature skin like mine, I would definitely not use it as a face mask. I’d only use it as a very localised treatment, in conjunction with a solid skincare routine.
Disclosure: This blog post is part of a paid partnership with Silicolskin.
* This blog post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and go on to buy some of the items I recommend, I will get a commission. You will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Somehow I doubt the teen will go for this but when I was getting spots as a teenager keeping my hair off my face really helped.
I know… The problem is he loves his massive fringe. Our optician also told him to be careful because always having the ring in his eyes could also affect his vision!