Skincare FAQ / Discoloration, Exfoliation, Nasal Pimples

One of the greatest gifts of starting this blog and joining the social media universe has been the connection with others. They might be my prior friends or they might be new ~ skincare community ~ friends, but anyway you put it, I get to interact with a lot of individuals on the topics I love and care about the most. I have always wanted my blog and Instagram to be a resource as opposed to something nice to look at. So, I’ve decided to dedicate posts once a week or so to answering the questions I get about skincare, beauty and lifestyle.

As a disclaimer, I am not a skincare expert nor do I claim to have a background in skincare treatments. I have done a large amount of research while working on my own skin, and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned. My learning continues all of the time, and to be honest, some Instagram accounts have been great at providing easily digestible insights to ingredients and skin conditions (shout to to Versed).

I need a product recommendation for discoloration on my upper lip.
Discoloration isn’t something I’ve directly dealt with, but something I have read or heard about a lot. In skincare terminology, certain discoloration is also referred to as melasma; the submitter explained the discoloration was typically brown in tone (as opposed to redness) and located above her lip, which led me to realize melasma or hyperpigmentation could be the issue. Melasma can be caused by a few things, some of which include a change in hormones (pregnancy, change in birth control pills) and stress. Visible light and heat can exacerbate Melasma as well. Hyperpigmentation is a blanket term for darkened skin caused by sun exposure, eczema or psoriasis.
Melasma and hyperpigmentation are different, but both can show improvement through increased sunscreen usage as well as brightening treatments. I suggested my friend try a product with vitamin C like those offered by The Ordinary or something like Sunday Riley’s CEO Glow. More intense treatments can include peels and lasers, of which I’ll leave further instruction up to an esthetician.
What are exfoliants and where do I start?
I started getting into skincare when I started developing acne, and I was lucky enough to have my sister as a guide who suffered from the same type of acne a few years before me. She was the first person to really bring exfoliation into my life as a way to ensure cell turnover, a crucial step when dealing with skin congestion.
Exfoliants come in two formats, physical and chemical. Typically, you want to use both in moderation based on your skin type. Twice a week is a good cadence until you work yourself up to more regularity, and you won’t want to use both types on the same day. A physical exfoliant is typically a scrub or microdermabrasion. I personally love Cosmedix Purity Detox Scrub but also know that Fresh has a few good and gentle options. Stay away from walnut shells (yikes, Kylie Cosmetics) or similar larger particles that can cause micro-tears in the skin.
Chemical exfoliants are still applied directly to the skin and are typically harsher based on what you’re using. Chemical exfoliants might be acids, and are most commonly alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs). Drunk Elephant’s Babyfacial gets major hype for its exfoliation skills. Some fruit enzymes are used in chemical exfoliation too like Herbivore’s Prism.
Specific acne treatments are also a type of chemical exfoliant (retinoids, etc.) because they encourage cell turnover too.
I have reoccurring pimples in my nose. help.
I didn’t know anything about this one and needed to do some research. Overall, pimples are clogged pores or potentially clogged hair follicles. If the pimple shows up in the same spot, however, I learned this is likely a cold sore that just showed up in an unpleasant place.
If the pimple is in fact a pimple, it can be treated the same way with a product like benzoyl peroxide. If it’s a cold sore, you can treat it with an over the counter cold sore medicine (typically anti-viral). If it’s a clogged hair follicle, this can sometimes lead to infections (see a doctor, you don’t want infections in/on/around your head and brain). If they keep happening over and over, probably go to your dermatologist as well.