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"Breakouts belong in the same era as your first kiss, driver&amp;#039;s ed, and the high school prom \u2014 or so you thought. Your face may very well tell a different story. Up to one of every two adult women will have acne at some point in her life, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham report. And in 2008, more than a quarter of women&amp;#039;s doctor visits for acne woes were made by 35- to 60-year-olds. But how do you treat those blackheads and bumps without exacerbating your aging-skin concerns \u2014 namely fine lines, dryness, and age spots? We&amp;#039;ve got pro advice and skin-care recommendations that are just right for your dual concerns. Wash, Don&amp;#039;t Scour \u2022 Resist the urge to cleanse your breakouts with the vehemence of Lady Macbeth. Aggressive rubbing or abrasive cleansers, like those with nut pits, can make acne worse. &amp;quot;A blackhead or whitehead is simply a clogged pore. Once you have pinkness or inflammation (a.k.a. a pimple), it means the lesion has ruptured under the skin \u2014 and rough treatment can cause this reaction. That&amp;#039;s what happens when a facialist overzealously squeezes your pores and makes your acne worse,&amp;quot; explains dermatologist Diane Berson, M.D., assistant clinical professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.  \u2022 Clear skin with salicylic acid instead... It loosens up dead skin in pores, so sebum doesn&amp;#039;t pile up and clog them. &amp;quot;Like aspirin, a chemical cousin, salicylic acid has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help hinder breakouts,&amp;quot; says dermatologist David McDaniel, M.D., of Virginia Beach, VA. Look for a wash with 1% to 2% salicylic acid, like L&amp;#039;Or\u00E9al Paris Go 360\u00B0 Clean Anti-Breakout ($7, drugstores), which is a 2% cleanser.  \u2022 ...Or try an antibacterial wash. Benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria behind your breakouts, and it has a slight peeling effect, which helps keep pores clear, too. Try Neutrogena Clear Pore Daily Scrub ($8, drugstores). Note: Women with sensitive skin may find benzoyl peroxide irritating or drying.   \u2022 Consider a part-time approach. &amp;quot;Just as you might change cleansers as the weather gets hotter and more humid, you may want to switch based on your menstrual cycle,&amp;quot; says Dr. Berson. &amp;quot;If you find that your skin gets oilier and breaks out only during the week before your period, substitute a salicylic acid cleanser for your usual mild one then, and use it a few days beyond the end of your cycle.&amp;quot; \u2022 Expect a bit of trial and error.&amp;quot;Sometimes a one-pronged approach \u2014 just a new cleanser \u2014 can be enough to clear skin,&amp;quot; says New York City dermatologist Lisa Airan, M.D. &amp;quot;Try that for two or three weeks to see how your skin reacts before adding other treatments. You want your skin to look normal. If it&amp;#039;s red and peeling, then tweak your approach and cut back to fewer acne remedies, or use the one product less often.&amp;quot;  Treat Skin Right \u2022 Prevent breakouts with an all-over treatment. If you only spot-treat, you&amp;#039;re not addressing what&amp;#039;s brewing next door to that pimple, which can surface in the days ahead. So if your jawline&amp;#039;s your trouble zone, apply a salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide lotion there. For salicylic acid, try Vichy Normaderm Triple Action Anti-Acne Hydrating Lotion ($22.50, select CVS and Walgreens stores). For benzoyl peroxide, check out La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment  ($36, select CVS and Walgreens stores), which also helps clear pores with lipo hydroxy acid, another relative of salicylic acid. It&amp;#039;s fine to pair any of those with a targeted remedy like Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Seal-to-Clear Gel ($10, drugstores); just take care not to overdry skin.  \u2022 Upgrade to prescription treatment.While those pesky occasional breakouts may not warrant professional help, retinoic acid, a derm&amp;#039;s treatment of choice, gives you a lot of bang for your buck: &amp;quot;It helps prevent acne, decrease post-acne spots, and minimize wrinkles,&amp;quot; says Dr. Berson. Derms usually advise that retinoic acid be applied directly to cleansed skin, but &amp;quot;if you&amp;#039;re really having trouble with redness or peeling, put on a thin layer of moisturizer first. The retinoid will still work,&amp;quot; she adds. \u2022 Don&amp;#039;t skip moisturizer. Hydrated skin can better handle acne treatments, which are very often drying. Look for one that has a humectant, like glycerin, which binds moisture to skin. Try Kiehl&amp;#039;s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream ($24.50, Kiehl&amp;#039;s).  \u2022 Want a hydrator that has line-fighting benefits? Look for anti-aging ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which also help skin hold on to moisture, says Dr. Berson. For niacinamide, try Olay Professional Pro-X Clear Complexion Renewing Lotion, which comes in the three-step Olay Professional Pro-X Clear Acne Protocol ($42, drugstores). For hyaluronic acid, check out Murad Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 20 PA++ ($46, Sephora). \u2022 Don&amp;#039;t overdo the anti-aging. &amp;quot;A lot of wrinkle creams are formulated for older women with dry skin. They&amp;#039;re adding oil, not controlling it,&amp;quot; explains Dr. Airan. Go for light formulations like serums, gels, and lotions, and for heftier hydration, stick to oil-free anti-agers designed for acne-prone skin, like the Olay and Murad mentioned above, or gentle glycerin- or ceramide-based moisturizers.  Don&amp;#039;t Stop There \u2022 Prevent spots. By now, you should know that wearing sunscreen is as important as eating your veggies, but here&amp;#039;s extra incentive: In some, UVA exposure can up the odds that a breakout will leave a dark spot, known as hyperpigmentation, in its wake. If your skin is sensitive to sun protection, opt for one with titanium and/or zinc oxide, both of which tend to cause fewer reactions. Try Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 ($30, skinceuticals.com). Its soft tint blends with any skin tone.  \u2022 Ditch the compact. Powder makeup that comes in a cake or pan is generally pressed with oil, which, for acne-susceptible skin, can cause breakouts. &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s actually a term for makeup-induced blemishes: acne cosmetica. I see it in my practice among women who start wearing heavier makeup to cover up lines and spots,&amp;quot; says Dr. McDaniel. Instead, opt for loose mineral powder like E.L.F. Mineral Personal Blend Foundation SPF 15 ($8, Target). \u2022 Be a sleuth. If you don&amp;#039;t want to go the mineral-powder route, look for &amp;quot;oil-free&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;noncomedogenic&amp;quot; on the labels of your cosmetics. (The latter means testing has shown that it won&amp;#039;t clog pores.) These products will still go on smoothly thanks to ingredients like silicones, which also make fine lines less apparent.  Your Acne Questions Answered The skin doc is in: Diane Berson, M.D., an acne expert who is also president of the Women&amp;#039;s Dermatologic Society, gives the scoop on common adult blemish concerns.  How is a 45-year-old woman&amp;#039;s acne different from a teen&amp;#039;s? It may still be triggered by hormones, but the location of the trouble spots changes. Adolescents usually break out in the T-zone \u2014 the forehead, nose, and chin \u2014 and along the hairline. Women generally are acne-prone in the V-zone \u2014 the jawline, chin, lower cheeks, and upper neck. Can birth control pills help? By evening out your hormones, the pill can stop monthly hormonal acne flares \u2014 the classic case being one or two deep cysts on your chin when you&amp;#039;re premenstrual. Note that hormonal fluctuations can lead to breakouts, which means acne may get worse when you start. Patience is key: It can take three months to see improvement. What happens at menopause? For some women, it can be like going through adolescence again. Skin has a harder time holding on to water, so it gets drier. But because you&amp;#039;re no longer producing estrogen (which helped put the brakes on oil production), pores can suddenly get oilier, and breakouts may occur. Hence, skin may feel dry and greasy at the same time.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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