The décolletage is essentially the sleeper hit of sexy body parts. And considering we're approaching high season for putting it on display, it's time to address the annoying plight that is chest acne, which can be just as much of a problem as breakouts on your face...if not more.
According to Dr. Arash Akhavan, owner and founder of The Dermatology & Laser Group (opens in new tab), like that on our visage, it is, in fact, very much hormonal. This means that same things that are making your face break out, like stress or an influx of high fat/sugary foods, are causing your chest area to be inflamed. So basically it's all the more reason to be mindful of what you eat and drink.
Akhavan also highlights another cause of these kind of breakouts: Sweating. "Sweat mixes with oil and dirt on our skin, clogging our pores and causing skin inflammation," he explains, adding that the best course of action for prevention is washing sweat off as soon as possible following exercise.
The silver lining is that you can use the same treatments you do on your face on the chest area. "Acne cleansers and gels containing salicylic acid exfoliate congestion in the pores and lead to the quickest improvement," he says.
Celebrity makeup artist Kira Nasrat views the neck/décolletage as an extension of the face. After moisturizing the chest area, the first step is color correction, if necessary. "I'll use a green color to cut the red," she explains. Then, she uses a full coverage concealer that's closest to the client's natural skin tone. "I use Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer (opens in new tab)," she explains. "A little goes a long way and it's sweat-proof, water resistant, and long-wearing." Nasrat likes to use it on its own—gently tapping it into the skin with warmed finger tips or a wet Beautyblender—or mix it into body lotion for lighter coverage. While it's not 100% necessary, you can also set your coverage with a translucent powder and a small fluffy brush.
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