A Guide To Acne Prone Skin Care

Acne Causes

The development of acne is multifactorial. It involves follicular hyperkeratinization (exfoliating or shedding skin cells from a plug within a pore,) hormonal influences (androgens or sex hormones that signal sebum or oil production,) and inflammation related to bacteria. To put it simply, acne symptoms, like red, raised lesions can occur when too much oil and dead skin cells or bacteria clog a pore, which initiates an inflammatory response from the body, resulting in breakouts. More detail, below:

Excess sebum

Sebaceous glands, which are located at the end of a hair follicle, or pore, produce sebum, which is an oily substance designed to keep the skin healthy by hydrating it and protecting it from external stressors. Sometimes, these glands can go into overdrive and produce too much oil, which can result in clogged pores, and eventually, breakouts.

Hormones

Those sebaceous glands become triggered mainly by hormones. Acne tends to be hormonally driven. The same hormones that drive acne also tend to promote more oily skin. Which hormones are mostly responsible for increased oil production? Androgens are the main drivers of acne. Androgen levels tend to rise in adolescence and, especially in women, in early adulthood.

Dead skin cells

It’s not just oily skin that leads to acne symptoms—debris like dead skin cells can contribute to clogged pores, causing breakouts.

Diet

While highly disputed as an official cause, many believe that what they eat has a direct impact on the condition of their skin. A high glycemic index diet is thought to be related to acne. These types of foods cause large increases in blood sugar levels, which leads to the release of hormones that may promote acne formation. Some examples of high-glycemic foods include white bread and sugar.

The Best Skincare Routine for Acne

While acne symptoms themselves will likely fade over time, the condition of acne should be treated if you want your skin to be free of bumps often than not. Cosmedix Purity Clean Cleanse your skin. A regular cleansing routine will go a long way in keeping your complexion healthy, just be sure to keep the severity of your acne symptoms in mind when applying a cleanser. For most people with acne, it is best to wash the face 1-2 times per day." For those with mild breakouts or oily skin, it can be helpful to use a salicylic acid-based cleanser. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Exfoliate. Cleansing can remove excess oil and dirt from your skin, but you’ll want to scrub away those dead skin cells as well, as gently as possible. Our beauty PROSrecommends the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant for cleansing and exfoliating, which is gentle enough for daily use. Vichy Sv0254 Normaderm Purifying Toner Tone. This step is not required, but toning can help balance the skin or treat it, depending on the ingredients, such as sulfur or tea tree oil, both of which may reduce acne symptoms. Toners are wonderful products to use, and while not everyone needs to use them, everyone can use them. Those with true acne-prone skin and oily skin tend to reap the most benefits from toner because they’re formulated to remove sebum, oil, and dirt from the pores. Cerave Pm Facial Moisturizing Lotion Moisturize. It may feel counterintuitive to add more moisture to already oily skin, but because acne treatments can be drying, it’s important to hydrate. For moisturizer, We recommend CeraVe Facial Lotion as it provides hydration and contains ceramides to help support the natural skin barrier without clogging the pores which contain ceramides and niacinamide to help reduce inflammation. Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream Spf50 Pa Always use SPF. As many anti-acne products can make you more sensitive to the sun, it is important to also commit to sunscreen daily,COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream Spf50 Pa+++ is a great option for sunscreen for those with acne-prone skin as it is a zinc-based sunscreen with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to help calm and hydrate the skin. Acne breakouts don’t form overnight, and they won’t go away so quickly either. "Don’t give up on acne products too soon and while you’re waiting, do your best to keep your hands off of your skin. While tempting, it is not a good idea to pick or pop acne. Doing so ruptures the follicle and widens the area of inflammation. This could lead to a larger area of discolored skin. It also increases the risk of scarring and may lead to a bacterial infection.