Flawless to Pimply Skin: The Despair of Adult Acne
Well, you’re not alone. Many people, particularly women, have faced adult acne and struggle with it. The good news is, it's completely reversible, once you diagnose it and take a slew of corrective actions. And yes, brutal chemicals, peels and chronic medication need NOT be a part of it! Mother Nature is as effective to fight acne as any of them.
Let’s see the causes of Adult Acne, shall we?
There are four main factors that are causes of pimples on face in adults (and body!):
- Natural factors
- Infections that are further inflamed
- Lifestyle
- Hormones
Natural factors - the usual suspects
Causes:
Oil or sebum production: Oil or sebum production can sometimes increase as you grow older, especially when hormones are at play. You would never know this, and your skincare regimen which worked perfectly well for you before, will suddenly be inadequate (or too much!). Especially in some areas of your skin - cheeks, face, forehead, chest, upper back, and shoulders. - a key cause of pimples on face in adults
Lack of exfoliation: We all get that phase where we ‘let go’ sometimes, don’t we? We forget to cleanse twice. We skip the serum because we run out. The face scrub gets ignored. We sleep with makeup on. What this leads to, over a period of time, is hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells. And slowly, those blackheads may appear, clogged with germs and oil, which when exposed to air turns brown.
What we can do about it
- Exfoliate gently and regularly with a natural acne facewash, twice a day. Do not use rough scrub based face products, as they only aggravate and spread acne
- Use an acne serum as your first layer of defence; it goes right inside the skin and starts acting immediately. Use a combination of natural ingredients that treat and prevent recurrence
- Top it off with an acne specialist moisturiser (YES! You need to moisturise when you have acne, else it becomes worse. Stripping your skin of moisture is NOT the answer to treating acne, moisturising with acne combatants is.)
- Wear water based sunscreen: The sun’s rays cause oxidation and stress, and wearing sunscreen is a MUST. But water based sunscreens with an SPF over 40 works like a charm and prevents clogging of pores while protecting you from the sun
Infection and Inflammation - they crept up on us, and we never even realised it
Causes:
Used a set of makeup products that weren’t of the best quality? Exposed to dust and didn’t wash or exfoliate for a long time? Well, over a period of time, these can develop into chronic infections and penetrate below your skin surface in the form of bacteria. Which manifest as adult acne on cheeks, adult acne on chin and on forehead acne. And whatever you do to cleanse and exfoliate from the top epidermal layer, it continues to inflame and cause breakouts from within.
Some external exposure factors to watch out for - things that press against our chin and neck like cell phones, helmets, tight collars, and backpacks. Out busy lifestyles tend to get us into some bad habits, and this is definitely one of them.
What we can do about it
- Avoid makeup when you have acne. Hold off that vanity for sometime, if possible. Else look for natural, non-comedogenic makeup
- Eat a LOT of probiotics in your diet. Like dahi, yogurt, idly, dosa. These help treat your bacterial infection from under your skin - this is one of the best acne treatment for adults and teens alike
- Clean cell phones everyday with sanitiser. Change pillowcases every once in 3-4 days. Wash your face the minute you are back from dusty areas and reapply your skincare.
Diet, Sleep, No Stress - the magic things we (don’t) do
Causes:
This one’s self explanatory - not getting those 7 hours of shut eye and not eating the right foods can cause that flawless skin to break out, whatever care you take of it from a skincare regimen perspective.
Certain meals, such as carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, bagels, and chips, may make acne worse.
There’s definitely a link between stress and breakouts of acne. Our bodies increase androgen production in reaction to stress (a type of hormone). Acne may result from these hormones stimulating the skin's oil glands and hair follicles. Long story short, stress doesn't cause pimples on the face in adults. But if you do have acne, stress has the (not so) wonderful ability to multiply it.
Hormones - yes, the raging ones 😛
Causes:
Blame those raging adult hormones - adult hormonal acne can also result from hormonal changes around midlife, particularly in women. Adult hormonal acne affects women more frequently than it does males. Adult acne is most likely brought on by fluctuating amounts of hormones - breakouts can be caused by an imbalance. These are more common in women, and especially before menstruation or one’s period, throughout perimenopause, menopause, and pregnancy or upon stopping (or commencing) the use of birth control tablets.
What we can do about it
The lifestyle ‘prevention of pimples’ regimen is fairly straightforward. The best acne treatment for adults are usually the simplest ones. Waking up early, exercising, eating right, sleeping well and all old fashioned habits that are classic and will never go out of style. Like white tees and blue jeans.
Read also:
Acne ‘things’ around us
Natural ways of treating acne
Double Cleansing for all skin types
The Texture World of Serums
Skin Sins
How to be skintelligent about acne
While there are various types of pimples, they can be treated effectively and naturally. In fact, some of the best skincare for adult acne treatment is natural.
Take the Skintelligent acne clearing range, for example. It has 4 sets of super botanicals. 2 treat the acne, and 2 prevent recurrence
Acne Clearing Anti-Acne Repair Serum
Enriched with safflower seed oil, chamomile extract, tea tree leaf water, cherimoya fruit extract and wintergreen derived salicylic acid
Treats
- Wintergreen derived salicylic acid acts on acne and dries it out
- Safflower seed is an antioxidant storehouse and lightens acne scars
Prevents Recurrence
- Chamomile acts as a powerful antioxidant to eliminate free radicals
- Cherimoya fruit extract help reduce the body’s oxidative stress
Apply this water based serum and seal it immediately with our anti acne all-over lotion (or any lotion) to lock in moisture and effectiveness. Suitable for all skin types. Gender agnostic, can be used by men and women.
Acne Clearing Anti-Acne Face Cleanser
A purifying cleanser enriched with tea tree oil, castor oil, glycerin, calendula and salicylic acid
Treats
- Calendula oil has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties for soothing eczema
- Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial which reduces acne causing infection
Prevents recurrence
- Glycerin naturally prevents skin from drying out retains moisture
- Castor oil naturally fights acne and is a natural cleanser
Acne Clearing Anti-Acne all-over Lotion
Enriched with yummy blend of almond oil, wheat germ oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter, tea tree oil.
Treats
- Almond oil is rich in fatty acids is a proven body acne combatant
- Wheat germ oil nourishes and replenishes dull skin
Prevents Recurrence
- Shea butter are effective moisturisers that soften skin
- Mango Butter’s protects skin against oxidative stress and sun damage
Acne Clearing Handmade Soap
This handmade soap is enriched with active botanical extracts of calendula, chamomile and neem oil.
Treats:
- Calendula oil, which has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties for soothing eczema
- Jojoba oil, promotes collagen synthesis & controls sebum production
Prevents recurrence
- Chamomile acts as a powerful antioxidant which eliminate free radicals
- Neem oil, which naturally stimulates collagen production, treats acne and heals wounds
Acne Clearing Anti-Acne Body Wash
Active botanicals like witch hazel extract, chamomile and tea tree oil gently treat face and body acne by
Treats
- Witch hazel helps in relieving inflammation and tightening pores
- Chamomile acts as a powerful antioxidant to eliminate free radicals
Prevents recurrence
- Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial which reduces acne causing infection
- Glycerine, Helps boost skin’s ability to absorb nutrients