Face off against acne and say “hello” to your clear future! Acne at any age can be a burden, but fret not clear skin can and WILL be in yours. We have 10 tips to treat, eliminate and prevent a future breakout.
Before we give away our top tips make sure you fully understand what you’re up against. Depending on the type of acne your plan of attack will differ so don’t skip out on learning all about the enemy!
First, you will need to determine your type of acne. There are two main types: noninflammatory and inflammatory.
Noninflammatory acne includes blackheads and whiteheads. Without getting too technical, both of these types of acne are surface issues. The pore is basically blocked or clogged with debris or excess oils. Alert – this is NOT the time to “self extract”! By picking or attempting to “pop” the clogged pore you are creating an environment for bacteria to enter the scene. Once bacteria has been introduced to the party you will probably be experiencing enemy number two…
Inflammatory acne includes Papules, Pustules, Nodules and Cysts. All of these have one thing in common – bacteria. Bacteria makes things harder to fight, but not to worry we aren’t giving up that easily. Papules are usually the beginning stage of Inflammatory acne and are small, raised pimples that don’t contain puss. Elevating the conflict, our body sends white blood cells to join the battle and fight off the bacteria. The buildup of white blood cells actually results in puss production leaving you with a tender and inflamed blemish. The war zone is not restricted to the upper epidermis it is also found underneath, rooted deeper in the skin. Nodules are larger, tender bumps that can feel hard to the touch. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse Cystic acne enters the scene. Cystic acne is one of the hardest types to defeat. Almost always painful to the touch the good news is statistically speaking you probably haven’t experienced one. Cystic acne is stated to only affect 2 out of 1,000 people.
Inflammatory acne takes much longer to heal than noninflammatory and you should be careful when determining what your going up against. It is never a bad idea to get a professional opinion before starting any new regime. We at Beauty-Addict.com are also available to consult you on making the best decision to win your battle with acne and face off victoriously!
10 Tips To Banish Acne Starting Right Now
1. Keep it simple.
Too many different troops trying to fight the same battle won’t get the job done. It will more than likely make your battle even harder by using multiple products and irritate your skin. Try one of these multi-taskers Vi Derm Complete Care Acne Prone Skin or iS Clinical Active Serum.
2. Hydration is key.
Overproduction of oil to compensate for dehydration can create conditions we associate with the oily skin types, including blemishes and breakouts. Even if your skin is dehydrated, it is still producing oil. Dehydration doesn’t discriminate. You can have oily skin and also be dehydrated! Try Osmosis Skin Perfection Harmonized Water to address acne from the inside out.
3. Not just for eating.
Grapefruit is packed with antioxidants, so using skincare products containing grapefruit will help to wake up your skin and leave it feeling clean and fresh. Elemental Herbology Vital Cleanse Facial Cleanser is a great choice.
4.The battle never ceases even while you sleep.
Oil from your hair gets on your pillowcase while you sleep, so change your pillowcases once a week to avoid adding more enemies to the war zone.
5. Is your hair do to blame?
If you’ve got bangs, you may experience breakouts more frequently on your forehead because of the excess oil from your hair. Even if you’re not planning on washing all your hair be sure to wash your bangs every night before going to bed. Shop Shampoo here.
6. Keep it clean.
Only 61 percent of women wash their makeup brushes once a month and 22 percent of women don’t clean them at all. Your brushes don’t just deposit makeup onto your skin, they also pick up those nasty oils, skin cells, and bacteria. And that gunk builds up every time you use the brush, creating the perfect breeding ground for more acne-causing bacteria. If you use your brushes too many times between cleanings, and they’ll start re-despositing impurities back onto your skin. These impurities are then left sitting on your skin all day, which can result in clogged pores and breakouts. Colorescience Brush Cleaner is one of our favs.
7. Start using Retinol.
When spread on the skin, retinoids can unclog pores, allowing other medicated creams and gels to work better. They also reduce acne outbreaks by preventing dead cells from clogging pores. Try one of these Glo-therapeutics Retinol CS or PCA SKIN Intensive Clarity Treatment.
8. Don’t over dry.
Cystic acne sufferers shouldn’t use drying treatments. If your acne isn’t responding to other treatments or things are getting too dry opt for this healing serum from iS Clinical. Pro-Heal Serum Advance+
9. Get the order straight
During your morning beauty routine, it’s best to style your hair before doing your makeup. If you’ve got makeup on your face before you start using a blow dryer, the heat begins to melt your makeup, sealing it into your pores and making your skin much more susceptible to breakouts.
10. Seasonal shift.
As the seasons change, so should your skin care. The heavy cream you use in the winter should become a lightweight moisturizer in the summer so that your skin isn’t taking on more product than it needs during warmer months. Make sure to update your routine regularly, especially your moisturizer.
