Adult acne and how to manage it
Here are 8 easy ways to reduce acne and its annoying remnants:
- Exfoliate or spot treatment
Be gentle on the skin and try searching for products that contain an active ingredient such as salicylic acid or tea tree. These will gently renew your skin by removing bacteria from pores without harsh rubbing or over-exfoliating. Topical spot treatments can target the affected area and will prevent drying out the rest of your skin.
- Cleanse
You can skip step one if you find the right cleanser. Cleansers over time decrease oil production and bacteria, as well as unclog pores. They also protect your skin from irritants and pollution. Before bed every night, try washing your face. Go gently and start slowly with a new cleanser – for some people active ingredients can be too harsh on sensitive skin.
- Moisturize and serums
It’s important to moisturise, even if you have oily skin. Moisturising the skin can help balance oil production – if you have oily skin just opt for lighter products that are water-based and oil-free. Serums can be a gentle way to restore healthy glow to the skin. They can brighten uneven skin tones, have healing properties, and even be anti-ageing.
- Apply sunscreen everyday
If you’re hesitant to apply sunscreen because your worried it will clog your pores, look for non-comedogenic sunscreens. Look for products that are meant for the face, as the skin on your face is more sensitive than your body. Sunscreens for your body might be too harsh on your face. Sun damage can darken pigmentations, slow down healing time, and cause more harm than good.
- Shower
Body acne can also be common for adults, particularly on the back. It may help to regularly scrub off dirt and dead skin cells and wash your face in the morning as well as the evening. Try to use oil-free shampoo and conditioners because these can trigger break outs around your hair line and on your back where is falls. Make sure to wash over your skin after washing your hair.
- No picking, and pulling on blackheads
It’s tempting to pick blemishes, but is it worth the red mess afterwards? It’s almost always the better option to grin and bear the breakout. Putting pressure on the skin will only inflame the area and cause bacteria to spread. Even though it can be satisfying to remove a head of a pimple or blackhead, bacteria can spread like a flame underneath the surface of the skin. This can cause more breakouts in the future. Active ingredients and spot treatments will remove the bacteria over time and prevent them from coming back.
- Cover and protect
If picking and poking is one of your favourite hobbies, try breaking the habit by using pimple patch. By applying a little sticky dot, you can hide your blemish and repair the skin underneath. They work by decongesting the pore, reducing redness and scarring, and stopping the spread of bacteria. For pesky, stubborn blackheads, softening them with ingredients like witch hazel, tea tree, or eucalyptus oil can be an effective way to remove them.
- Wash your bed sheets
Bacteria spreads very easily in the sheets. Sweat, dirt, and dead skin cells can be invisible to the naked eye. For people with acne prone skin was your sheets as often as possible (once a week if you can) but prioritise your pillow slip (every 2 to 3 days). Your pillow is where your skin has the most physical contact to built-up bacteria.