Natural Remedies for Adult Acne Prone Skin
Adult acne prone skin is common and becomes difficult to manage. Understanding the cause and your treatment options can make it easier to control pimples and blackheads.
Causes for Adult Acne
Dermatologists maintain that build up of oil and bacteria are the main cause of acne. There are certain triggers that exacerbate appearance of acne. These include:
Hormones
Fluctuations of hormones during pregnancy and menopause increase the risk of acne and breakouts.
Skin care and cosmetics
Certain skin care and makeup include ingredients that clog pores. This can lead to build up of dead cells on the skin, not allowing new cells to replace them. Unhealthy skin leads to blemishes and problem skin.
Poor daily skin care
Leaving makeup on the skin at night and not cleaning and moisturizing properly also leads to clogged pores and breakouts.
Adult Acne Treatment Options
Most often medications, oral or in creams, are prescribed. These medications often include harsh and potent ingredients and chemicals that may irritate your skin as well as strip the skin of natural oils. This is why dry flaky skin is not uncommon with adult acne prone skin. These harsh ingredients may also result in sensitive skin and other skin conditions, if used long term.
Medications may be necessary for short period of time when bacteria is the cause. But dependance on antibiotics may result in other problems, including resistance to them when needed for other infections.
Over-the-counter treatments are often seen on infomercials all hours of the day. Most include harsh chemicals as well, and may result in redness and flaky, sensitive skin.
Natural Remedies for Adult Acne Prone Skin
The most important natural remedy for managing and controlling adult acne is developing good skincare habits. It's really not that difficult or time consuming.
- Use a gentle cleanser that fits your skin type. Stay away from cleansers with soap or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Use a soap free facial cleanser or bar. Clean your face morning and night time.
- Use an alcohol free toner as the final step of cleaning and balancing the pH of your skin.
- Moisturize with a light cream or lotion.
- Use a facial exfoliator as needed for your skin. Some do best exfoliating weekly or once a month, while others prefer more regular exfoliating.
- Stay away from products with salicylic acid, specially if you have sensitive skin. This common aspirin ingredient if often recommended for acne or aging skin, but can overly dry your skin and even lead to allergies.
- Do not touch your face with cell phones or headphones. Be aware and conscious of what comes in contact with your face.
- Always use a light sunscreen during the day when exposed to sun. A gentle and safe sunscreen includes zinc oxide as the wide spectrum sunblock.
- Not eating a balanced diet and scarfing on refined carbs does not help. Studies show a low glycemic index diet does decrease acne breakouts by 22%.
- Stress hormones have been shown to increase inflammation in the body, stimulating glands that lead to blemishes. Learn what works best for you to manage stress: exercise, retreats, trips, etc.
