Recap
An acne breakout occurs when the pores of your skin become blocked with oil, dead skin, or bacteria. Remember that each pore of your skin is the opening to a follicle. The follicle is made up of a hair and a sebaceous (aka oil) gland. It is also called the hair follicle.
- Fluctuating hormone levels during a woman’s monthly period like:
- puberty
- the menstrual cycle
- pregnancy
- menopause.
- Picking at acne sores.
- Touching your face with dirty hands.
- Stress, which boost the hormone cortisol, can also cause acne to flare.
- Medications, few medications could lead to acne breakout
- Genetics.
- Clothing and headgear, like hats and sports helmets.
- Air pollution and certain weather conditions, especially high humidity. All theses could lead to Acne breakout even in men.
If you have reoccurring acne breakouts, we could refer your skin to acne-prone skin. To care for your acne, you have to understand your skin type. There are two major skin types
The oily skin: we often link oily skin to acne. Research from a known contributorTrusted Source agrees linking oily skin to breakouts.
The dry skin can also experience acne for a number of reasons, whether it’s due to environmental factors or a poor skin care routine that irritates the skin and clogs pores
Now, it is important to look out for some safe ingredient when buying a product to avoid or treat acne breakouts
6 Best Products and Remedies for Acne Breakouts
1. Salicylic acid
Almost all over-the-counter and prescription skin care products for acne-prone skin contain salicylic acid. It’s a beta hydroxy acid, which is an exfoliant and eliminates dead skin. This helps prevent your pores from becoming clogged.
2. Benzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is a commonly used acne treatment. It can be bought as over-the-counter or prescription medicine, in the form of a gel, lotion, face wash, and soap.
Benzoyl peroxide works by killing the bacteria on your skin. It also helps to unclog pores by removing dead skin.
Dermatologist often recommend starting with skin care products that have benzoyl peroxide. It’s usually well-tolerated by most people.
But one disadvantage of benzoyl peroxide is that it causes bleaching. This can lead to bleaching of hair and discoloration of fabrics like bed linens and clothes.
3. Tea tree oil
This is an essential natural oil made from the leaves of the tea tree. A gel that contains 5% tea tree oil may be as effective on acne as one containing 5% benzoyl peroxide. But tea tree oil may not work as fast as other ingredients.
4. Sulfur
Sulfur has a rotten egg smell naturally, you may want to test sulfur products to make sure they don’t smell unpleasant.
Sulfur is often combined with other ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. It removes dead skin cells that clog your pores. It also aid the removal of excess oil (sebum) that may cause breakouts.
5. Alpha hydroxy acids
Alpha hydroxy acids ( also known as AHA) treats acne by eliminating dead skin cells and reducing inflammation. They also improve the appearance of acne scars by stimulating the growth of new skin. There are two types of alpha hydroxy acids found in acne products are glycolic acid and lactic acid.
6. Vitamin C and Azelaic acid
Vitamin C is an antioxidant which is popularly known as ascorbic acid, with anti-inflammatory properties. It can help decrease redness and swelling in acne-prone skin.
While Azelaic acid, is naturally occurring compound that has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps prevent buildup of keratin, a protein that can clog pores.
Some of these ingredients, like salicylic acid and azelaic acid, have common side effects, including:
- Dry skin
- Skin irritation like scaling and redness
Products to Run Away from If You Have Acne Breakouts
If your skin is prone to acne, be careful with products that contain occlusive agents. These are ingredients that form a film on your skin surface that helps to seal in moisture. They can be found in many moisturizers and can be greasy.
These occlusive agents include:
- Cocoa butter
- Lanolin
- wax
- Mineral oil
- Paraffin
- Silicone derivatives like dimethicone and cyclomethicone. These silicones are often used together with petroleum jelly, which can make them greasy.
When buying skin products, sunscreens, and cosmetics, look for those that say “non-comedogenic” or are water-based, as it won’t clog your pores and make your acne worse.
Be careful with hair products too. If you use hair care products that contain oil, the oil can make its way to your skin. This can lead to clogged pores and acne.
Check the Next post for Effective Home Remedies for acne.
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