Here at Millies, we’re chatting through skin complaints that many of us suffer from, and what you can do at home to help with any issues you may have. Our skin specialist Edele is sharing her top tips for those who are suffering from acne.
While acne is actually a common complaint, people can suffer from it in different ways. Some may get it slightly each morning, or some may be dealing with severe cases of acne, but it’s safe to say that it can really affect a person’s confidence.
So, what actually is acne?
Acne is actually an umbrella term, and anything on the skin such as spots, blackheads, comedones, or congestion can come under the umbrella. It can appear on the face, back, neck, can be quite severe and affect people’s confidence hugely.
How does it happen?
Acne has a lot to do with the hormonal changes in the body, which is why teenagers often tend to suffer from it. But it’s certainly not a teenage issue alone, as this skin issue is prevalent in adults of all ages too.
Our skin has its own exfoliation process, as skin cells make their way to to the surface of the skin, the older cells fall off, that’s the natural exfoliation process. But with acne, our skin’s pores can get trapped with these dead skin cells, so the skin is not exfoliating itself. Then sebum, bacteria and even dirt get into these pores, causing an infected spot. While not every spot is infected, you’ll know you’re dealing with an infected spot if it has a red ring around it.
How shouldn’t you treat acne?
With acne and congestion, it’s tempting to exfoliate the skin (some people tend to opt for physical scrubs for exfoliation, and tend to over-exfoliate the skin), however, this will only aggravate the congestion, particularly when using a physical exfoliating product. Over-exfoliation of the skin will aggravate the skin more, by stripping the skin of too much oil. The skin then goes into protection mode, attempting to produce more oil than is needed.
A chemical exfoliation will work better, such as salicylic acid - ideal for oily, congested skin as it will absorb and mop up any excess oil while gently exfoliating the skin.
How should you treat acne?
Without seeing the skin or a detailed consultation, we still have a few tips and tricks for dealing with acne, for you to achieve results at home. Firstly, Edele recommends keeping the skin extremely clean by double-cleansing.
Use a pre-cleanse oil first, as oil is attracted to oil, this will clear the pores efficiently, dissolve makeup and soften the pores of the skin, making for easier cleansing when you go in with your second cleanser.
Edele’s Top Pre-Cleansing Picks: Dermalogica PreCleanse Cleanser and Environ Skin EssentiA Dual Action Pre Cleansing Oil.
Then, it’s time to go in for your second cleanse with salicylic acid. Cleanse your skin thoroughly with this, it will gently exfoliate the skin and absorb any additional oils.
Edele’s Top Salicylic Acid Picks: Environ Focus Care Clarity+ Sebu ACE Oil and IMAGE Clear Cell Clarifying Gel Cleanser.
If your acne is on your neck or your back, ensure to use these cleansing products to clean those areas also. Our average shower gels tend to be perfumed and not antibacterial, so they won’t treat any skin issues you may have on your body.
When people are conscious of acne, they tend to try to cover everything up with makeup. The best thing to do is to avoid makeup if possible or opt for mineral-based products such as Jane Iredale. Jane Iredale products have high mineral content, so they won’t aggravate the skin or block pores even further.
Edele’s Top Tip
As acne is linked to hormonal imbalances, it’s important to take care of your skin from the inside out. This is where skincare supplements come into play. Skin Acumax from Advanced Nutrition is an amazing supplement for helping with acne.
Skin Accumax has a unique formula that contains ground-breaking and skin-perfecting ingredient DIM, a patented, highly active plant compound, as well as essential ingredients for healthy skin, such as Vitamin A, a hero Vitamin for speeding up cell turnover and renewal.
We’ll be chatting through even more beauty concerns, from skin issues to hair care and everything in between, here and over on Instagram so stay tuned for more.
