Say Goodbye to Acne: Tips & Tricks
This common skin condition which can affect so many and at different stages in their lives whether they are infants, teens, young adults and even older adults.
It is so common that it is considered to be a normal part of puberty and even partly in adulthood with one in five adults possibly developing acne at some stage.
Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to improve the situation and even clear the condition completely.
What causes acne?
The pores in the skin contain sebaceous glands which, as the name suggests, make sebum. Sebum is the natural oil that lubricates your hair and skin and most of the time, just the right amount is made.
However, if your hormones stimulate the glands to make extra sebum, the glands can become overactive and pores can become clogged up with both too much sebum and too many dead cells. It is when bacteria gets trapped in these clogged pores - and then multiplies - that swelling and redness can result in white heads, blackheads and/or pimples.
Acne in the teens is often because the oil glands are stimulated to produce oil by hormones, specifically the male hormones called androgen. In both sexes, androgen is also produced by the adrenal glands and during times of stress, the adrenal glands produce increased levels of hormones, causing even greater enlargement of the oil glands. During puberty, the oil glands become overactive in response to hormonal changes.
Acne in young adults can be caused by a variety of reasons including stress which can cause those oil glands to overcompensate while poor quality, expired or contaminated cosmetics can lead to bacteria-laden pores. Hormones can also cause those oil glands to overcompensate while birth control pills containing androgen can cause acne breakouts.
Acne in older adults is often caused by an imbalance in the hormones - and the specific hormones include those reproductive hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. While acne in older adults can affect both males and females, it is more common in females because it can be linked to the menstrual cycle changes - along with menopause and pregnancy.
Other reasons why acne can appear
- Some medications can actually cause or worsen acne.
- In some occupations, workers are exposed to industrial productswhich could be a contributing factor.
- Certain commercial cosmetics. It is wise to check the ingredients carefully and change to more natural products instead.
How do acne outbreaks develop?
- Acne usually begins first with blackheads.
- Red pimples only develop when blackheads become inflamed and they spread when you keep touching them (perhaps with hands that are not one hundred percent clean).
- Once a pimple becomes infected, it can develop a white head or pustule.
How can you tackle acne naturally?
- A cold compress is a fast and easy way to reduce redness and inflammation brought on by an acne breakout. Apply a cold washcloth or wrapped frozen gel pack to inflamed pimples to soothe irritation, reduce swelling and help quickly minimize the appearance of blemishes.
- Warm compresses can help heal active acne lesions as the warmth draws the contents of a blocked pore to the surface where it can be expelled.
- There are a number of vitamins that can be used as effective treatments against acne breakouts, including vitamins A, C and D. Vitamins can help fight acne-causing bacteria and inflammation to both prevent and treat breakouts. For example, vitamin A is most effective when used in the form of retinol; antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory, it encourages cell turnover which can reduce the appearance of acne blemishes and scars. Vitamin C's antioxidant properties can help boost collagen production and fight inflammation. Vitamin D helps bolster the immune system.
Our own H-Acne Formula is formulated to naturally treat acne symptoms without any harsh chemicals.
It can be used safely on pimples, whiteheads and blackheads, allowing the natural blend of pure ingredients to go to work.
The Formula is perfect for all skin types whether oily skin, dry skin, combination skin or sensitive skin.
Sources
Rakel D, ed. (2018). Acne vulgaris and acne rosacea. In: Integrative Medicine. 4th ed. Elsevier. https://www.clinicalkey.com.(Accessed February 7 2021).
Acne. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/acne. (Accessed February 7, 2021).
Kraft J, et al. (2011). Management of acne.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3080563/ (Accessed February 7, 2021)
See How to Identify Different Skin Conditions
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.