Acne as a teenager, it’s like 1+1= 2 during puberty. But if you are faced with acne, I can understand it makes you insecure. Whether you are a teenager or an adult, acne is often an attack on your self-esteem. But the good news is: you can helped, because acne is really treatable and you can reduce the risk of hyperpigmentation or scars. Hoping it will fade away without any help is wishful thinking…
WHAT IS ACNE?
Male, female, young or adult, it can just strike. It is an abnormal thickening of the upper skin layer in combination with increased production of sebum and bacterial inflammation.
WHY DO YOU GET ACNE?
There are many causes: during your teenage years it can be triggered by hormones or oily skin, but as an adult, acne mostly is triggered by using the wrong products, eating fatty foods, having too much stress in your life, smoking, … not exactly a healthy lifestyle at all.
WHAT TO DO?
First things first: yes, professional help is a must!
But you can also make a checklist: where did it go wrong? Just focus on yourself: Do you eat healthy? Do you drink enough water? Do you experience a lot of stress? Do you smoke? Are you sleeping enough?
And take a look at your skincare routine! Do you use the right products for your face and skin type?
Products that are too rich and oily are not good for you, but too drying products (which are often used when battling acne) are even worse. Review your products one by one. A skin with acne is a skin that is irritated, sensitive and damaged, so you have to handle it with a lot of love and care! Remove all irritants from your routine, no perfumes, for example, and treat your skin with extra TLC. Start a good routine! A few tips:
A gentle cleanser. One that does not dry your skin and doesn’t damage your skin barrier.
Exfoliate in a gentle way to focus on that abnormal thickening of the upper skin layer. Do not scrub too often, . 1x a week is enough!
Use products with salicylic acid. That is an effective exfoliant that can help when battling acne acne.
Focus on products with an anti-inflammatory and a barrier recovery function.
But be aware, do you really suffer from severe acne? 1 advice: please go to a doctor or dermalogist. Trying out different products and experimenting isn’t a good idea! Have patience, a skin needs time to recover!
Try these SELF products:
A gentle cleanser: Boost of Freshness Facial Lotion
A soft scrub: Boost of Oxygen Scrub
All Day Dreamer Day Cream: contains nutritional, restorative, anti-inflammatory ingredients.
