How To Care For Acne Prone Skin

Acne - especially body acne - can happen in conjunction with any skin type. As you might guess, it’s most common with oily skin.

But acne can also show up with dry skin, sensitive skin, or even normal skin! Acne is a common occurrence in human skin (and even many animals). But, just because it’s common doesn’t mean that it’s wanted.

Thankfully there are many methods and products available to help treat acne-prone skin on both the face and body.

WHERE DOES OILY SKIN COME FROM?

The most common cause of acne is hormonal. Specifically, testosterone. Everyone has testosterone in their body. Typically, male bodies make more than female bodies, but it’s present everywhere! Testosterone deficiency in the human body can lead to things like low bone density, loss of muscle mass, cardiovascular health issues, symptoms of menopause, and diseases like insulin resistance and diabetes.

So! Testosterone is an important hormone that we all need, but unfortunately, it can also cause too much sebum to be secreted in the skin, leading to acne. Fluctuating testosterone levels can contribute to a dry/acne prone skin type.

Any skin type can experience acne due to a buildup of skin oils, dead skin, dirt, and bacteria that is not removed from the skin for a long enough time, leading to blocked pores.

Dry, sensitive, and normal skin types are most likely to experience acne caused by external factors. Touching the face and body with the hands introduces bacteria to the skin which can cause acne and excess sebum production. Getting food, makeup, products, or other things on the skin can also clog pores or cause an allergic reaction which leads to acne.

Food allergies can also cause acne all over the body!

Stress and sleep amount/quality, diet, exercise, and taking corticosteroids and anabolic steroids are also other factors that can influence acne production.

Sweat is a breeding ground for bacteria and therefore acne, so keeping sweat on the face or body for long stretches increases risk. And finally, micro-tears in the skin caused by shaving are a common cause of acne, as bacteria easily find their way in and cause acne.

PRACTICES TO REDUCE ACNE

Living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining body care is just as essential as using the right products for fighting acne. You can use salicylic acid all you want but if you wear the same gym clothes day in and day out without washing them, nothing will help!

Ensure that you keep your clothing and bedding clean with regular washes. Use a gentle detergent that doesn’t irritate your skin.

After exercising, or even on hot days, try to regularly wipe yourself with a damp cloth to remove sweat, especially in creases of the body like armpits and under the breasts. Pat dry with a clean towel. You might find that you benefit from powders (NOT talc!) to keep the body dry.

Keep your hands away from your face, as the oils on the fingertips and bacteria on the hands contribute to acne. Remove food or other unintended substances from the face as soon as you can.

Use makeup and skin products that are gentle and noncomedogenic (will not block pores).

When washing, use a gentle cleanser and gentle scrubbing to avoid irritating the skin and causing more sebum production or micro-tears.

And finally, it doesn’t hurt to stay hydrated and eat a balanced diet!

SKIN CARE FOR ACNE PRONE SKIN

The skin on the face is the most delicate of all the skin we have. Therefore, it requires a bit more thoughtfulness and care than body skin.

First and foremost, wash the face no more than twice per day, even if it’s very oily. Washing too often only causes even more oil to be produced. It can also cause dryness, which in turn can lead to cracks in the skin, allowing bacteria to enter.

Always use a very soft cloth, brush, or even the fingertips when washing with your gentle cleanser.

Exfoliating once or twice per week can help ensure that excess dead skin, dirt, bacteria, and oils are physically removed so they cannot clog pores.

Following up with suitable oils and moisturisers afterwards is the last step in your skincare routine. They can soothe the sebaceous glands, preventing sebum overproduction, as well as remove existing excess oils and help keep bacteria out of the skin.

The skin on the body is generally tougher, which means you can experiment with products a little bit more. You can use stronger concentrations of acne-fighting ingredients with less fear of an adverse reaction. Of course, you still want to have a gentle touch!

ANTI-ACNE PRODUCTS FOR SKIN

In certain cases of acne, it is advisable to seek prescription medications for treatment. For acne that is not severe enough to see a doctor, you can find many products that help keep it under control!

You can find most of these ingredients in cleansers, soaps, and exfoliants. 

Look for:

• Kaolin or bentonite clay

• Aloe

• Neem

• Sea salt (especially Dead Sea salt)

• Coffee

• Glycerin

• Jojoba oil

• Squalene

• Citric acid

• Salicylates / salicylic acids (like white willow bark)

• Tea tree

• Chamomile

• Meadowfoam oil

• Witch hazel

For oils, lotions, and moisturisers, look for hydrating ingredients that also help soothe sebaceous glands.

Look for:

• Squalene

• Jojoba oil

• Aloe

• Tea tree

• Sunflower oil

• Shea butter

• Vitamin e

• Green tea extract

In all products, avoid

• denatured alcohols

• comedogenic ingredients

• Silicones

Since acne can occur with any skin type, each person may have a unique approach to the products they use and how they use them.

Oily skin and acne-prone skin have almost all of the same needs, so it’s easy to care for both at once.

Normal skin can withstand a lot of different products, so it is also relatively simple to find what works for this skin type.

Dry skin and acne-prone skin are almost at odds, so it can take some trial and error to find which ingredients satisfy both skin requirements.

Sensitive skin may find many acne-fighting ingredients too irritating, leading to the necessary use of a targeted spot treatment, rather than an all-over approach.

Have patience and pay attention to what your skin is telling you as you introduce new products into your acne-fighting regimen. You can start your skin care journey today!