3 Ways to Improve Adult Acne

A lot of times, people suffering from acne, especially adult acne, will try to brush off their plight as a superficial issue. However, your skin is also an organ and acne can be painful, so you have every right to be concerned about your skin’s state! 

By compiling a short list of ways to improve adult acne, I hope that some of you reading this will feel comfort in knowing there are others dealing with this issue and that you will be able to find a method that works for you! 

1. Sanitize your smart phones and makeup brushes 

It’s easy to forget that the items we use every day, like our cell phones and makeup brushes, harbor bacteria. Most of the time, the bacteria found on your cellphone is harmless to your health. However, if you’re seeing breakouts along your jawline, it could be from the bacteria covered phone rubbing against your skin, irritating your pores, resulting in inflammation and acne lesions. 

To combat this, consider disinfecting your phone using UV light or sanitizing wipes. Similarly, dirty makeup brushes can spread bacteria all over your face, resulting in a preventable breakout. Regularly cleaning makeup brushes should prevent this problem, as long as your acne issues are not related to the products you’re using. 

2. Change your hair and skin products 

When acne develops along your hairline, it is due to the ingredients found in your hair products. Most hair products are created with the intent to coat the individual strands, so if left to sit on your skin you can be sure they are clogging your pores. If you use conditioner, always follow with rinsing your face. You should always make sure that your products are: 

• Non-comedogenic: a comedone is an acne lesion caused when oil and dead skin become trapped in a hair follicle, you may know them better as “blackheads.” Noncomedogenic products contain ingredients that do not clog pores. 
• Non-acnegenic: a non-acnegenic product contains ingredients that do not cause acne outbreaks or pimples. 
• Won’t clog pores: almost all forms of acne or skin lesions are caused by clogged pores. When a pore becomes clogged you run the risk of it becoming infected, inflamed, and raised papule. This is a key term to look for on skin products, because it encompases the previous two labels. 

You can check this by reading the labels, but often times it will be part of the selling point of the product. 

3. De-stress 

Clogged pores do not always create the red inflamed acne that you see. When you’re stressed your body reacts with an inflammatory response that causes the walls of clogged pores to break. What you end up seeing is a red, oftentimes painful, acne lesion filled with pus. 

In addition, stress leads to an influx of androgens produced by the adrenal gland, and as I discussed earlier, excess androgens leads to oily skin and clogged pores. It’s particularly important for women to maintain their stress levels, as they produce more androgens through the adrenal gland than men. So, go find your destressor! whether it’s yoga, meditation, a nap, whatever helps you wind down, your skin will definitely improve. 

I know that sometimes dealing with adult acne can be exhausting and stressful in itself. However, I just want you to know that there is no topical cream for inner beauty! Don’t let a few acne lesions prevent you from feeling beautiful or handsome, and just know that there are others on the journey with you! 

Asal Homayouni is a Director of Operations for the biomedical publication Morning Sign Out. She graduated from UC Berkeley in May 2014 with a degree in Integrative Biology, with an emphasis in human biology and health sciences, and a minor in History. She enjoys writing about health-related topics including innovations in medical technology, as well as advances in the fields of immunology, oncology, and primary care.

Main Photo Credit: Evgeny Atamaneko;Shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: studioVin/Shutterstock.com; and Third Photo Credit: Minerva Studio/Shutterstock.com.