Suffering from acne can have a huge impact on your confidence and the way you perceive yourself. What’s worse is, there is so much conflicting information on the internet about how to treat it and what products to use. All the while, chemists are stocked up, shelf after shelf with skincare products, all promising to hold the magic cure for acne. There are numerous different types of acne, many of which require different treatments. It can all become extremely confusing and frustrating. However, there are some basic principles that all acne sufferers can benefit from sticking to. To strip it back to the basics, here are the top tips for acne that you need to know!
When you suffer from acne, it is really important to strip back your skin care routine to the bare essentials, such as cleansing, moisturising and applying sunscreen. The less product you apply to your skin the better, as using tons of products really confuse and aggravate the skin further, when it is already angry. Opt for gentle products that are free of sulfates, fragrances, colourants parabens, and unnecessary ingredients. The shorter the list of ingredients, the better. If you’re feeling brave, strip back entirely and use ingredients such as raw honey or clay to cleanse, in order to minimise the number of ingredients that come into contact with your skin.
According to….. fragrance is the number one cause of skin irritation. Acne prone skin is already inflamed and angry, so throwing fragrance into the mix will only aggravate it further. Many people don’t realise, but this include ‘naturally occurring fragrance’ such as the scent that comes from essential oils that are present in many products. They may be marketed as being good for the skin, but Paula…. is confident that we should stay away from them. This is because essential oils can be extremely harsh and reactive with the skin. It is best to avoid any kind of fragrance to avoid further irritation and inflammation.
This is one of the less popular tips for acne. Often, oily, acne prone skin is dehydrated skin. Whether your skin is oily or not, a good, gentle moisturiser is integral to keeping your skin hydrated and healthy. healthy skin is happy skin!
While Kylie Jenner’s new walnut scrub is all the hype at the moment, harsh scrubs with exfoliating ingredients (such as walnut shells!) can be very damaging to skin that is already fragile and compromised by the presence of inflammation and acne. Harsh scrubs can scratch and tear at the surface of the skin, leaving it irritated, sensitive and compromising the skin’s protective barrier. This will leave your skin damaged and possibly scarred in the long run. If you wish to use an exfoliating product on your skin, stick to chemical exfoliants such as BHA and AHA products, or use soft gel scrubs that don’t feel harsh on the skin.
I know what you’re thinking – “boring!”. While this last tip is indeed the most boring of all the tips for acne, it is also one of the most important tips for acne. Water is the building block of life. Approximately 60% of our bodies are made up of water, so it’s pretty damn important, not only for our skin, but for our overall health. try drinking a litre of water one day – you’ll notice that your skin looks more plump and hydrated, which helps to improve the appearance of the skin, including redness and inflammation that comes with acne. As well all know, drinking water helps to rid our bodies of toxins, and this may help with acne that is caused by toxins.
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