So here we are, right at the business of 2020, with 2021 just around the corner.
Tis’ the season to usually be jolly, but this year just seems a little bit different. Come December, we’d have entered our 8th month of living our lives behind a mask… like we’re not wearing enough of them metaphorically already.
With the pandemic very much still in the air and the new normal being nowhere near in sight, face masks are starting to become as essential to us as our undergarments. We might be getting used to it, but our skin is being made to suffer from it.
If you find yourself zit-ridden more often these days, blame that mask you’re wearing – and know that for as long as we’re mandated to wear one, these breakouts are pretty much bound to stay.
Read more: Your Skin Might Be Going Through Menopause Even Before You Actually Do.
Adult Acne: What Makes It Pop
Apart from the face mask that we have to put on that is suffocating our skin,one of the main causes of adult acne has something to do with what you went through as a teenager.
During your years as a pimply teen, you undergo hormonal fluctuations, where your estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels are constantly going up and down.
Irregular hormonal levels give rise to increase sebum production, which causes the clogged pores that lead to acne.
These hormonal changes do not just come to a halt after puberty, unfortunately. Even in adulthood, factors like menstrual cycles, birth control, pregnancy and menopause make sure that these fluctuations still occur, giving you no respite for your acne woes.
A way to control the production of acne bacteria during these periods (pun intended) in your life is to use products that contain benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid or exfoliating retinoids. Products contain these components will help to control the production of oil and acne bacteria.
Read more: These aesthetic combinations can help to shrink your pores
Stress Levels: Rising
As you transit into adulthood, you might find your stress levels increasing as well. Because with great (spending) power, comes great responsibility.
When we get stressed, we release this hormone known as cortisol. A surge in your cortisol count causes your oil glands to release more sebum, heightening the likelihood of clogged pores and in turn, acne and blackheads.
It is therefore important to take a breather when things get too rough. You do not want the all your troubles to manifest in the form of acne on your face.
For all users of makeup and beauty products, the composition of these products can also determine the severity of your adult acne.
Another point to note: strictly use products that are fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic (do not clog the pores and cause blackheads).
Once you’ve done well to avoid these products, keep an eye out for products containing salicylic acid – and SWEAR by them.
Salicylic acid is a component that masterfully brings up blackheads caused by clogged pores to the surface of your skin, and unclogs these pores by dissolving these blackheads.
Combine the usage of products containing salicylic acid with cleansing agents that contain glycolic acid, to help clear off the dead skin and debris on the surface left from the dissolution of the blackheads, and give your skin the unclogging and exfoliating it needs.
Read more: 2020 Has Been a Dark Year… And It Might Just Get Darker For You.
Adult Acne: What Makes it Stop
With the chief causes of adult acne now identified, it is only fair that I shed some light on some of the definitive solutions that have been tried and tested, and proven to have bested acne and its derivatives.
Here are 5 of the best products on the market that might help to vanquish that blemish.
Skin Rescue. Sometimes a niggling acne issue will give rise to other skin ailments like pigmentation or skin redness. This is where this product comes in handy.
This grease-free formula contains an advanced form of Vitamin C that is a triple threat to acne, pigmentation and redness all at the same time, and restores the clarity and vitality to your skin while also hydrating it.
Pico Smooth. No prizes for guessing what this treatment does for you. The Broadband Light (BBL) technology is one of the newest offerings in the aesthetics market and is much lauded for its brutal efficiency.
This is a 3-pronged approach that starts with eliminating acne bacteria at its very core, followed by reduction of inflammation and redness, and culminating in the stimulation and acceleration of the natural healing process of the body.
Clear Tonic. This is a staple item to own if you find yourself having to deal with a very oily face.
Formulated for the ones with the overzealous sebum production line, this skin tonic works overtime to clear out the clogs in pores, dry up the zits, and allow enlarged pores to shrink. Also mattifies the complexion with one spritz – you don’t even need makeup for that matt look anymore.
SmartX Lite Laser. If machines are truly slated to be taking over the world, lasers have already established a strong foothold in the beauty world.
Another one of the latest in laser technology, this FDA-approved treatment adds acne scars to its impressive repertoire of what it can eviscerate. Combining pulsed laser with a dynamic cooling device, this procedure is comfort and results, all in one wholesome package.
Clear Blue. If you’re feeling a little greedy, and find the previously mentioned 3-step programs insufficient to put you out of your acne-laden misery, Clear Blue is the 5-step therapy you need.
Cleansing, exfoliation, light therapy, facial peels and a collagen mask make up the comprehensive components of this spa treatment… and did I mention it’s a spa treatment?
Would anyone actually say no to waking up to a purified and glowing complexion after a 60-minute nap?
Read more: How YOUNG Will You Be in 2021?