TREATING ACNE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR FIGHTING BREAKOUTS
Acne is a skin condition that every individual experiences in the course of time. Some struggle with acne breakouts during their teenage years while some continue to deal with them even during their adulting phase. It might take years and hundreds of visits to the doctor's clinic, just to figure out a way to deal with acne concerns that work for your skin. But the harsh truth is, even if you figure out a way to treat acne, you cannot really put an end to it; you might have to keep fighting the occasional battle of zapping the zits~ blame the hormones!
Given that every individual has a different skin type, tone, and lifestyle, “how to treat acne” cannot be fitted into a piece of one-size-fits-all advice. Therefore, one's experience with acne and breakout is unique from others. Over the years we all have dealt with acne on our faces, backs, and some extremely uncomfortable body areas as well- and throughout the process, we have tried to unveil the best tips from skin experts so that we can guide you better, with no-nonsense but only science-backed-skincare recommendations.
Acne can push you to the threshold where your skin would scream desperate cries for help and in such situations, you might get tempted to lather your skin with multiple products and treatments at a go. But that is clearly a big NO. Rather, it might further irritate your skin, making it more vulnerable than it already was. What you can really do is introduce new treatments to your skincare routine, one product at a time. Another point to keep in mind is that products do not work overnight. You will require a minimum of three weeks of use to figure out and make the call if the product is worth your skin or not!
Even though acne concerns are not easy bubbles to burst, we have penned down some dermatologist-recommended tips that can help calm your skin and clear up the zit maze eventually.
USE A GENTLE CLEANSER TO WASH YOUR FACE REGULARLY
When it comes to skincare, choosing what's right for your skin matters. If you want effective results, listen to your skin and pick the ingredients that will perform and give you refreshing results. A cleanser is the first yet one of the harshest steps of a skincare routine. Thus, it's crucial to pick a cleanser that is gentle yet has all the nourishment that your skin asks for. For example, if you have oily skin and it is prone to acne, choose a face wash that is formulated with Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid that helps control excess sebum production and checks the growth of pimple-causing bacteria.
EXFOLIATE 2-3 TIMES A WEEK
Exfoliation is a process that needs to be practiced with caution. Scrubbing your face with hard, grainy exfoliating products every day will only irritate and harm your skin. Say, for instance, you end up exfoliating a pimple, it will leave behind an open wound and a high risk of scarring. The ideal frequency of exfoliation should be two to three times a week, that too using chemical exfoliators like serums or clay masks.
AVOID USING DIRTY TOWELS
Think of it this way~ will you use the same napkin day and again to clean your plates during dinner? No, right? The logic remains the same with your skin and towels. Using the same towel every day to wipe or dry your skin often makes way for bacteria and dirt which leads to more harm than good. It’s ideal if you switch your towels every three or four days, only if you clean off your makeup religiously before applying your skincare. A fresh towel is more than just a boon!
PICK THE RIGHT MOISTURIZER FOR YOUR SKIN
It's a common myth that putting moisturizing cream over acne breakouts makes it worse, but truth be spoken, it's the other way around. Acne worsens when the skin starts overproducing sebum or oil due to dryness and dehydration. Using a lightweight and gel-based moisturizer that does not clog skin's pores helps to hydrate and re-balance excess oil production and contributes to the healing process of acne. Picking up a moisturizer formulated with Hyaluronic Acid will deeply hydrate and nourish the skin while calming down acne inflammation.
CHOOSE A SUNSCREEN THAT LETS YOUR SKIN BREATHE
Sunscreens are your skin's best friend but some of them can trigger acne too. Since sunscreens are formulated to coat your skin with a protective layer, it often clogs the open pores which is one of the main reasons behind acne. To avoid that, choose a sunscreen that has an oil-free and non-comedogenic formulation so that your acne-prone skin can breathe and get its much-deserved dose of SPF without worrying about painful breakouts.
CALM YOUR ACNE WITH ICE
Repeat after us~ popping a pimple is never a good idea! What you can do is wash your face at regular intervals and spot treat it with Salicylic Acid infused treatment serums. Apart from that, gently pressing a cold compress or ice cube on your zits for about 30 seconds, 2-3 times a day, can help bring down swelling and become a pain-relief factor for your inflamed forms of acne, such as modules and cysts.
REMEMBER THAT LESS IS MORE IN SKINCARE
We will never get tired of saying this over and over again but in skincare, less is more! And especially if you have acne-prone skin, do yourself a favour and stop stacking multiple acne treatment products in the hopes of clearing up your skin. Be patient when you're trying out a product and go for the ones that suit your skin. It's wiser to stick to a few treatment cleansers and creams as some of them can counteract each other leaving your skin in a much worse vulnerable state.