If you are plagued by the curse of Adult Acne (or Acne at any age) then there are 3 simple but important rules you must follow if you want to banish the blemishes from your skin.
At Moon Haven we are seeing more and more adults, particularly women, presenting with various forms of acne in their 20s, 30’s and right through to their menopausal years.
From the nasty cystic type acne to a form of peri-oral dermatitis, reddened sensitised skin scattered with pustules to the odd monthly breakout.
We see it all at the cottage.
With so many different treatment options and conflicting advice out there… it can be very confusing when you are looking for the best way to treat acne.
The 3 Simple But Vital Rules for Treating Adult Acne
As you know at Moon Haven we are always look for the simplest, natural and most effective way to deal with different conditions.
And of course our approach to treating acne is no different.
Our 3 simple but vital rules for treating acne are as follows:
1.Treat the Skin Gently when cleansing, exfoliating and treating
2. Moisturise
3. Use Zinc Supplements
Lets look at each of these rules step by step.
1. Treat the Skin Gently
Given that acne is often made worse by stress, hormone fluctuations, incorrect skin care, medications it is wise to make sure that anything we apply to the skin is gentle and doesn’t aggravate the skin or cause the acne in the first place.
We really do need to be very gentle with the skin.
This means that there are a number of no no’s:
- NO foaming facial wash (as it dries out the skin depriving the skin of its natural balancing oils)Instead use a mild cleanser morning and night only…followed each time with a light moisturiser. (We recommend our Herbal Cleansing Gel with Bergamot)
- NO strong skin toners especially those with alcohol as these also strip the natural oils from your skin
-
NO harsh exfoliation. and definitely don’t exfoliate if you have active pus-filled pimples on your skin.
You may lightly exfoliate your skin once per week. The exfoliant should contain small natural rounded particles. (We use jojoba beads in our facial scrub) In particular you should apply the exfoliant product with gentle strokes and lightly polish the skin… please do not think that you have to sandpaper off the first layer of your skin …this is extremely harsh and will aggravate your skin. It will also open up pimples, cause micro- abrasions and rapidly spread the acneic infection to other areas of your skin!
2. Moisturise your skin
Contrary to popular belief your natural skin oils are not your enemy.
They are your friends…especially if you have acne.
The Oil Production Cycle
Your skin is a bio-feedback mechanism and responds to everything that you do to it.
You see, your skin is one giant feedback mechanism which monitors the oil levels within it.
When the skin is dry, it reacts by producing more oil to moisturise the skin. When the skin has sufficient oil present in the skin the oil factories slow down production.
Should the skin be constantly dry due to over cleansing then the skin continues to over produce oil. This cycle accelerates until the skin becomes constantly oily no matter how often you cleanse.
The Answer to Slowing the Oil Cycle
According to a recent findings presented to dermatologists the key to calming down this viscious oil production cycle is to take a step back from over treating your skin. To gently cleanse morning and night and to moisturise immediately after. Now the choice of moisturiser is important.
Dermatologists generally recommend using a light moisturising lotion (something like our Nature’s Own Moisture Lotion works well) that soothes and moisturises without clogging your pores.
3. Supplement your diet with Zinc
It has been found that many acne sufferers are deficient in Zinc. Zinc is helpful in accelerating wound healing, calming inflammation and helps to regulate hormones.
All good things when battling acne.
So to ensure that you are getting sufficient zinc in your diet is is highly recommended that you either eat good quantities of zinc rich foods or take a zinc supplement.
Zinc rich foods include red meat, eggs, mushrooms, seafood and dairy.
If you decide to take a zinc supplement then it is good to also take Vitamin C at the same time to help the Zinc absorb.
So there you have it, the 3 Vital yet Simple Rules to Treating Adult acne.
Download our Treating Acne Naturally Fact Sheet
If you have any questions or would like more information on your particular situation please do not hesitate to call us on 1800 005 059 or email us at info@moonhaven.com.au
Moon Haven's Acne Action Pack has everything you need to start rebalancing your skin.
Plus we throw in a bonus Facial Mask Powder - just use this once a week to help settle your skin and draw impurities out.
Click here to learn more about what we recommend and download our Treating Acne Naturally Fact Sheet
