Here Are Some Best Skincare Regimen For Acne That Works

Unfortunately, acne doesn’t just affect adolescents. You may still wake up with a large red zit on your nose or a scattering of whiteheads on your cheeks even if it has been years since you last walked the hallways of your high school. In actuality, the fight against cystic acne, blackheads, whiteheads, and blemishes lasts all the way through menopause. However, clearer skin can be attained by focusing on the best acne products and maintaining a consistent skincare regimen. Skincare Regimen For Acne That Works.

“I have people come into my office every day in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who have acne,” says Debra Jaliman, M.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets From a Top New York Dermatologist. “I tell them we can definitely get it under control, but it’s like exercise — you have to be consistent with your routine every day.”

With the endless array of products out there claiming to deep-clean your skin and banish acne forever, though, it can be overwhelming to narrow it down to a simple, workable system. So we asked three top dermatologists to break it down for you.

What exactly is acne — and how it caused?

Your skin has millions of tiny sebaceous glands, which are connected to hair follicles all over your body, and produce an oil called sebum to protect your skin. However, a few things can happen that keep that oil from escaping properly through the follicles. Hormones can cause the sebaceous glands go into overdrive, and the excess oil they produce can get blocked by dead skin cells, clogging up the pores and causing acne.

In teenagers, the onset of puberty usually kickstarts the hormone rush, but hormonal acne is very common in adults as well, says Howard Sobel, M.D., an attending dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and founder of Sobel Skin, who explains that pregnancy, your menstrual cycle and starting or changing birth control pills can speed up oil production, causing pimples to form.

Also, when you’re stressed (and who hasn’t been recently?), your body produces cortisol, which can stimulate the oil glands, leading to an outbreak.

Your pores can also get clogged due to irritation or a reaction to a product or fabric (such as a hat or yes, a pandemic-era face mask), Dr. Sobel adds. In some cases, an acne-like breakout can also be caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the hair follicles, especially on the upper chest and upper back.

Certain medications, such as corticosteroids, can cause acne, and according to Dr. Jaliman, too much dairy in your diet may also play a role. The best way to discern what is causing your breakouts is to check in with your dermatologist.

Once those pores are clogged, they can cause several different variations of acne, including:

Whiteheads: This type of acne appears when excess oil and worn out skin cells clog the opening of the pore; it looks like small flesh-colored or white-colored bumps.
Blackheads: These are similar to whiteheads, but when the material clogging the pore pushes through and becomes exposed to the air, it reacts with oxygen and turns black.
Pimples: The classic red spots pop up when bacteria gets trapped inside the pore with the oil and dead skin, leading to inflammation.
Cystic acne: These hard and painful bumps can feel like a marble under the skin — they occur when the oil, dead skin and bacteria penetrate deeper into the skin.
the best acne fighting skincare routine, according to dermatologists

The Best Skincare Routine to Prevent Acne

The first thing you should do is take a good look at all the products you use on your skin (including makeup) and hair, says Dr. Jaliman. “The biggest mistake I see people making with their acne routine is that they use too many products and don’t check the labels for ingredients,” she says. Look for the words non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic or oil-free on the products you use, which indicate that there are no oily, pimple-causing ingredients, she says.

Here Are Some Best Skincare Regimen For Acne That Works

Step 1: Wash your face — gently!

According to Elyse M. Love, M.D., of Spring Street Dermatology in New York, you might be tempted to scrub at your face like you’re trying to scrape mud off your beloved pair of shoes, but doing so can actually make things worse. Patients frequently try to over-cleanse and over-exfoliate their skin because they think acne is caused by excess oil or dirt on the face, according to the expert. Although regular cleaning is crucial, since acne is an inflammatory condition, over-cleansing can actually irritate the face and hasten the development of the condition. The protective layer of the skin is compromised by overstripping, which, according to Dr. Sobel, can result in additional breakouts, irritation, redness, and uneven skin texture and tone.

All three dermatologists I spoke with advised washing your skin in the morning with a mild foaming cleanser. The decision is yours, though: Stick with a gentle, non-medicated cleanser in the morning, like Neutrogena Ultra Daily Face Wash for Sensitive Skin, if you prefer to dab on a spot treatment individually or if your doctor has recommended an RX acne medication.

Choose a foam cleanser with an acne-fighting ingredient, though, if you want to combine the first two stages. Find a cleanser with salicylic acid if you have whiteheads or blackheads to remove the injured top layer of skin and get rid of dead skin cells before they can clog your pores. (try Medik8 Clarifying Foam, which also includes antibacterial and anti-inflammatory tea tree oil). If you have red, inflamed acne, look for a cleanser with benzoyl peroxide, which kills bacteria on the skin’s surface (try PanOxyl Foaming Wash, which has 10% benzoyl peroxide, or try CeraVe Acne Foaming Cleanser, which contains benzoyl peroxide, niacinamides, and ceramides, which Dr. Jaliman recommends for combination skin).

Get clear of any rough washcloths, scratchy sponges, or other irritating materials because how you clean your skin matters just as much as the product you use. Dr. Jaliman advises applying the cleanser with a cotton pad or baby washcloth, but it’s important to use a fresh washcloth every day to avoid simply rubbing old grime back onto your skin. According to Dr. Love, you can even use your palms and splash on enough water to remove the cleanser. However, she advises you to only use lukewarm water because hot water can irritate the skin. Dr. Sobel adds that a splash of cold water can balance the skin subsequently and tighten and refresh it.

Step 2: Apply an acne treatment medication

If you chose to use a simple cleanser in step 1, here’s your chance to spot treat with the more powerful stuff. After washing, let your skin dry — pat gently with a soft towel rather than rubbing — and then try an over-the-counter treatment, such as CeraVe Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Gel or La Roche Posay Dual Action Acne Treatment.

It can take an over-the-counter treatment at least six weeks to work, the experts say — at that point, if you’re still not seeing any results, you should consult with a dermatologist, who can prescribe a stronger medication, such as Dapsone gel. Dr. Love offers this savvy advice: “If you live in an area where there’s a three-month wait to see a dermatologist, make the appointment as soon as you start the over-the-counter drugstore topicals as a backup plan,” she suggests. “You can always cancel if you don’t need it!”

Step 3: Apply a non-greasy moisturizer

It may seem pointless to use moisturizer if you’re concerned about oily skin and clogged pores, but Dr. Love explains that moisturizers actually help keep the skin’s oil production in check. It also makes it easier for acne patients to handle their drying acne medications. The secret is to stay with non-comedogenic, oil-free moisturizers. La Roche Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer is a fave of Dr. Love. Hyaluronic acid, which safeguards collagen, should be added to an aloe-based, noncomedogenic lotion, according to Dr. Jaliman. Fresh Rituals Aloe Vera Moisturizer is one that is appropriate. Other noncomedogenic choices include the salicylic acid-packed Cetaphil Gentle Clear and Aveeno Clear Complexion. Check out our collection of additional top-rated suggestions from the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab.

Step 4: Don’t forget sunscreen

With acne-prone skin, you should choose a sunscreen that won’t clog pores or exacerbate breakouts, advises Dr. Jaliman. She particularly likes EltaMD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF because it contains anti-inflammatory niacinamide, which lessens redness. La Roche Anthelios SPF 60 Dry Touch Clear Skin Sunscreen is another sunscreen that the professionals in the GH Beauty Lab advise using because of its lightweight texture.

Step 5: Cleanse again at night

Dr. Sobel advises using a gel-based, surfactant-free cleanser at night to gently remove the makeup, oil, and debris that have accumulated on your face throughout the day. The GH staff particularly likes Vichy Normaderm Phytoaction Daily Deep Cleansing Gel because it contains salicylic acid. Dr. Jaliman advises those who like to use a toner as a finishing touch to make sure it is oil-free, like those on our list of the top toners for acne-prone skin. Dr. Love advises performing a double wash by using micellar water first, followed by your cleanser. Some good brands to try are those from Avene, Garbier, or Bioderma.

Step 6: Apply a retinol product before bed

Applying a retinol product before you go to bed is the final crucial stage in achieving clear skin. Retinol: what is it? It is a vitamin A derivative called Retin-A that is available over-the-counter. Retin-A reduces creases and, crucially for controlling acne, unclogs pores. According to Dr. Sobel, retinol is an excellent multipurpose acne treatment for grownups. “It exfoliates keratinocytes, the skin’s outermost layer of cells, and speeds up cell renewal and turnover. Additionally, it helps to clear blocked pores and maintain young skin while reducing and avoiding wrinkles and fine lines. Try these three: Sobel Skin 4.5% Retinol Complex Night Treatment, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel, and Differin Adapalene Gel. Any retinol substance should be used gradually at first.

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