Adult Acne

Teenagers are the ones who suffer from acne right? Well apparently its not only them...clinical studies indicate that up to 55% of the population suffer from adult acne - and sadly for us, women are more at risk than men.

So, its pretty much a given that when we hit puberty, hormones are all over the place, and acne can be the undesirable outcome. This is because these crazy hormones = an excess production of sebum (oil).

These breakouts can be all over the face, chest and back. Lucky for teenagers, a very active cellular turnover rate means these breakouts are often short lived and can clear up as quickly as they breakout.

On the other hand, adult acne tends to be deeper, more painful and more cyclical. It is often related to hormonal fluctuations and found around the mouth, jaw and chin. Because cell turnover slows with age, adult skin can take longer to heal. Redness can also last longer, and acne can be complicated by sensitivity, dehydration and pigmentation issues.

1) Most likely hormones are to blame

2) Stress can be an extra (and very influential) factor

Our adrenal gland makes the stress hormone cortisol to help the body deal with stress. Unfortunately for us, a little bit of testosterone often comes along with this. For a woman, this male hormone can push the oil glands to produce more oil—the root cause of breakouts!

3) You may be using the wrong products

If you have oily or combination skin and are prone to breakouts, you should look for skin-care products which are "oil-free" or "water-based" - otherwise thick, heavy creams can clog your pores and make matters worse

4) You could be cleansing too frequently and intensely.

Cleansing more than twice a day can dry out skin,causing it to produce more oil to overcompensate (certain cleansers are designed to be used only once a day because the ingredients are so active - like the Dermalogica Medibac Clearing Skin Wash - we will talk you through this when precribing your products)

5) Could diet contribute?

Another potential skin saboteur is sugar, because it raises your insulin level. More and more evidence shows that insulin may boost those oil-triggering male hormones...not cool, so maybe looking at a holistic approach to healthy living if you are super serious about your skin health

There are loads of products out there designed to deal with acne, but it’s important to choose one that’s right for your age and skin type. As we get older, our complexion changes and has distinct characteristics, hence Dermalogica‘s dedicated adult acne range, MediBac Clearing.

Key Ingredients to look out for

1. Salicylic acid is the gold standard of acne treatment - working by exfoliating gently to unclog pores and it's gentle enough to use on your whole face.
2. Benzoyl peroxide works by actually killing the acne bacteria, while exfoliating the pores at the same time. It's not so gentle and can make skin really dry and irritated if you use too much - so this is found in spot-treatments
3. Sulfur draws oil out of skin and has a drying effect, making it another great spot treatment
4. Glycolic Acid is an exfoliating ingredient that targets both acne and wrinkles at the same time by removing dead cells on surface - so winner winner for this one!

Dermalogica Medibac Clearing range is designed specfically for those tricky elements of adult acne and can be used along side other ranges to suits your needs:

Clearing Skin Wash - a gel cleanser which contains salicylic acid and tea tree, balm mint and camphor extracts to help kill any bacteria and soothe inflammation (use once daily)

Sebum Clearing Masque - a cooling clay masque - this oil-absorbing clays help detoxify skin as Salicylic Acid stimulates exfoliation to clear congestion

Overnight Clearing Gel - a nighttime gel which removes the impaction plug from the follicle to help prevent future breakouts and relieve congestion

Breakout Control - a spot-treatment or can be used all over - it blends into the skin, and may be used at any time to absorb oiliness, loosen early-stage impactions (before they become infected), and soothe inflammation​

Oil Free Matte SPF30 - daily sunscreen for beakout prone skin - as normal suscreens can sit heavily on our skin and clog pores. This sheer formula provides defense against skin-aging UV light, while oil absorbers help maintain an all-day matte finish, preventing shine without any powdery residue

The products in the MediBac Clearing range are desinged to be an addition to your regime - so you dont need to use them all at once! Just to target your specific concerns - So either book in for a facial with our Dermalogica Skin Expert Ashleigh for an indepth look at the specifics of your skin concerns in treatment or pop in and chat to us about the full range.

For bookings and enquiries call 0448160702

The Beauty Room Team xo