No one wants to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, only to see that your face is in the middle of a battle scene. Acne has waged war, and it looks like it may just be winning this battle.
Nothing is more disappointing than seeing your ruined complexion, marred by a great, big, ugly zit. But you can fight back against acne!
Where Does Acne Come From?
Acne is the skin condition responsible for pimples and breakouts, which can manifest as whiteheads, blackheads, pustules, and papules. As sebum is produced by sebaceous glands and travels up through your pores, dead skin cells are carried up with it to be washed away. Sometimes the gland produces too much sebum, which can clog the pore, forming a plug. As the pore is clogged with sebum, oil, and bacteria, that bacteria can multiply, leading to an infection, swelling, and inflammation around the clogged pore. Sometimes you’ll notice a white tip of purulent discharge (pus).
Things like hormonal imbalances, traveling, genetics, and medications can all play a role in the development of acne. The good news is that these types of breakouts are normally temporary. There are things that you can do to help speed up their disappearance.
How Does Stress Affect Breakouts?
Emotional stress doesn’t necessarily trigger a new case of acne, but it could worsen symptoms of a current breakout. According to Lisa A Garner, M.D., FAAD, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, “When you already have acne and you get into a stressful situation, that seems to be when your acne really flares up.”
The cells that produce sebum have receptors for stress hormones like cortisol. Somehow, these sebum-producing cells are stoked to produce more sebum when you are upset or worried. On a good day, sebum helps to protect your skin. When too much is produced, it mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria to clog hair follicles, leading to acne.
So while de-stressing isn’t necessarily going to cure your current breakout, it can help to keep you from being your own worst enemy. Find a way to take some time out to sit down, clear your head, and just breath. Or maybe get the girls together for a night out on the town; laughing, talking, and taking in some of the sights.
Fighting the Breakout
The first rule of thumb to follow, and maybe the most difficult, is don’t squeeze your pimples. This can make them worse, causing the pus to spread infection. Apply acne treatment products twice a day; when you wake up and before bedtime. Utilize the help of medicated products designed to clear up zits. They may take a little bit of time to work, but will help to prevent any new pimples from forming. You‘ll want to stay away from any products that contain oils. They’ll only serve to further clog your pores.
Skin hydration is equally important after cleansing. Recommended treatment for acne conditions is to use skincare ingredients that regulate oil gland secretion, hydrate, heal, balance skin pH, soothe, and reduce inflammation.
Take these steps now to curb your breakout and prevent it from getting any worse:
- Cleanse your face twice daily using a cleanser designed for your skin type. This should help to clear current blemishes and keep more from popping up. Gently rub your face for at least one minute. The cleansing will help to rid your skin of all the grime that could lead to more clogged pores. MDSUN Active Cleanser contains glycolic acid, which will help to fight the breakouts and get rid of dead skin cells. It’s a powerful exfoliant, clearing away the debris like dead skin cells that can clog your pores and lead to blackheads and whiteheads.
- Some dermatologists will prescribe a benzoyl peroxide cream. Apply it all over your face, dotting it on a little extra thick directly over your pimples to dry them up. Let this soak for a few minutes before you do anything else. Benzoyl peroxide is a great addition to a long-term acne treatment plan, as it does best when used continuously. If you’re planning on using it long-term, you’ll want to ease into it to see how your skin reacts. Try every other day or every two days at first.
- Massage in an oil-free serum or moisturizer, like MDSUN Clarifying Serum, designed to be non-comedogenic (not pore-clogging). Acne products tend to be harsh on the skin, so moisturizing will help to combat associated irritation, redness, and dehydration. They also tend to make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so it’s really important that your moisturizer also contains sunscreen of at least SPF 30, or that you apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen after your morning ritual, before going outside.
- Beware of too much excess exfoliation. Some exfoliation is helpful in improving acne. Too much can actually make things worse by removing too much oil. Your skin may decide to compensate by producing even more oil! The medical science that makes MDSUN Skin Exfoliation Pads so effective is a two-tier approach to exfoliation. The first layer of ingredients – glycolic acid, polyhydroxy acid, lactobionic acid, and essential vitamins – exfoliate while simultaneously hydrating skin. The second layer of ingredients is a powerful blend of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients designed to reduce and control redness, inflammation, and irritation while the acids exfoliate skin and provide deep moisturization.
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