MORE: 6 Things Your Acne Is Trying To Tell You
What Causes Acne?
Acne is really a catchall term for a variety of symptoms, including pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and skin cysts. It’s a condition that causes the pores of the skin to become clogged, causing inflamed and noninflamed lesions. Contrary to popular belief, neither dirty hair nor chocolate contributes to acne. However, some evidence links the standard American diet of greasy hamburgers and fries to chronic breakouts. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, for example, found that young men who consumed a low glycemic index diet—meaning a diet relatively void of junk food—developed significantly fewer acne lesions than those who munched on high GI fare. (Here are highly effective acne treatment ideas.) Nevertheless, experts agree that genetics is the major risk factor for chronic acne. So if both of your parents had acne as adults, there’s a very good chance that you will, too. But being at risk for acne and actually experiencing it are two different things. Usually it takes some other factor to trigger a breakout, explains Francesca Fusco, MD. That something can be hormonal fluctuations, stress, sun exposure, or seasonal changes. Certain types of makeup, as well as oral contraceptives, also can cause pimples to appear. So how can you prevent acne? Start with these tips to keep your skin smooth and clear. Change Your Makeup “Oil-based makeup is a big problem,” says Fusco. “The pigments in foundation, rouge, cleansing cream, and night moisturizer aren’t the problem, and neither is the water in the products. It’s just the oil.” The oil is usually a derivative of fatty acids, which are intended to keep skin soft and supple. In some people, though, they can cause breakouts. “Use a non-oil-based makeup if you are prone to acne, and avoid layering mineral makeup throughout the day,” says Fusco. “There’s some preliminary evidence suggesting that mineral powder makeup contributes to inflammatory acne, which looks like little red bumps.”
Read The Labels
The most important thing to look for on a label is the term “noncomedogenic,” says Fusco. Beyond that, avoid cosmetic products that contain lanolins, isopropyl myristate, sodium lauryl sulfate, laureth-4, and D & C red dyes. Like oil, these ingredients are too rich for the skin.
Lather Up
Wash your makeup off thoroughly every night. Use a mild soap twice a day and wash away any soap film left behind. Rinsing well will help remove any debris, dead skin cells, and all traces of cleanser. Splashing the face 5 to 10 times with fresh water should do it.
Blame It On The Pill
Research suggests that certain birth control pills, such as Ovral (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol), Loestrin (norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol), and Norinyl (norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol) can aggravate acne. If you’re on the Pill and have an acne problem, discuss it with your doctor. She may be able to switch you to another brand or prescribe a different birth control method. “Several brands of oral contraceptives can help reduce moderate acne and promote clearer, more healthful looking skin,” says Polis. “Ask your dermatologist or ob-gyn for recommendations. Just remember that it might take a month or two before you’ll see an improvement in your skin.” Other medications, including lithium (for mood disorders), steroids (such as prednisone), and thyroid medications, also can contribute to acne. Talk to your doctor about potential outbreaks. Otherwise, there isn’t much you can do to a pimple to make it go away faster.
Attack Blackheads
The black part of a blackhead is not dirt. In fact, dermatologists aren’t sure what it is, but they do know that squeezing won’t result in a pimple. “If you suffer from a lot of clogged pores or blackheads, try using topical treatments containing retinoic acid (retinol, Retin-A, Tazorac, and others),” Polis recommends. “Those medications loosen the sticky cells and facilitate removal.” You should also have a properly trained aesthetician steam open the pores and clean them periodically, she says, or use pore-cleaning strips such as Biore.
Use OTCs
You can fight back an acne attack with over-the-counter products like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulfur. “My first choice is salicylic acid,” says Fusco. “It unclogs already clogged pores and exfoliates the top layer of skin. Plus, not many people are allergic to salicylic acid.” Her second choice is benzoyl peroxide. It unclogs the pores and it’s also bacteriostatic, meaning it may reduce the amount and strength of bacteria on the skin so they’re less likely to multiply in the pores. Sulfur helps reduce redness of the skin and dries out the area. OTC acne products come in various forms, such as gels, liquids, lotions, and creams. They come in a range of concentrations, too—and the stronger they are, the more likely they are to irritate the skin. Dry skin, in particular, can be sensitive to benzoyl peroxide. No matter what sort of OTC acne product you choose, experts recommend starting with a lower-strength concentration and then increasing slowly. For benzoyl peroxide, a low strength would be about 2.5%; for salicyclic acid and sulfur, more like 0.5 to 3%. If you have sensitive skin, wait a bit after cleansing before treatment. You may notice some redness at first, which is normal. But if the redness doesn’t clear or it develops into a rash, stop using the product altogether.
Get A Peel
Both glycolic acid and salicylic peels (and products) can help combat acne, but salicylic acid components provide a more prolonged effect against pimples and clogged pores, says Polis. (Here’s how to choose the right chemical peel.)
Stay Out Of The Sun
Acne medications may cause adverse reactions after sun exposure, so you should minimize time in sunlight and under infrared heat lamps until you know how you will react. Even more important, cautions Polis, is to know that sunlight aggravates acne. “Most people think it helps clear the skin, but this is a temporary reaction and sun exposure can actually cause a flare-up of acne 2 to 4 weeks after exposure,” she says.
Use One Remedy At A Time
Be careful not to mix treatments. If you use an OTC acne product, stop using it if you get prescription medication for your acne. Slowly introduce products so you can see how your skin reacts, says Fusco. Benzoyl peroxide, for example, is a close cousin to tretinoin (Retin-A) and other products containing vitamin A derivatives, so don’t use both at the same time. MORE: Best Adult Acne Treatment
Treat It With Tea
Research shows that using a 2% tea lotion significantly reduces acne flare-ups. If a pimple is red or inflamed, soak a chamomile tea bag in cold water and then apply it to your skin for 30 seconds or so, suggests Polis. Chamomile is a natural anti-inflammatory and will calm an angry pimple.
Don’t Touch Your Face
“Frequently touching or rubbing your face, which we all do without thinking, can aggravate acne,” says Polis. In fact, rubbing from a cell phone is a common culprit of acne along the jaw line or chin. Plus, touching your face can lead to grease on your face from food. “It’s not so much what you eat, but how you eat that affects your skin,” Polis says. “If you washed your hands after touching greasy french fries it won’t affect your skin, but most of us touch greasy food and then unconsciously touch our faces. Depositing grease on the skin feeds bacteria and contributes to acne.”
Leave Well Enough Alone
Don’t squeeze pimples or whiteheads. A pimple is an inflammation, and squeezing it could increase the redness and even cause an infection. (But if you can’t restrain yourself, here’s what to do after you pop a zit so your skin doesn’t look worse.) Squeezing a whitehead could burst the wall of the skin pore and spill the contents onto the skin, ending in a pimple. The one exception is a pimple with a head of yellow pus. Gentle pressure will usually pop the head, and once the pus is out, the pimple will heal more quickly.
How Hollywood Hides Blemishes
Don’t celebrities ever break out? “You bet they do,” says Hollywood makeup artist Maurice Stein. “The difference is, they can’t let their pimples or any other blemish show.” Stein has been a makeup artist for more than 30 years, touching up famous faces in such movies as MAS*H, Funny Girl, and the original Planet of the Apes films. Guerrilla warfare is the only way to fight the pimple that always sprouts at the wrong time. So here are two combat tips from the trenches in Hollywood, used on “some of the most expensive faces in the world,” Stein says. Put makeup to the test. The right makeup will totally block out the discoloration, whether it’s pink, red, or purple. While you can’t really tell the pigment level of a product by looking at it, you can tell by sampling it. “Take a drop and rub it on your skin,” suggests Stein. “If it’s so solid in color that you can’t see your own skin underneath, then you know it has a high pigment level and will cover your blemish well.” Try a layered look. “When I cover a pimple on an entertainer’s face, I use two thin layers of foundation with a layer of loose translucent powder between each layer,” Stein says. This helps set each layer. MORE: How To Buy And Apply The Right Foundation For Your Skin Type
Should You Visit A Dermatologist?
Acne is classified in four grades, the first being a mild bout, with a few whiteheads and blackheads. At the other end of the spectrum, grade four cases are often accompanied by severe inflammation that becomes red or purple. Consider it a flashing light to see a dermatologist. “If you’re getting a lot of pimples on your face or you have cystic acne (meaning big, painful boils under or on the skin), it’s definitely time to see a doctor,” says Fusco. Severe acne can result in permanent scarring if it isn’t treated properly. A dermatologist can offer prescription medications that will help clear even severe acne. For example, topical creams, gels, and lotions with vitamin A or benzoyl peroxide can help unblock pores and reduce bacteria.
Panel Of Advisors
Francesca Fusco, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Laurie J. Polis, MD, is a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist at Soho Skin and Laster Dermatology in New York City. Maurice Stein is a cosmetologist and Hollywood makeup artist. He is owner of Cinema Secrets, a full-service beauty supplier for the public and a theatrical beauty supplier for the entertainment industry in Burbank, California.
