Causes of Adult Acne
It can be frustrating when you go your entire life without any major acne problems, then suddenly in your 30s or 40s, you are breaking out. Adult acne occurs most often around the chin, though it can happen anywhere on your face. It is important to know the potential causes so you can look for a good solution.
Hormonal Changes
A very common cause of adult acne is going through hormonal changes. There are so many different phases of your life where your hormones come into play. Not only do both men and women experience acne as teenagers while going through puberty, but women especially have more problems as older adults when their hormones get out of control. You might experience adult acne during your menstrual cycles, when you are pregnant, or during pre-menopause and menopause. Men can also experience adult acne as older adults due to changes in their androgens and testosterone.
Your Diet
While it is highly unlikely that too much chocolate is leading to your acne, not eating a healthy diet can keep you from clear skin. You want to follow a healthy diet that allows for plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, nuts and seeds, and lots and lots of water. If you eat a lot of sugar, junk food, and rarely get any good nutrition and vitamins, then that might be a contributing factor to your acne problem.
High Levels of Stress
It is well known that emotional stress in your life can also cause your acne to worsen. It might not be the sole reason you have adult acne, but it can definitely worsen it. When you have high levels of stress, your adrenal glands will actually produce more stress hormones. This not only causes your body to react in a lot of different ways, but it can also lead to acne on your face. If you have been stressed, try to find some natural remedies to relax and live a more calming lifestyle.
The Environment
Your environment can also make a difference in how much acne you have. If you live somewhere that has a lot of pollution outdoors, that pollution is affecting the top layers of skin. Your skin then revolts by showing breakouts. You may also be causing acne from other environmental conditions, such as being indoors too much without getting fresh air, being around cigarette smoke, or being close to other toxins. You can also worsen your acne simply by not protecting your skin from sun exposure with a good sunscreen.
Foods That Help Fight Acne
When you are working on fighting your acne, it sometimes comes down to what you choose to put into your body. While sugar might not be the only reason you have acne, like you might have heard when you were younger, it is possible that you aren’t getting the nutrients you need to properly replenish and hydrate your skin. These foods are excellent choices for improving your skin and fighting acne at the same time.
Fruits and Veggies
First of all, you should be eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. These are not only good for weight management and your overall health, but they contain a lot of important nutrients that your skin needs to fight off acne-causing bacteria. For example, red grapes contain antioxidants that can help you have clear skin, while avocadoes have vitamin C and vitamin E for improving your skin condition. Fennel is also good, since it helps to get rid of the toxins in your skin. Consume more broccoli, artichoke, lemons, and oranges to get even more vitamin C, which is a natural antioxidant to reduce inflammation on your skin.
Seafood
You also want to balance out your meals with enough omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can help with clogged pores since they get rid of inflammation that tends to trigger the pore clogging. Seafood is by far one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, so unless you are vegan or vegetarian, enjoy plenty of salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel. These seafood options are also high in protein, but low in fat and calories, so you can’t go wrong.
Nuts and Grains
Nuts and grains can also be good for your skin, not just with acne but overall skin health. Nuts contain many types of nutrients that are good for you skin, including copper, magnesium, vitamin E, selenium, calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. This includes nuts like almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts. You should also try to have more whole grains, such as brown rice. Brown rice is a great source of vitamin B, which is an antioxidant that can kill the acne-causing bacteria. Season the brown rice with garlic, which is also good for your skin.
Just simply following a healthy diet can really help you fight your acne. Try to reduce junk foods like sugary sweets and fried foods, and eat more omega-3s, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Have plenty of fruits and vegetables and always drink lots of water. Just by following these simple suggestions, you will be on your way to having better skin.
The Importance of Drinking More Water
Water is often the first recommendation for many areas of your health, from losing weight to helping with digestive problems. It also happens to be great for your skin. If you have adult acne, increasing your water intake is crucial.
Water Helps to Open Up Your Pores
First of all, water can help to open up your pores. When you don’t drink a lot of water, your skin becomes dehydrated. If this continues, it can cause your pores to tighten, which then causes the dirt and dead skin cells to become trapped in the pores, and it causes small red pimples on your face. You need to open up those pores in order to get them clean, which is possible by hydrating your skin with water. Try to increase your water intake and keep track of how much you drink each day if necessary.
It Prevents Dry Skin as You Age
While anyone who doesn’t drink enough water can experience skin conditions and risks of acne, it tends to be a little worse when you are older. As you age, dry skin is more prominent, so when combined with being dehydrated, you are only exacerbating the problem. As you get older, it becomes even more important to get at least your minimum amount of water, which is 64 ounces a day. However, many doctors suggest having even more than 8 glasses of water a day, depending on your weight and lifestyle. A better option is to aim for half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you actually want about 75 ounces of water a day.
Tips For Drinking More Water
Knowing the importance of drinking more water and how much you need to aim for is just the beginning. It is not uncommon to not get enough water into your body each day and keep that up. Here are some helpful tips to get your minimum amount each day:
Keep track of how much water you drink – It is easy to lose track of exactly how much water you have consumed, so this is a good place to start. You can either keep note in a journal you carry around with you, a little notebook on your computer, or use an app on your phone.
Use a cup that you enjoy drinking out of – When you enjoy the cup you are using to drink water, you are more inclined to keep filling it up throughout the day.
Try fruit-infused water – If you don’t like the bland taste of plain water, infuse it with fruits or vegetables.
Reduce soft drinks, juice, and other beverages – The less you drink of these other beverages throughout the day, the more you will drink water. When you are thirsty, grab water instead of a soft drink or sugary bottled juice.
Natural Remedies For Adult Acne
While there are many great prescription skin care products and over-the-counter options for adult acne, it is a good idea to start with natural remedies. You can try these first or use them in combination of what your dermatologist recommends.
Give Your Skin a Break
It is possible that the reason your skin is reacting with adult acne is because of all the products you use on a daily basis. Give your skin a break and let it breathe by detoxing it. This is done by removing all makeup from your skin and any skin care products you have used. Cleanse and exfoliate it well, then leave it alone for the rest of the day. Doing this over the weekend when you don’t have anywhere to go that requires putting on makeup is a good idea. Cleanse your face twice a day and use moisturizer, but use only a gentle one. Also make sure your hair is clean so no hair oils affect your hairline or jawline.
Drink Plenty of Water
You have heard it before – you need to drink more water! This is important in so many areas of your life, especially with your skin. Skin helps hydrate your entire body, including your skin, hair and nails. Your skin needs it to open up your pores and prevent dry skin, which tends to cause acne to get worse. Keep track of your water intake each day to make sure you are drinking enough. While tea often counts as water, you should only count it when you aren’t adding anything extra to it, such as honey or milk.
Try Tea Tree Oil
Another natural remedy for acne-prone skin is tea tree oil. This is often used in all-natural skin care products, cleansers, and moisturizers because of its healing powers for skin. It is often used to replace chemicals like benzoyl peroxide, which are also good for acne, but might be a little too harsh for your skin. With tea tree oil, it can be used on its own as a spot treatment or added to DIY facial masks or scrubs. You can also find over-the-counter natural acne treatments that contain tea tree oil.
While it is good to use these and other natural remedies for helping with your acne, don’t let them replace seeing your doctor. You might still want to see a dermatologist if your acne is getting worse or simply not improving. Medical treatment might help the cause of your acne.
Masks For Adult Acne
Face masks are used for many different purposes, from getting younger, glowing skin, to helping fight your blemishes. There are certain masks that contain ingredients meant to help fight your acne and improve your appearance.
Look For Masks With These Ingredients
Before you start getting masks that will help your adult acne, you need to know what ingredients to look for. It is important that the masks not only contain a lot of healthy, natural ingredients, but certain chemicals that are actually good for you. In general, chemicals on your face is a bad thing, but some masks contain healthy chemicals that can help treat your acne. Look for the following ingredients in your face mask:
Glycolic acid – Some facial masks contain glycolic acid, which is an alpha-hydroxy acid. This is going to help give you a youthful appearance while also exfoliating away the dead skin cells that are clogging your pores.
Salicylic acid – This is one of the most commonly used ingredients in store-bought acne products. It is a type of beta-hydroxy acid that helps to unclog your pores by gently exfoliating them. It will help cleanse your face and remove the dead skin cells from your pores when used in a mask.
Benzoyl peroxide – There are certain bacteria that can be trapped in your pores and on the surface of yours kin that is leading to your adult acne. When you have benzoyl peroxide as an ingredient, it does a good job at killing that bacteria and reducing irritation.
Retinol – Retinol contains vitamin A, which is really important for your skin. This is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter acne treatments, including Retin-A.
Popular Store-Bought Masks
When you begin looking at masks for your acne, look for these ingredients but also look for natural ingredients that help your skin, such as avocado, mint, orange, and a variety of herbs. There are some popular masks that contain these ingredients and are very high-rated due to how effective they are.
One of these is the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. This facial mask usually comes in 8-ounce containers and will cleanse your face while also helping with acne and oily skin. Another popular product is the Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mask. This is a mud mask that also has bergamot, orange, and sea salt for exfoliating.
DIY Masks For Acne
Here are a couple simple masks you can try out for your adult acne, using ingredients you have in your kitchen.
Yogurt and flaxseed mask – This first mask is going to use a combination of yogurt and flaxseed. You want to combine these ingredients with a little bit of raw, organic honey in a bowl, mixing well. You will then use the mask on your face and keep it on for several minutes. Rinse it away and let the flaxseed exfoliate your skin as you do.
Oat and lemon juice mask – This is another popular face mask for acne, which you will see many different variations from. The two ingredients used are lemon juice and uncooked rolled oats. You only need enough lemon juice to create a paste with your oats. You can also add a little bit of honey to it.
What to do About Hormonal Acne
While not all adult acne is caused by hormonal changes, this does tend to be very common among older adults. You have hormonal changes throughout your life, so you might find that when you reach a certain age, your acne comes back full-force. Here are some things you can about hormonal acne.
Signs of Hormonal Acne
Before you start looking for remedies for your adult acne, you need to know if that your acne is actually from hormonal changes. There are many causes of acne, so finding about what is causing the breakouts can really help you figure out the best treatment option. While it is sometimes hard to tell when it is from hormones, there are a few signs to look for. Here are some signs of hormonal acne:
• Your acne is occurring primarily around your chin, jawline, mouth or nose
• It worsens when you are on your period, during pregnancy, or during menopause
• Traditional skin care treatments don’t make a big impact
• You also have other signs of hormonal changes, such as increased hair growth on your face
Start a New Cleansing Treatment
Cleaning your face daily is of course one of the best things you can do when you have acne, but it is possible that you aren’t doing it correctly. When you have hormonal acne, you want to use a gentle cleanser and one that is fit for your skin type. Not all cleansers are made for all skin types, so it is really important to know if you have dry, oily, or combination skin. You should use the cleanser twice a day and rinse it with cool or lukewarm water. Avoid using ice cold or hot water when rinsing.
Moisturize Regularly
When your hormones start changing during different phases of your life, it can also cause your skin to become dry. This is why you will often see the recommendation of using moisturizer every day. You should preferably use a gentle moisturizer twice a day after you cleanse your face. Try to find one that also has sun protectant in it so you don’t also need to apply sunscreen separately.
Follow a Healthy Diet
What you choose to put in your body is important, so don’t assume your diet isn’t involved. Hormonal changes can also be exacerbated when you aren’t following a healthy diet. Hormonal acne is often improved with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and by drinking plenty of water each day. Make sure you are aiming for a balance between fat, carbohydrates, protein, and nutrients.
Develop a New Cleansing Routine
If you are currently struggling with adult acne, you need to first know how to properly take care of your skin. Even if you wash your face every day, you might be using the right products or doing other things that aren’t the best. Here are some tips for developing a new cleansing routine specifically for acne.
Choose the Right Cleanser
When you are looking to improve your current cleansing routine, you can start by making sure you are using the right cleanser. When you already have acne, you don’t want to irritate the skin by using something too harsh. Some over-the-counter acne cleansers are a little too harsh for your delicate skin. Try to find something gentle, preferably a milk-based cleanser. Don’t get a cleanser with exfoliant, because while you do need to exfoliate your skin, it shouldn’t be done twice a day. Instead, look for a cleanser that is mild and matches your skin type.
Exfoliate Before Cleansing
As mentioned, you do want to exfoliate, but not quite as often as washing your face. Doing this a few days a week should be enough to get your pores clean. Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells often clog your pores, which leads to acne and breakouts. Get a good exfoliating product that contains natural ingredients, but no harsh chemicals. Use this to gently remove all the dirt and dead skin cells from your face and to get them out of the clogged pores.
Always Use a Moisturizer
Moisturizing your skin is also important as it helps provide a protective barrier on your skin. Moisturizing is also good because you want your skin to remain hydrated. If it gets too dry, it is going to lead to irritation and inflammation, both of which are not good for acne. Make sure you choose wisely when looking for a moisturizer, just like with your cleanser. Choose one that is meant for your skin type, whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin.
Apply Sunscreen Regularly
It is always important to protect your skin from sun exposure by using a sunscreen. This can either be applied before your moisturizer, or you can use a skin moisturizer that contains sunscreen. Just make sure it has enough sun protection for your type of skin. If you are prone to sunburn as you have fairs kin, then you need a higher SPF than someone who doesn’t.
Switching to new products is good because it lets you see if the products you have been using are actually leading to your acne.
4 DIY Face Scrubs For Acne
When you have adult acne, exfoliation is one of the most important things you can do. This will help to clean out your pores, which are often the result of the acne in the first place. Here are some scrubs you can make at home with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
Tea, Honey, and Vinegar Face Scrub
This face scrub is very easy to make and probably includes ingredients you have on hand. Green tea is an excellent option for helping with acne, so you wan to first make green tea, then allow it to cool. You only need about two teaspoons of it, so don’t worry about making too much. You will then add a small amount of apple cider vinegar to the green tea, along with regular sugar and a bit of honey. Stir it together and apply it to your skin, scrubbing well. You can then rinse it off with cool water.
Sugar Cinnamon Scrub
This is a fun scrub to make in the fall season since you are using cinnamon and a small amount of sugar to scrub onto your face. All you need to do is add some cinnamon and just a bit of sugar to a bowl, then add enough honey to turn it into a grainy paste. It should be thick enough to pick up with your fingers and scrub onto your face, so only use a small amount of honey. You can rinse it after applying, or use it as a mask and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing.
Yogurt and Honey Mask
This acne mask is going to be less of an exfoliant, and more of a cleanser with these natural ingredients. You can either use yogurt or milk, or a combination of both for the creamy element. You then once again want to use honey. Honey in its natural form is really good for your skin as it moisturizes it while also cleansing the pores. Make sure you use natural, raw honey, and not the sugary honey you use on your biscuits. Combine the ingredients and cleanse your face with it, then rinse with cool water.
Lemon Oatmeal Scrub
The lemon contains antioxidants and the ground oatmeal will help to exfoliant your skin when you use this scrub. Combine the oats with enough lemon juice to create a scrub. You can also add in some yogurt if you want more of a creamy texture. First exfoliate it with the scrub, then leave it on your face like a mask before rinsing.
Benefits of Coconut For Skin
One of the top ingredients in natural or DIY acne skin care products is coconut. This is because when you get it in its natural or organic form, it is very gentle on your skin, but provides a lot of excellent dermatological benefits. Here are some reasons to use coconut and how to make your own face scrub.
Coconut Has Excellent Nutrients
When you start looking at DIY recipes for skin care products and mask, or you decide to buy over-the-counter natural skin care products, you will notice that coconut is often included in them. This is often coconut oil, but some of them also use coconut milk. The reason coconut is a major ingredient is because of how healthy it is for you. Coconut helps you in so many ways, including making your hair shiny, helping clean your teeth, moisturizing your skin, and hydrating your body. It can also help with your acne. Coconut first has fatty acids, but the good kind. It has antimicrobials, which are going to help remove the bacteria that causes acne in the first place. Another important nutrient in coconut is vitamin E, which can also help to clear blocked sebum glands and improve your skin’s overall appearance.
It is an Anti-Inflammatory
Coconut also happens to be a natural anti-inflammatory, which means it can help reduce the inflammation in your skin. Adult acne is often linked to excessive inflammation, so this can help clear up the breakouts and reduce the problem in the future. Coconut oil especially can penetrate deeply into your skin layers, so if you keep using products with coconut oil, you won’t have a big problem with acne in the future.
Making Your Own Coconut Scrub
If you are going to make your own acne skin care products with coconut, you first want to choose virgin coconut oil. This is in its natural form, so it doesn’t contain any additives or artificial ingredients. Since exfoliating your skin is important when trying to get rid of adult acne, making a scrub with coconut oil is an excellent option.
If you want to make your own scrub, start by getting the right type of coconut oil. You then want to heat it up over low heat so that it is in a thinner form that is easier to work with. Use salt or brown sugar as the scrubbing agent, combining it with the coconut oil until it becomes a paste that you can scrub on your face. You can also add some essential oils if you like.
How to Use Tea For Adult Acne
Believe it or not, tea is an excellent natural remedy for acne. It is all-natural, delicious, and very good for you. Keep reading to learn how you can use tea for your adult acne.
Benefits of Tea For Acne
Tea is often a natural remedy for a wide range of things, from reducing bags on your eyes with tea bags, to using tea to help with a toothache. It can also do wonders for your skin, both with drinking it and actually using the tea water on your skin. Many types of tea, including green tea, have antioxidants that can help give you a better complexion and healthier skin overall. Some studies show that there are more antioxidants in some types of tea that what you get in certain fruits and vegetables. Drinking it on a regular basis not only helps with your adult acne and general skin care, but is really healthy for you as well. This is also a good way to increase your water intake.
Types of Tea to Use
While most types of tea are good for you, not all of them are ideal for helping with adult acne. The following teas are the most recommended when you want to use them for your acne and skin care regimen:
Green tea – You can’t go wrong by having a nice cup of green tea. This can reduce inflammation and give you a lot of healthy antioxidants, which helps to reduce your acne. When you apply it directly to your skin, it can help to get rid of the extra oils on your skin that are causing acne bacteria. It is also great for people with rosacea.
Chamomile tea – If you are looking for a good way to sleep better at night, have a cp of chamomile tea. It not only has calming effects, but it can also help with the inflammation that is causing your adult acne.
Rooibos tea – The reason rooibos tea is good for acne is because you might be having breakouts due to excessive dryness. Rooibos tea is really good at providing natural moisture on your skin.
Different Methods For Using Tea
The two main methods to use tea for your acne are topically and orally. When using it topically, you can either brew the tea leaves and apply the tea water after it cools with a cotton swab, or you can put the tea bag directly on your skin. If you want to drink it orally, try to aim for having the tea 3-4 times a day.
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