Anti-acne care: The guide

In this guide, we'll look at how to treat acne using FACIAL CARE. The advice I'm going to give you will be useful in the fight against juvenile acne, as well as adult acne, which affects one in four women. We'll discuss the best active ingredients to use in your skincare routine, as well as recap the mistakes you shouldn't make when suffering from acne. These tips will help you feel better about getting rid of your acne with an effective beauty routine.

Visit best anti-acne creams

Visit best anti-acne serums

The mechanisms of acne:

There are four key acne-promoting factors: increased sebum production, hyperkeratinization, proliferation of Cutibacterium acnes bacteria and skin inflammation. 

The initial phenomenon in the appearance of acne is the hyperproduction of sebum. Sebum production is a natural phenomenon, and the presence of a lipidic film is essential to protect the skin. Sebum production is a natural phenomenon, and the presence of a lipidic film is essential to protect the skin. However, if hyperseborhoea occurs, the skin becomes oily, shiny and the pores dilate, preventing the sebum from evacuating normally and causing sebum retention in the sebaceous glands.

Under the effect of UV rays, the squalene naturally present in sebum oxidizes and transforms into squalene peroxide. This molecule leads to hyperkeratinization of the epidermis and hyperplasia of the sebaceous glands, which in turn leads to clogged pores due to the accumulation of dead cells and excess sebum.

In acne sufferers, the proportion of squalene is increased by 120%, which is why I'm always reluctant to recommend cosmetics containing squalane to acne sufferers.

Coming back to the formation of acne, once the pores are blocked, the atmosphere becomes favorable to colonization by the cutibacterium acnes bacteria, which leads to inflammation of the hair follicle and the formation of acne.

My tips for improving acne:

If you're starting a skincare routine, I advise you to use fragrance-free products, because unnecessary additives such as perfumes should be avoided as far as possible, as they can be a source of irritation. It's true that we often hear people say, I've tried benzoyl peroxide or retinol and I can't stand them, but to avoid this you need to start gradually and pay close attention to your skin barrier, which can be damaged.

When you start using aggressive skin care products when the skin barrier is already damaged, your skin will no longer tolerate any product. Often the cleansing care is too aggressive, or you don't moisturize your skin because it's already oily. In these cases, it's best to stop everything and recreate a protective skin barrier, then start an effective routine all over again.

When you start a skincare routine, it's important to keep it simple, and not to multiply the number of products, as this could trigger tolerance problems. Then, over time, you can add other products to increase the effectiveness of your skincare routine.

Sunlight:

If you have acne, you may have noticed that sunlight is effective in the fight against acne, simply because sunlight is anti-inflammatory and eradicates the C acnes bacteria. However, there are several reasons why sun exposure is not recommended. The first is the rebound of acne after sun exposure, due to hyperkeratinization and squalene oxidation. The second reason is the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation of acne lesions. However, another type of light can help in the fight against acne, namely LEDs, which can be used by doctors. Blue light acts on the surface and helps to kill the C acnes bacteria, while orange light acts more deeply and has an anti-inflammatory action.

Anti-acne diet:

The consensus in the scientific community is that foods with a high glycemic index should be avoided, as they trigger insulin spikes.

The other ingredient that can aggravate acne is milk, and a generally useful attitude is to stop consuming dairy products for a month and then start introducing them again little by little.

Anti-acne diet guide

Eat healthy, organic food:

Good stress management tends to reduce the severity of acne.

Peels can also help fight acne. I'm not necessarily talking about medical peels, as there are also glycolic acid and salicylic acid solutions on the market which can help. However, they must be used with care, and retinol must be stopped for a few days before and after use.

Active ingredients effective against acne

Salicylic Acid:

Salicylic acid is a keratolytic that exfoliates dead cells on the skin's surface and deep-cleans pores. Salicylic acid improves skin tone, but in acne sufferers it will also prevent the formation of blackheads by reducing pore clogging. Salicylic acid is relatively easy to formulate, which is why it can be found just about everywhere, unlike other active ingredients such as azelaic acid or benzoyl peroxide. The difference between benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid is that benzoyl peroxide kills bacteria that have already begun to form, while salicylic acid eliminates excess sebum and the accumulation of cells in the pores responsible for future acne development, so it's more of a preventive treatment.

Azelaic acid:

Azelaic acid is a very interesting active ingredient that we don't talk about enough. It's a gentle exfoliant that helps clean pores and purify the skin surface. It is useful for treating acne, thanks to its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, but also for treating post-acne hyperpigmentation. Highly effective in the treatment of adult acne, it also has the advantage of being suitable for use by pregnant women. It is therefore a first-choice active ingredient.

Niacinamide:

Niacinamide is a very interesting active ingredient to complement the others, as it reinforces the skin barrier by stimulating ceramide production, which can improve tolerance to the other active ingredients. It also reduces sebum production, which in turn improves the appearance of pores and reduces acne. A number of studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in the fight against acne, but I would advise you to use niacinamide as an active ingredient that complements the others. In fact, there are many types of cosmetic products that already contain niacinamide, such as cleansers, lotions or "bubbles". anti-acne creams moisturizing.

Retinol:

The fourth class of active ingredients are retinoids, one of the cornerstones in the fight against acne. Retinoids accelerate cell renewal, making it easier to eliminate dead cells blocking pores, regulate sebum production, reduce inflammation and help eliminate the C acnes bacteria responsible for acne. 

Retinol therefore acts on all the causes of acne, which is why it's important to learn how to master it. But first, let's take a look at the different retinoids used in cosmetics, as there are 4 different active ingredients, which can be confusing at first. Retinoic acid is the active form of vitamin A, meaning it doesn't need to be transformed to be effective. In order of transformation we have: Retinol ester - retinol - retinal - tretinoin. With retinol, you need to start slowly, as there is a tolerance period. For retinol, there's no need to wait for your dermatologist's appointment; you can start using it right away, as it's available over the counter. To start with, apply every other day or every 3rd day to avoid side effects, then increase the frequency. 

Cleansing: An important step for acne-prone skin

Moisturizing cream for oily and acne-prone skin

Clay masks

Green tea:

For fans of natural and organic products, tea tree essential oil can be effective against acne, but as always, it must be used with caution, as there is a risk of sensitization.

Zinc:

Now let's talk about zinc, considered a potential acne treatment that can be used both orally and topically. Studies show a benefit, but it's small, so yes, it's useful, but in moderation.

Now for the mistakes you mustn't make:

One of the most common mistakes you can make is to be inconsistent in your skincare routine. If you don't carry out your skincare routine every day, don't be surprised if you're disappointed by the results. So be patient and consistent, it's the key to your success in the fight against acne.

You can clean your skin every day, but if you lie down on a pillow that isn't very clean, it can ruin your efforts.

The third common mistake is to use products that contain alcohol or have too high a PH, which will completely remove the sebum from your skin, drying it out and ultimately damaging your skin barrier.

This will have two consequences: on the one hand, your skin will produce even more sebum, and on the other, with your damaged skin barrier, you won't be able to withstand really effective acne treatments.

The fourth mistake is to have an overly complex cosmetic routine, using active ingredients such as vitamin C or vitamin E that are useless in the fight against acne.

So if you suffer from acne you need to start taking action now, you know the principles of effective treatment and it's high time for you to put an end to acne.

An ingredient subject to medical prescription
Another active ingredient you can use is Benzoyl Peroxide, which is keratolytic and has an antibacterial action on Cutibatérium acnes, the bacteria involved in acne. It is an anti-oxidant agent, and unlike antibiotics, there is no resistance to Benzoyl Peroxide.

I recommend using low concentrations, which are available without prescription. My advice is not to leave it on your face for more than 30 seconds, then rinse thoroughly, as some skin types can be dried out or irritated by benzoyl peroxide, especially if you have sensitive skin. There is also a risk of photosensitization, so you should use effective sun protection. Another risk is that this product may discolor your clothes or bedding.

If you have the dry skin and acne you must use suitable products.

If you have the oily skin and acne you must use suitable products.

NB: In this guide I have tried to give my opinion on the various anti-blemish products and the various marquess, giving preference to the least expensive.