Teenage Life with Acne
If you have ever suffered from acne, breakouts, or blemishes, you know the aggravation that comes with it. Especially if you are like me and take excellent care of your skin. But sometimes washing twice a day and watching what you put on your face just isn’t enough. In my experience with dealing with people who suffer from the same issues I do, there isn’t one solid answer on how to stop breakouts. I have tried every product out there claiming to be “overnight blemish cures” and “all-in-one treatments” but the facts are that nothing is overnight and there are no miracle products. When you find a product that works for you, the key is persistence and following through.
Recently, I started a whole new battle with acne. Between birth control, working out, and just being a teenager in general is enough to completely destroy your skin. 85% of teens between 12 and 24 have acne. I ran out of the acne wash that I had been using for months and decided to try something new. Immediately I am concerned because trying new products and giving them enough time to see results is very hard. While waiting to see if it is going to work for my skin, I have to deal with blemishes and pimples. The most difficult part is dealing with the breakouts for a week or two and finding out that this is clearly not going to work for me. Time to start on a new cycle.
I am one in a million in the acne battle. Acne doesn’t discriminate against age, sex, or race. 60 million people are suffering from acne today. Acne goes beyond those gross skin bumps and oily faces. It leaves scars. Anyone who has dealt with serious acne knows the scars I am referring to. Once you finally get your face cleared up, now you have scars that you have to cover up. You cover them up with make-up, which in turn gives you acne! You just feel like you can’t win. I have tried prescription medication, topical creams, vitamins, scrubs, everything you could think of!
I have finally found a product that is working for me and I make sure I use it twice a day everyday. The keys to keeping your skin clear is knowing what breaks out your skin and targeting those things. For me, my make-up makes my skin break out. I wash my face as soon as I get home from work so I can spend the least amount of time in make-up. I have also switched to organic make-up which has seemed to help. I also have been getting more break outs since I started working out. I go home and shower immediately after including washing my face, but that just wasn’t enough. I have found taking off all my make-up and washing the oil off my face before seems to work for me. When you sweat, your pores open and that allows whatever is on your face to seep into your pores. My point is that you have to watch your face. You have to find out what is causing it and what to do differently.
The biggest thing my acne affects is my self confidence. I can lose weight, get my hair done, or get a brand new wardrobe and none of it will make me confident if I look in the mirror and see my face is broke out. Sure, I can get make-up to cover all my blemishes and raise my confidence. But we all want to feel pretty without make-up. The person whose opinion I value the most is the person who sees me the most without any cover up on my face. I don’t want to have to wear make up to the beach or running to the store real quick.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to monitor your body when you have acne. Acne is caused from what you eat, drink, hygiene, medications, bacteria, hormones, etc. When you start to notice what things cause which reactions regarding your acne, it will help you narrow down what is going to help and what is clearly hindering. Take it from a girl that knows acne inside and out!
Soothe Irritation, Eliminate Acne
There are many different approaches to the treatment of acne. Some focus on slowing the production of sebum, others attempt to dry out the skin. Some acne creams have been proven to be effective by attacking the bacteria 
present in the skin that actually causes the acne breakouts in the first place. But recently acne treatments have begun to use more effective treatments, focusing on the removal of inflammation within the skin, and the results have been astounding. We wanted to take a closer look at some of these treatments and offer some insight as to why this treatment may or may not be the right choice for you.
While many of these approaches to acne treatment are used and in many cases effectively, there is one thing in common with all of them. They are reacting to the conditions present within the skin. For example, working to eliminate excess oils already present within the skin will most likely help treat an existing breakout, however it doesn’t actually address eliminating the production of the sebum itself. And while working to eliminate acne causing bacteria has proven highly effective, it is also reactionary in nature, and many ingredients that accomplish this goal do so with many side effects. (some all natural ingredients have proven to do eliminate acne causing bacteria without the harsh drying and damage)
While the scrubbing and cleansing away of acne is an age old ritual, the latest beliefs within the scientific community is that working to soothe the skin and eliminate inflammation actually helps the overall skin health, and ultimately the elimination of acne. It is almost counter intuitive at first, to not be so focused on the scrubbing or cleansing, an instead allowing the active ingredients to penetrate the skin and go to work. As you know, acne can cause a red swelling of the skin, and it is what makes acne so visible to others. That inflammation is caused by irritated tissue. Causing further irritation to the area, will only result in prolonged and more severe breakouts. What the skin needs is to be able to restore itself to a healthy condition, so that it may heal the acne at their source, the imbalance within the skin.
By soothing inflamed skin with detoxifying cleansers and active ingredients designed as anti inflammatory, you are allowing your skin to heal rather than cause further irritation. Further irritation can be from scrubbing or using ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, that may provide an initial improvement to the skin, but causes further irritation to the skin, which ultimately leads to breakouts.
The key is to think about acne prone skin much like an accident waiting to happen. If you allow your skin to be irritated or inflamed then acne will breakout with abundance. But if you are using a daily regimen that allows for the cleansing, treating AND soothing of the skin, you will find the balance that you have been looking for. As much as we try to force our skin into balance with every product known to man, the reality is that we need to simply restore the health of our skin. Doing so will bring about the balance and clear skin that so many of us are desperate to achieve.
Experts Recommend Glycolic Cleansers
As is the case with most skin care products these days, facial cleansers are growing more and more specific with each passing day. What was once just a product to wipe away dirt and oil, perhaps some make-up, has changed into anti aging and anti acne cleansers. With so many options to 
choose from, many consumers are often lost in the chaos, and wind up wasting hard earned money on products that simply do not serve their needs. For this reason industry experts are doing their best to increase consumer awareness so that they can better choose the right product for their particular situation. In keeping with this trend, we thought we would share a bit more information with consumers who are looking for cleansers that work with all acne types, from the mildest breakouts to the most severe cases.
Acne is frustrating enough without having to waste money on cleansers that do not help, or worse make the breakouts increase. In most cases, this is about the quality of the cleanser itself, the active ingredients included in the cleanser, and often times consumers choosing the wrong product for their skin type or condition. For this reason, many consumers grow impatient and ultimately frustrated, feeling as though they will never find an answer for their acne. The key to finding the right product is to know what to look for, and which ingredients you want to see used.
Glycolic Acid, as an active ingredient, is such a smart starting point for an acne cleanser because of the fact that it works on all acne types and is suitable for all skin types as well. Now not all glycolic cleansers are created equal. If you have tried a glycolic cleanser in the past and feel that it did not do the trick, this may be because it was a lower quality cleanser or perhaps the formula of that particular brand was inferior. There is no doubt that you want your cleanser to use glycolic acid if you are suffering from acne, the question is which brand to look for.
Glycolic acid is derived from all natural sources and therefore it is most suitable within a well balanced all natural formula as well. While many skin care companies will offer all natural claims, only a few have respected reputations within the industry. Look for cleansers that combine active ingredients like Resveratrol to add the bonus of eliminating acne causing bacteria at the same time that it washes away excess dirt and oils.
The best acne cleansers are usually made by brands that offer some of the best acne treatments available on the market. Read some of the consumer review sites out there and other consumer advocacy sites like this one and find brands that consistently rank among the best. From there you can quickly scan the ingredient list and see if this particular product suits your needs. Glycolic acid and resveratrol are two of the best ingredients to combine, and are often called detoxifying cleansers , and will shorten the list up rather quickly from there, making your decision that much easier.
While our opinion is just that, we derived our views based upon non-emotional criteria. Look at the science and the studies behind these types of products and you too will see some of the world’s most prestigious universities and most respected scientists standing behind the use of these two ingredients above all else in an acne cleanser. If it’s good enough for them, I feel confident in passing the referral along to you. Read about the most proven glycolic cleansers and best acne treatment available on the market today.
