Acne or Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition that impacts millions of people around the globe. It is an inflammatory disorder of the sebaceous glands, leading to whiteheads, blackheads, nodules, cysts, or bumps on the skin. From adolescents to adults, acne can impact people during various stages of their lives. Often marked by redness and bumps, this skin condition can damage your facial appearance and may even shatter your confidence.
No amount of makeup can cover the acne completely and offer the smoothness of acne-free skin. Hence, acne can deter you from stepping out confidently in your skin and enjoying your life to the fullest.
Perhaps the worst aspect of having acne-prone skin is the cyclical nature of the breakouts. Ask anyone with moderate to severe acne what they dislike the most about this skin condition. A common answer would be that when one round of acne begins to heal, another round of breakouts appears on the skin. While this acne cycle is the bane of acne-prone skin, you can decode it to treat and prevent breakouts effectively. Let us investigate how!
The Life Cycle of Acne – How It All Begins
Studies reveal that the initial formation of acne happens in your sebaceous glands way before a bump appears on your skin1. It then progresses into different stages from a clogged hair follicle or pore, eventually ending up as an inflamed pimple on the skin’s surface. Logic then dictates that to treat acne effectively, we need to treat the various stages of acne simultaneously! So, let us first look at the different stages of acne to fine-tune our treatment strategies.
Stage 1 – The pores on your skin are your sebaceous glands that generate sebum to keep the skin lubricated. When your skin naturally renews itself, it sheds dead skin that can find its way into these pores. This leads to the initial clogging of your sebaceous glands, marking the first stage of acne formation.
Stage 2 – The overproduction of oil or sebum by your skin further aggravates pore congestion. Overproduction of sebum is a consequence of hormonal imbalances caused by puberty, stress, or hormonal fluctuations due to menstrual or endocrinal disorders2. The excess sebum can plug the pores that are already congested with dead skin. This is the second stage of acne formation.
Stage 3 – Your congested pores act as a breeding ground for Propionibacterium acnes or p.acnes, a type of bacteria that grows naturally on your skin. The dead skin and oil in your pores serve as food for the bacteria, making its population multiply. During this stage, if the sebum and bacteria remain trapped below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. Alternatively, if the sebum and bacteria are exposed to the air, the melanin in the sebum oxidizes to form a blackhead.
Stage 4 – In this stage, the bacteria continue to feed on the oil in your pores, and as they grow, they release certain byproducts into your bloodstream. These byproducts trigger the immune system, and white blood cells accumulate at the site of bacterial growth to attack the foreign invaders. This immune response leads to swelling, inflammation, and redness. Thus, red and painful bumps, known as pimples, begin appearing on the skin surface. If these bumps are filled with pus, they are called Pustules. And if these are red bumps without any pus, they are called Papules.
As you can see, acne goes through several stages of development underneath the skin before they appear on the surface. Hence, if you target each stage of acne formation with effective treatments, you can break free from the acne cycle and achieve clear skin.
How To Treat Each Stage of The Acne Cycle
You need to have a 5-step treatment strategy to tackle each stage of acne. Here are the four key goals that your skincare routine should target.
- Unclogging The Pores – Since clogged pores are the breeding grounds for acne-causing bacteria, you need to keep your pores clean. A cleanser that dissolving the dead skin and sebum trapped in your pores is an effective first step to your acne treatment strategy. AHAs and BHAs are popular ingredients that can unclog your pores and keep them clean. Charcoal and clay masks are also considered excellent for unclogging the pores.
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Oil Control – Sebum is food for acne-causing bacteria. So, you can prevent acne by preventing the over-production of sebum. Cleansing your face thoroughly twice a day and using topical actives like Niacinamide and Retinoids can help with oil control3. Additionally, you may also want to address the root cause of excess sebum, such as stress or hormonal imbalances. You can consult a skincare professional to help you identify and treat these root causes.
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Preventing Bacterial Growth – There is no smoke without fire, and there is no acne without bacterial growth! So, using anti-bacterial ingredients in your skincare regimen is a must for acne-prone skin. Benzoyl Peroxide is a popular anti-bacterial ingredient used in topical skincare targeted for acne skin. However, benzoyl peroxide can really dry the skin, leaving the skin red, flaking and peeling. Natural anti-microbial ingredients like tea tree oil and honey can also be effective against acne-causing bacteria. Apart from topical treatments, you may be prescribed oral antibiotics in the case of severe acne.
- Treating Inflammation – To treat the already inflamed papules and pustules, you need calming, anti-inflammatory ingredients like Aloe vera, Cica, and Niacinamide. These ingredients can reduce redness and inflammation, expediting the healing process.
- Always look for non-comedogenic products – As we have mentioned earlier, all forms of acne begin with a hair follicle or pore becoming clogged. This clogged pore is also known as a comedone. Non-comedogenic products do not contain ingredients that clog pores, so they are less likely to cause blackheads or whiteheads. People who experience breakouts from certain cosmetics or skincare products might benefit from switching to noncomedogenic products. In addition, it is a sensible precaution to take if you are unsure of what is causing your acne.
How We Can Help You Break The Acne Cycle!
Now that you know that you need targeted treatments to tackle each stage of the acne cycle, how do you design the perfect skincare routine to achieve the same? We understand that selecting the right products and ingredients for each step of your skincare regimen can be overwhelming! To simplify this task for you, we have created a range of products specially targeted for acne-prone skin.
Our effective formulations combine medical approaches with natural botanical methods to offer you the best of both worlds for acne-free skin. We have meticulously designed our anti-acne regimen to unclog the pores, control sebum production, prevent bacterial growth, and soothe inflammation. Each product targets the different stages of the acne cycle, thereby preventing further breakouts while healing existing acne.
While acne may seem like a never-ending curse, with our multi-fold approach to prevent and treat acne, you can achieve clear skin. So, try our anti-acne products today to break free from the acne cycle!
