By: Shweta Jhawar, beauty content writer and an aspiring digital marketer.
Does it occur to you that every time you’re thrilled for an event, being on a quest for glowing and flawless skin, a couple of pimples decide to come along with you and grab all the attention? Do you feel you’ve tried nearly everything to get rid of your acne but still see blemishes? Don’t despair. Acne is something we all go through at some point in our lives, yet, it can get embarrassing. People around you point it out for you more than you notice the acne yourself! It happens to everyone, and is absolutely natural. While it is nearly impossible to prevent acne in the first place as they are usually triggered by androgen hormones and genetics, there are ways to control them.
Many might advise you to “drink more water”, “quit eating oily food” or “try this home remedy”. Don’t go by everything that people say and experiment too much as it may only worsen the acne. The best advice you can stick to is- Being patient. No amounts of home remedies and diets can combat acne overnight. Still, there are many methods to reduce their severity and keep them in check.
It can take years altogether and multiple trips to the dermatologist to banish acne from the roots.
Every person has unique skin types, skin tones, way of life, and genetics that make it impractical to have a single piece of one-size-fits-all advice. Needless to worry, today we are going to give you some crucial advice on the correct way to deal with acne.
1. Get to the core of the problem
Depending on age, gender, lifestyle and genetics, there can be various reasons as to why you’re developing acne. Some live in the fallacy that only people with oily skin get acne. However, anyone can get them. Oily skin is surely the most prone to acne as then skin tends to produce too much oily sebum.
Bacteria, clogged pores, oil, inflammation can all cause acne as well.
Combination skin is another skin category which is quite prone to pimples. Combination skin means having your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) oily and rest of your skin dry.
It is very conventional for people living in a humid climate and the ones having improper hygiene and skin care routine to get pimples. Teens and young adults and pregnant women tend to have hormonal acne.
For some of us, we get acne at the early stage of life while others tend to get them in their later adult lives. So, it’s important to first understand the kind of acne you’re having.
2. Avoid exfoliation
When our skin feels greasy and grimy, we get tempted to scrub it clean. This is the worst you can do to your acne-prone skin. Exfoliating can irritate your skin further, and worsen the acne by spreading the bacteria all over your face. Avoid using any kinds of scrubs, loofahs, exfoliated tools or even peel-off face masks which can encourage more acne.
Keep away from removing facial hair. Usually when we wax, shave or thread the facial hair, it irritates our skin and ends up opening our pores. If you have active acne, avoid any hair removal methods at all costs.
However, if you only have blemishes and want to get rid of the facial hair, you can opt for an electric trimmer that gently removes facial hair. You can try Veet’s Sensitive Touch Trimmer. Instead of pulling the facial hair out from the roots, it trims it off and gives seamless, clear and glowing skin. The product is easily available online and retails for INR 1,799.
3. Don’t touch your face often
We all know that it’s wrong to touch your face often especially when it’s so sensitive. Some of us tend to do it unknowingly, but it’s only right to stop now. Popping pimples might seem the fastest way to get rid of acne, but it is only worse in the long run. It leaves scars on your skin which take an even longer period to heal.
Use a gentle cleanser twice a day to clean your face and prefer using a fresh tissue to dab off any excess sweat on your face. If your skin tends to get extremely oily throughout the day, invest in blotting paper that takes off any excess oil from your face without disturbing the pH level of your skin.
4. Steer clear of experimenting
While you’re on the journey of understanding your skin and dealing with the changes, there will be many people around you suggesting different remedies, medications and products. The internet is loaded with advice on dealing with acne and how you can get rid of them overnight. But what works for someone might not work for you. The process of searching for products that compliment your skin can take quite long. However, don’t lather up too many products at once on your skin. Read the labels on the product before you put anything as this is a crucial stage for your skin.
Ingredients that are safe and help in dealing with acne include Salicylic acid, glycolic acid and lactic acid which curb bacteria and control acne safely.
Try out Minimalist’s Facial Serum Range which has targeted treatments that are formulated to address skin concerns. The products are based on pure science attached and made with hero quality ingredients that even declare the concentration of salicylic or glycolic acid in their respective products and fight acne. The product retails for INR 545 and is easily available on their website.
5. Practice basic hygiene
Keep your face clean. Whether or not you have acne, it’s important to wash your face with cold water twice daily to remove impurities, dead skin cells, and extra oil from your skin’s surface. Invest in a natural and chemical free facial cleanser, as using face washes with fragrances can trigger your inflamed skin and cause irritation.
Using hair oils overnight can also cause bacteria build-up on your face. Instead, oil your hair an hour before shampooing it which is considered just enough. To avoid breakouts, do not use too many heat styling products or anything that can encourage dandruff on your scalp. Dandruff can further lead to breakouts as well.
Change your pillowcases and towels regularly as dirty towels can harbour bacteria which can cause more pimples unnecessarily. Remember to wipe your phone screen and keep it clean too.
6. Keep away from makeup
Limiting makeup can show you more drastic changes than any other skincare regime ever. If you had to take away one piece of advice from this article, it has to be this one. We all know that it’s essential to take off makeup before we go to bed. However, if we leave it on our face for longer than required, it can clog our pores too.
We all get tempted to use makeup to cover all the zits and scars on our face but it shows adverse results in the long run. Doing so would only cause more outbreaks and form severe bacteria build up. Makeup products also tend to have fragrances in them which as mentioned, can lead to more inflammation.
Avoid using makeup altogether for a couple of weeks and you’ll feel your skin to be healthier than ever. If you can’t avoid using makeup, use it sparingly. Invest in good quality ones, a sheer look and make sure to use a good base as a protective layer against the makeup.
7. Consult a Dermatologist
If you have uncontrollable acne which also pains, instead of trying different methods to cure it on your own, consult a dermatologist and get the proper treatment to cure the same.
Sometimes it’s usually hormonal and cystic acne, and even medications take months to show up results. But consistency is key and make sure you stick to one method of treatment instead of trying different ones every day.
