You’ve left acne and breakouts far behind you after your teenage years – or so you thought! Having to deal with acne all over again, right when you’re in the middle of waging a war against wrinkles, fine lines and age spots can seem quite overwhelming. There are many reasons why women in their 30s and beyond have acne resurfacing after decades. The most common ones being stress, pollution, sugary foods, birth control pills, menopause etc. On the upside, there are things you can do, to fight adult acne and signs of aging together! Read on to know more.
Use The Right Cleanser
It can help to go easy on the cleansers available over the counter as they can be too harsh for grown-up skin, which tends to be drier. Go for gentle cleansers instead, that are easy on the skin and don’t strip the skin of its natural oils. Using harsh cleansers can even cause scarring and aggravate signs of aging.
You can try an antibacterial wash containing benzoyl peroxide that kills the bacteria causing the breakouts and helps keep the pores clear. Using a cleanser with salicylic acid can help too, as it helps to loosen up dead skin that keeps the pores clear. Salicylic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help keep breakouts under control.
Don’t Forget To Moisturize
Keep your skin hydrated at all times. Well hydrated skin can handle chemical treatments for acne, which have a drying effect on the skin, much better. Look for a moisturizer that has a humectant like glycerin, which helps lock moisture in the skin.
Say No To Compact
Compact or powder makeup that comes as a cake is generally rich in oil, which can cause breakouts on an acne-prone skin. It’s a much better idea to opt for loose mineral powder instead of heavy makeup to cover up lines and spots.
Go Easy On the Anti-Aging Products
Most anti-wrinkle creams are heavy on oil, and that doesn’t help with the acne. It’s better to opt for anti-aging gels and lotions instead, that are meant for acne-prone skin. These are oil free and light formulations which are glycerin or ceramide based. Using too many skincare products isn’t a good idea and can be risky sometimes. Like using a retinoid and a scrub together. You will not just end up irritating the skin, you’ll strip the skin of moisture and make acne worse. Instead, it’s a good idea to space them out, like using one type pf product in the morning and reserving the other one for the evening.
Cleanse, Don’t Scour
Being harsh on your breakouts and pimples with aggressive rubbing or using abrasive cleansers can make them worse. A whitehead or a blackhead is just a clogged pore. With harsh treatments, the lesion under the skin can rupture and make it worse. This is what sometimes happens right after you get a facial done.
Watch What You Eat
Being careful with what you eat isn’t just healthy, it also has a big impact on your complexion. The nutritious food that you eat, gives your skin a healthy glow. The foods that we consume impact the inflammation in the body, and inflammation is directly responsible for acne and also has an impact on aging. To keep your skin healthy and young-looking, it’s a good idea to avoid sugar and alcohol as much as possible, and eat foods rich in antioxidants, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.
Get Professional Help
Trying out different preparations on the skin is okay when your skin is young and supple, but as we age, our skin becomes less resilient. Visiting a dermatologist and getting prescribed a plan that helps fight acne and has anti-aging solutions as well is a better idea than trying out things on your own and facing nasty side-effects like scarring.
You can also consult your dermatologist about treatments like laser, chemical peels and other prescription drugs for your skin.
There are many over the counter solutions available, but your dermatologist will be able to suggest stronger, safer and more effective treatments and prescribe antibiotics to help fight the bacteria causing acne. Also, if a large unsightly pimple makes an appearance right before an important event, your doctor should be able to give you a cortisone injection, which can effectively get rid of your pimple, even within 24 hours, without drying the skin.
