Treating Teens and Breakout-Prone Skin
Posted by Kim Beels on
It’s a myth that only teens suffer from breakouts, as any adult will attest! Still, it’s fair to say that pimples are synonymous with youth. Increased sebum production during puberty can cause congestion in the skin, which eventually erupts on the surface as confidence-crushing pimples. As we age, stress, environment, and other hormonal events can also produce blemishes – typically, at the most inopportune moments. Fortunately, improving the appearance of problem skin is easier than you think with a proactive skin care regimen.
Understanding how breakouts occur is the first step in minimizing their appearance. Puberty and aging are natural occurrences and while everyone goes through it, not everyone’s skin becomes problematic. Science can’t definitively explain why some people are more prone to breakouts, but we do know that when the skin’s oil glands become clogged with excess oil, hair, dirt, and dead skin cells, it creates the right environment for bacteria to multiply. The body naturally wants to protect itself and swells up around the bacteria to isolate the invader and push it out.
The teenage years are the perfect time to establish a healthy skin care routine that can assist in maintaining the appearance of clear, balanced, and youthful-looking skin for a lifetime. Keeping skin clean, free of excess oil, exfoliated, and nourished by following simple daily skin care habits will help address the visible effects of the many natural changes and environmental influences that impact the skin every day.
Good Skin Care Habits
- Wash morning and evening
- Exfoliate twice per week
- Moisturize with vitamins and botanicals
- Protect daily with a broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen
Scientifically Researched Ingredients
Practicing good skin care habits will go a long way in combating the effects of problematic skin conditions. But that’s not all, you must choose the skin care products and ingredients you will use. A complete skin care solution should include vitamins and botanicals that are scientifically researched and clinically-proven to normalize the look of the skin and address your individual skin concerns. A focused skin care range includes a cleanser and toner to remove surface oil, exfoliator, moisturizer, spot treatments, and masques. The primary ingredients to look for include; vitamin A, C, E, and B3 (niacinamide), alpha and beta hydroxy acids, and tea tree oil.
According to Environ Skin Care Founder Dr. Des Fernandes, “Vitamin A plays an important role in the treatment of blemish-prone skin, and the higher the level of vitamin A, the more effective it is. One should begin on a low dose of vitamin A and then increase it incrementally over time. Vitamin C is an irreplaceable vitamin for healthy-looking skin and we need vitamin E in our skin to help protect the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals.”
Dr. Des also believes when teens breakout, alpha (AHA) and beta (BHA) hydroxy acids, can be very effective because they have been scientifically shown to increase the acidity in the skin and reduce the build-up of dead skin clogging the ducts of the oil glands. BHA’s, such as salicylic acid, can help reduce the harmful effects of bacteria and help calm the feel of irritated skin.