Let's Talk Acne and Skincare

In order to understand how to address acne, it is important to understand what acne is and exactly how it's caused. 

Acne is formed when sebaceous oil glands become infected or inflamed. This can be due to a variety of reasons such as bacteria, hormonal changes in the body, or dead skin cells clogging up pores and not allowing the skin to breath. 

A solid skincare routine is the most effective way to clear existing blemishes and prevent future breakouts. It is vital to focus on products that address bacteria, excess oil formation, and dead skin buildup to successfully target the issue. 

To begin, you should always wash your face with a gentle, yet effective cleanser to clean your skin of any bacteria, excess oil, and dirt that it was exposed to. This makes way for skincare treatments to absorb into your skin. Make sure that the cleanser does not strip away all of the oil to prevent over-production of oil.

We recommend PCA's BPO 5% cleanser or blemish control bar, paired well with PCA's Daily Exfoliant.

Next, follow up with a good toner to minimize pores (prevent excess oil production) and tighten cell gaps. This will lead to prevention of impurity penetration and environmental contaminants coming into contact with your skin. 

We recommend PCA's Nutrient Toner.

Following toner, look into an acne treatment that is suitable for your breakouts. Acne-fighting active ingredients include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, adapalene, and niacinamide/vitamin B3. 

We recommend PCA's Acne Gel (w/ Salicylic Acid) or Acne Cream (w/ Benzoyl Peroxide). PCA's Pore Minimizer Gel is a good choice for reducing pores (minizing oil production) and giving you a matte complexion. 

Your second to last step would be to moisturize your skin. Most likely, the acne treatment might cause some dryness so it should be followed up with proper moisturizing. Keep your skin hydrated without over-production of oil by investing in a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer. 

We recommend PCA's Clearskin Moisturizer or Glo's Renew Serum.

As a final step, before you even think about stepping out of the house (even in overcast), you MUST apply SPF. It is recommended by dermatologists that you use a broad spectrum (to protect against both UVA and UVB rays), non-comedogenic (avoid clogging pores), SPF of 30 or more.

We recommend PCA's line of broad spectrum SPF. If you would like a tinted moisturizer, we recommend Glo's Moisturizing Tint SPF.

All in all, with the use of this skincare routine, acne-causing agents will be put at bay. Don't expect to see immediate results, acne fighting is also about patience and trusting your skin to do its job...with some of your help.