As a Skin Therapist for many years, I get asked these questions all the time: "I have acne, what can I use?” or "How can I fix my acne?” and “Why won't my acne go away?”.

However, this is not a simple, straight forward answer. Hopefully I can help guide you through the answers and understand that issue better.

Why do we get Acne?

Acne is an inflammation of the hair follicle. This inflammation occurs when the pores of your skin become blocked with oil, dead skin, or bacteria. They can also occur due to an infection of the hair follicle and sebaceous gland.

How does the sebum get clogged?

Each pore of your skin is the opening to a follicle. The follicle is made up of a hair and a sebaceous (oil) gland that releases sebum, which travels up the hair, out of the pore, and onto your skin. The sebum keeps your skin lubricated and soft.

However, with an acne skin, the sebum is thick and tacky in consistency, like butter. Which is likely to cause blockage when moving from the oil gland through the narrow hair follicle to the skin's surface. Once the passage becomes blocked it is easy for infection to begin.

Acne bacteria is what causes breakouts. It is an anaerobic bacteria, which means it can not survive in an oxygenated environment. Hence, when there is a blockage, there is no oxygen getting to the pore and the bacteria thrives in this environment.

What does acne look like?

• Blackheads - They’re open at the surface of the skin, and become black because of oxygen in the air.
• Whiteheads - They’re closed and hard just under the surface of the skin, giving them a white appearance.
• Papules - Small, red, raised bumps caused by inflamed or infected hair follicles.
• Pustules - Small red pimples with pus at their head, our immune response to a congestion
• Nodules - Solid, painful lumps deeper beneath the surface of your skin
• Cysts - Large lumps found beneath your skin containing pus and infection in the dermal tissues - they’re painful too.

What are the causes or triggers of acne?

• Genetics - Hereditary tendency to overproduce skin cells or sebum
• Hormonal changes - Puberty, escalation of testosterone, menstrual cycles, and additional health issues
• Stress
• Lifestyle habits - Lifestyle factors, work environment, poor hygiene, environmental aggressions, change of season, climate and pollution
• Diet - High glycemic foods, dairy, and sugary drinks
• Medications
• Gut health - Unhealthy microbiome

What ingredients and products are essential for acne-prone skins?

Salicylic Acid - This ingredient is highly regarded to combat acne due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Salicylic Acid is an oil-loving acid. It absorbs the oil from the hair follicle giving it a deep clean.

Vitamin A - Helps to treat acne by rebalancing the stratum corneum (outermost layer of the skin) improving cell turnover and avoiding cell build-up blocking the follicles.

Speeds up the healing process by stimulating our stem cells to create new healthy cells. Prevents and treats scarring by stimulating our fibroblast cells responsible for the production of collagen and elastin.

Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) - Works on acne-prone skin by regulating sebum production, restoring the skin's PH to its correct acid balance (oily, acne-prone skin can be more prone to an alkaline state) and preventing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that is common after breakouts.

Supplement

My special tip to improve the quality of your sebum is to supplement your diet with good quality Essential Fatty Acids. This will help regulate your sebum from a thick, tacky consistency to a more free-flowing liquid which moisturises and protects your skin.

This way you are correcting the acne cause internally first, to then, with the correct products, work on the external options to improve your acne.

Also, supplement your diet with a good quality Zinc vitamin. Breakout prone skins have low zinc levels. Adding Zinc into your diet can help kill the acne bacteria, since Zinc is a powerful anti-inflammatory that protects and supports the skin.

Remember to choose either Zinc Picolinate or Methionine (the best quality of this Vitamin available). The reason for that is Zinc is the hardest mineral to be absorbed by the body, so unless you choose a high quality Supplement, your body will not absorb it properly.  

(Remember to always consult a health practitioner for the correct dosage and brand if you decide to incorporate that Vitamin into your diet).

About The Author

My name is Sari Pols, I have been in the skin care industry for over 15 years. My passion lies in ‘Health’. Health for the skin and body. My philosophy is if we have a good well being on the inside, then it shows our vitality on the outside.

I have furthered my knowledge in Skin Anatomy, Skin Concerns and Fitness. I am a true believer in how to make my clients feel their best both inside and out. My emphasis is on guiding my clients through their personal journey of skin concerns and conditions. I do not like to bandaid a concern or condition but want to get down to the root of the cause. I aim to give personalised consultations with treatment and correct prescribed skin products.