As teenagers, we fantasize about the luxury of adulthood; living on our own, getting a job, making our own decisions, eating whatever we want, and finally having flawless skin! Unfortunately, as most of us know, acne does not disappear on your 20^th birthday. Many adults, especially women, suffer from acne well into their 20s, 30s, and 40s. While the cause of breakouts isn’t completely certain, there are many things we can do to prevent and treat them naturally!

Teenagers

Acne is almost expected to happen in teenagers and is considered a normal part of development. While breakouts don’t happen to everyone in their teen years, they are especially common during this time because of major hormonal changes, diet, and learning to care for your skin. When acne starts, most teenagers have not yet gotten into the habit of washing their face, moisturizing, or following a general skincare routine. While simply cleansing is not always enough to combat teenage acne, it is important to teach kids healthy habits at a young age so that they are able maintain beautiful skin through their teen years and into adulthood!

Causes of Adult Acne

Unfortunately, there is not an end-all apparent cause of adult breakouts. Generally, acne is attributed the sebaceous glands overproducing oil, which builds up on the skin and clogs pores. Some people naturally have more oily skin, in which case we recommend using a cleanser that is suited to your skin type, but for some people the overproduction of oil is caused by cleansers or other products they are using. As a general rule of thumb, it is good to stay away from any products that foam on the skin as they strip the skin of all its natural oils. This makes the skin think it needs to produce more oil and kicks the sebaceous glands into overdrive, causes an excessive amount of oil which clogs pores.

Hormone imbalances and changes are also a big cause of acne, which is why almost fifty percent of women will deal with breakouts at some point during adulthood. As the period approaches, estrogen levels drop, leaving you with higher testosterone levels than normal. Testosterone can tend to increase your skin’s oil production, so once again this may cause clogged pores and angry pimples. This is especially common after women stop taking birth control pills, especially if they have been taking them for a long period of time. After being regulated by hormones for years, the body requires an adjustment period to reestablish normal hormone levels which may include some breakouts as hormones figure out how to regulate on their own.

Treatments

When treating acne, we must heal it while also considering potential causes. Find a healing treatment that works for you – this could be anything from a new cleanser, a new moisturizer, or a spot treatment like our Blemish Tincture. In addition to paying attention to what you put on your skin, take a look at what you are putting into your body as well. Over processed, sugary, fatty foods generally tend to cause breakouts on the skin. Make sure you are drinking enough water, eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, and avoiding processed foods as much as possible! If you notice you are still having breakouts after examining your diet and skincare regimen, it might be a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss some kind of hormone regulation. There are options aside from oral contraceptives that may help even out your hormones, in turn helping your skin clear up! It is very important to remember that the breakout management that works for someone else may not work for you – your body is unique!