Acne Awareness Month Part 1: Ingredients
June is Acne Awareness Month, which is my absolute favorite since it’s the reason I became an esthetician! If you want to read more about #EstheticianLife check out this post.
Did you know that 85% of people struggle with acne?
That’s a lot of people! Acne is an inherited disorder of the pores, not a result of poor hygeine. Acne comes from many different things - diet, lifestyle choices, gut health, stress and skincare. Everyone is different and that’s what makes acne so complex, which is why you work with an esthetician who can help guide you in the right direction. This is the first in a 3-part series all about acne!
Let’s start with skincare ingredients. Getting your skin to a happier, healthier place starts with the ingredients in your skincare products. There are 7 major players in the ingredients game for acne products, mandelic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, lactic acid, retinol and sulfur. So let’s dive in.
Mandelic Acid is my personal fave! It’s the most gentle alpha hydroxy acid and penetrates the skin cells slower than other acids, which means less irritation. It also helps with pigmentation, texture, inflammation and fungal acne. She’s truly the queen and great for inflamed and non-inflamed acne. The product I get all my clients on first is my fave from Face Reality, but you’ll need to schedule a consultation to get on some of these ingredients.
Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid made from willow bark trees. This acid is great for oily skin and non-inflamed acne since it absorbs the oil and water out of the skin. It penetrates the pores and eats at the oil and dead skincell buildup. You can find salicylic acid in Skinbetter’s Alpharet Clearing Serum, one of my absolute favorites for any form of acne!
Benzoyl Peroxide is a beta hydroxy acid also, it’s made from hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl chloride. It’s great for inflamed acne. It dives deep into the pores and eats away at the oil and dead skincell buildup. I have this product in my Face Reality acne med, which reminder, you need a consultation to get on. Lucky for you, I offer virtual consultations 🙂 If you’re struggling with severe inflammation, this ingredient is where we’ll start.
Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that comes from sugarcane. This ingredient can irritate some people’s skin, so it’s great for non-inflamed acne because it fights tough build-up of oil and dead skin cells. It speeds up your skin’s cellular turnover rate so it’s great for texture and pigment too. You can find this in the Alpharet Peel Pads from Skinbetter and in Face Reality’s serum. Both of these products seriously kick non-inflamed acne’s booty.
Lactic Acid is another alpha hydroxy acid that comes from milk, but sometimes from fermented foods like beets, cornstarch and other sugar-rich foods. This one is so good for dry skin! It holds and retains more water levels in your skin. It can be found in almost all other exfoliating serums to help give a little more moisture to the skin.
Retinol is a Vitamin A ingredient, it’s known for its collagen production (aka proliferation). This is an amazing ingredient to always be on because it’s a game changer for your skin. It comes from beef, vegetables, fruits etc. It’s the strongest exfoliant on the market for over-the-counter ingredients. Skinbetter’s Alpharet uses ceramides and hylouronic acid to keep the skin calm while using a retinol, which is amazing because usually when starting some sort of exfoliant there can be some minor irritation and adjustment process needed.
Sulfur is honestly magic for helping to remove bacteria from the skin without causing irritation. It reduces oil buildup in the skin along with being an antibacterial and antimicrobial. Face Reality’s Sulfur Spot Treatment. She’s the bee’s knees for taking the size and redness down of acne literally overnight. I also love mixing this with Hydrabalance from Face Reality to make a DIY mask at home!
And my list note on ingredients - you need to make sure you’re hydrating your skin enough because without hydrated skin, you’re just throwing gas on a fire. Make sure you have nourishing ingredients in your skincare routine. Think aloe, hyluronic acid, glycerin, antioxidants and ceramides. So please, please use a moiusturizer like Oxygen Treatment Cream, CBD Microsilver, Trio or Hydration Boosting Cream by Skinbetter, Clearderma, Hydrabalance or Cran Peptide.
So, there ya have it. The lowdown on some of the best known ingredients I personally use for my acne clients. If you’re interested in acne treatment and not sure where to start or you want to get on some of the products mentioned above, be sure to schedule a virtual consultation!
