Types of acne and their treatments

Acne has been a common problem for teenagers and young adults since ancient times. Throughout history, various remedies and treatments to cure this skin condition have been tried out and proven to be successful or rejected.

In this blog you can read the most important questions about what acne is and how you can best treat it.

Base

What is acne?

Before we can answer the more complicated questions, it is good to know exactly what acne is. Acne is the result of getting clogged of the small hair follicles on your face. There are various symptoms that fall under the name "Acne":

Whiteheads, or closed comedones: although just like blackheads also called comedones, they are not the same. This happens when the dead skin cells and sebum form a bump between "sheet and meat". They are skin -colored or white and will eventually lead to an eruption of the underlying sebaceous gland. It is difficult to squeeze or be emptied, which is also highly discouraged, because the skin is damaged as a result.

Papels: These are red, sensitive bumps or bumps on the skin that can hurt when touched. They are deeper under the surface and can feel like hard bumps or buttons.

Pimples, pimple or pustel: this is what you think of when someone says 'acne'. They have the redness and sensitivity of the papel, but with a small white bump in the middle - this is the structure of pus.

Cysts: These look like nodules, where they appear like a round lump, filled with pus.

What does it cause?

Acne can be caused by various factors, which together can lead to acne.

The most common reason has to do with hygiene; Touching the face with unwashed hands, a dirty phone screen while calling or using pillowcases that are not often washed, can all give unwanted bacteria on the skin. Together with the dead skin cells that hide pores, it can lead to inflammation. The external environment in which you live can also influence your skin. Air pollution or dirty living spaces are of course more harmful to your skin than a fresh, clean environment. The P. Acnes bacterium ultimately ensures that there is a subcutaneous inflammation that leads to acne.

The skin care products that you use can also damage your skin if they contain certain ingredients. Scroll below to the 'Skin Care and Acne' section and find out the most important harmful ingredients that you can best avoid in the fight against Acne.

Furthermore, hormonal changes are a factor that is important. Your hormones ensure a change in sebum production. That is also the reason that more than one in three teenagers suffer from acne. That is why acne can also flame just before menstruation or during pregnancy.

Acne can also be a visual indicator of internal problems in the body, such as a poor diet, food intolerance, irregular or too little sleep, or a hormonal imbalance. Acne is also a symptom of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in women. If you are not sure what the cause of your acne is, don't hesitate to consult a medical professional.

What skin type has acne?

Although all skin types can experience acne, especially with the external factors mentioned above, oily skin is most susceptible to acne. This is because excess sebum that is produced by the skin, can naturally hide the pores, which leads to accumulation in the follicle and then to acne.

The difference between self -cleaning of the skin and acne

Purification of the skin through the skin itself takes place when unwanted substances are pushed into the skin to the surface, creating red bumps or pimples. These can be sensitive or hurt when touched. This of course looks like acne, but there is a big difference.

Skin purification compared to acne is good because it pushes unwanted substances out of your skin, where acne is precisely due to impurities. Skin purification also leaves no acne scars or stains on the skin. If you want to learn how to get your skin free from impurities, read our blog about the Skin Detox.

The body

Why is the face more sensitive to acne than other parts of the body?

The answer to this question is very simple: different parts of the body are covered with different types of skin. For example, the skin of your face and neck is incredibly sensitive. The facial skin has by far the most sebaceous glands, which means that it produces the most sebum (skin own fat).

The increased amount of sebaceous glands in the face means that the face is better hydrated and less sensitive to friction, which can damage the skin, according to the British National Institute for Health. It is a mechanism to protect your sensitive skin. But why is the face more sensitive than the rest of the body? This is because the skin cells in the face are renewed more often - probably as a result of evolution.

However, acne can occur on other parts of the body. More than half of the people who are susceptible to acne also have acne on their backs and 15% also have acne on their chest.

Is acne a sign of a skin disease or cancer?

Acne itself is a skin condition, but most acne is not a sign of disease or skin cancer. Some skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC), can according to the American Academy of Dermatology However, appear as a spot or acne mark. We therefore always recommend that you seek professional medical advice if you think your skin condition is more serious than it seems.

Skin care and acne

Can too much skin care cause acne?

This is a complicated question, because it depends on the amount of products in your routine, the frequency of use, the type of products you use and which substances they contain.

Too many different products: Although incredibly popular, skin care routines with 10 or 15 steps do not really help that much. A simple routine with three to six products can be much more effective, because it hides the pores less and your skin gets much less to process.

Frequency of use: Excessive use of your products can have adverse effects. Washing your face several times a day can dry out and irritate your skin, so that the natural oils that your skin needs are removed. On the other hand, the use of too much product can hide your pores again to 'compensate' your pores. Ultimately, the advice is: everything in moderation. Let the skin do her own work as much as possible and support her where it is needed.

Type of products: The use of a very aggressive exfoliant can damage the skin and remove the natural oils and fats that your skin needs. Make sure that the intensity of the products you use is suitable for your type of skin.

The substances that contain products: the ingredients of your skin care can be extremely harmful! Artificial ingredients such as silicone or mineral oils are common in products and hide your pores. This way these products can cause acne while they are totally unnecessary. In addition, mineral oils, which sound good for your skin, are very unnatural and can make your skin addicted to its use. These are the two things that you can pay the most out of. Of course also take into account any skin allergies or ingredients that can irritate your skin, while others may not be bothered by it.

Although all these factors are important, the products you use are often the main reason that acne arises or worsens. If you want more information about what you put on your skin, read our blog about Ingredients of cosmetics This topic.

Our products are 100% vegan, natural and microplastic free. Chicory Skincare therefore contains no artificial ingredients. View our Page with Skin Care Tips for Acne And find out which products are good for your skin.

Is it good to use moisturizer on acne-sensitive skin?

If your skin needs it, yes! It is important that your skin is relaxed, if your skin stays too tight or too dry, your acne will be able to worsen. On the other hand, if your skin does not need a moisturizing cream in a normal condition, we recommend that you do not use too much cream. And believe it or not, but a pure oil (such as rose hole seed oil in our regenerating oil serum) is a very good way to calm the sebum production and we often advise above a cream with a skin with acne. As a moisturizing product, we then recommend the Balancing Toner.

Vitamin C and Retinol on acne-sensitive skin

In short, vitamin C has no direct influence on acne, but retinol has that. Do you want to know more about what Vitamin C and retinol Doing with the skin separately, read our extensive blogs on both topics.

The treatment of acne

Is treatment of acne safe during pregnancy?

If you are expecting, you may not follow some (heavy) treatments against acne. The Mayo Clinic Set treatment with retinoids are dangerous for the unborn baby and can cause abnormalities. Furthermore, you must be careful anyway with what you put on your skin when you are pregnant. Our blog specific about the skin during you pregnancy Gives more information about taking care of your skin or remedying skin problems in this special period.

Which acne treatment is the best?

This question is very specific and relates to the cause of your acne. Read on below to find the different ways in which you can treat your acne. If the first -mentioned methods don't work for you, don't be discouraged, the solutions go from simple and simple to more intense!

It is very important to keep your face clean by regularly washing your hands, touching your face as little as possible, cleaning your phone screen regularly and changing your pillowcase.

The next step is to have a consistent sleeping schedule, go to bed at set times and to sleep seven to eight hours. This way you help your body to heal itself.

By following a balanced and healthy diet and regularly doing exercise, many health problems, including acne, can also be solved. Exercise can help you to balance hormones, regulate the sugar level and reduce stress. Just don't go loose on cardio training! Intense levels of cardio can cause the body to produce more stress hormones. This can make your skin more sensitive and cause acne. In addition, excessive sweating can also contribute to the structure of dirt and clogged pores. It is always important to wash your face after exercise.

If this does not help enough, take a look at the products you use. Are they artificial or do they contain ingredients that your skin does not like personally? Do they contain hidden oils or fats? Or maybe you use too many or too strong products? View your routine and understand exactly what you use on your skin.

If these methods do not work, we recommend that you consult a professional. You can start with a skin therapist or a dermatologist. Doctors can prescribe special creams or oral medication that you cannot get without a prescription that tackle the more serious forms of acne or bacterial infections.

Finally, our chicory skincare skin expert Caroline can also inform you about your current routine, your diet and which products are suitable for your skin type. Book here A free online skin advice.

Blog Written, Researched and Edited by Megan Campbell and Caroline van Eeuwijk.