5 Tips For Treating Adult Acne

Adult acne is on the increase and depending on which piece of research you read, anything up to 51% of us are suffering. How rude that it can often commence when you are upping the ante on treatment products to help you age more youthfully. The treatments exacerbate the spots and aggressive spot treatments damage the skin causing it to age. 

I was a sufferer from age 13 to about 47 when I started using the early samples of what was to become MERUMAYA® Effective Skincare.

Right up until then, I was using topical antibiotic Zineryt. I am pretty experienced in the misery that spots, craters, scars etc. cause and as a result I created a brand that focuses on youthful ageing without exacerbating problem skins.

Below are some tips that I have found to be helpful in controlling and minimising acne. It must be noted here that there are many different types of acne of varying severity and I am not a doctor, so factor that in please.

Anti Inflammatory Ingredients

In your skin care are pretty effective. They help to calm and soothe the skin and some help to repair it. I am a huge fan of Echium Oil which is a plant source of Omega 3, 6 & 9 (we all know how good that is for us).

I have used it extensively in the skincare products and supplements because it has been shown in trials (RevitElix is the trade name) to be more effective than industry benchmarks such as fish oil, borage and blackcurrant oils. Inflammation is at the root of acne and skin aging which makes Echium Oil the perfect ingredient. It is clinically tested to address lines, elasticity and if you have them, spots. It is used in clinically tested, robust concentrations in; Iconic Youth Serum™; Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF20™; Intensely Youthful Eye Cream™;. It can also be found in lower levels in Melting Cleansing Balm™.  

Cleansing

I believe that thorough, gentle cleansing is the cornerstone for vibrant, healthy looking skin. Gentle! No stripping of the skin or disturbing the natural moisture barrier. If you wear face make up I suggest a double cleanse at night. The first cleanse removes make up and the second ensures you get a facial quality cleanse by cleaning the skin. Melting Cleansing Balm™ is brilliant for all skin types and Luxury Facial Wash™ should be the second cleanse if you have a problematic skin. I know that some bloggers are against foaming washes but I have to say: they are not all equal. Luxury Facial Wash™ has the gentlest of surfactants and does not strip the skin. It also includes pomegranate enzymes to slough away the dead skin cells that cause blockages and spots as well as a mild anti-spot treatment.

Electric Cleansing Brushes

I am not a big fan of Electric Brushes and I think that there will be some fall out in years to come. I think electric cleansing brushes are a bit too aggressive and because the heads are so large, you often don’t go to the hairline, in the nooks around the nose etc. I think they end up compromising the natural moisture barrier in the skin, which is there to protect your skin. I prefer to stick with a Manual Cleansing Brush™ which is super gentle yet effective and portable for holidays. Since it is a manual cleansing brush, it needs no batteries, chargers or adaptors and the brush is about a tenth of the price and weight.
Daily Cleansing Cloths™ must be washed after every single use please.To get a facial quality ‘steam clean’ I have used a very light ‘flannel’ fabric because they are heavier than a muslin and hold the heat of the water better. The fabric is lighter than a flannel so they do not take too long to wash and dry. Daily Cleansing Cloths™  give a little exfoliation which helps to keep the skin clog free.  

Are we what we eat?

There is so much conflicting information in this area. The best thing you can do is to see if you pick up any patterns between what you eat and breaking out. If you see there are certain correlations, you can then avoid those foods. Plenty of water and vegetable and fruit juices that are made and drunk immediately are good in all sorts of ways. In the Readers Digest Food Cures, they cite the following foods as helpful to acne sufferers;

• Brazil Nuts for Selenium
• Oysters, beans, poultry, fish for Zinc
• Salmon, flaxseed, walnuts for Omega-3 fatty acids
• Sweet Potato, carrots, bell peppers for beta carotene
• Fruit & Veg
• Tomatoes, oranges and melons for Vitamin C
• Almond, eggs, leafy green veg for Vitamin E

• Iodised Salt and other strong sources of iodine. Use sea salt instead. Avoid processed and refined (‘white’) foods

Scrubs 

I would avoid scrubs because they can break open spots. They can be scratchy and it is largely agreed that peels or enzymes give more even exfoliation for problem and ageing skins.

In the Skin Brightening Exfoliating Peel™ we have creatively used both glycolic acid and pomegranate enzymes to give a superior exfoliation that feels gentle at the same time. All skins will look brighter and clearer and spots are controlled while pores are minimised and blockages prevented. Importantly for drier skins: it minimises lines and allows your treatment products to absorb more readily, making them more effective.

Exercising

Exercising often made my spots worse - or that is what I thought I experienced. Best practice here is to not wear any make up when exercising. Clean your skin before and immediately after exercising to help prevent spots and try not to touch your face with your hands during exercise, as you are transferring all manner of microbes from gym equipment to your face. Use an exfoliating product regularly to keep skin clog-free and be sure to keep well-hydrated.

Quick Wins

1. Change your pillowcases and face towels regularly.
2. Don’t strip the skin with harsh products.
3. Mix a little Concentrated Spot Treatment™ with your concealer before blending over spots.
4. Cleanse as soon as you get home for the evening, rather than waiting until you are going to bed.
5. Drink lots of water.  

Recommended Skincare Routine from MERUMAYA in priority order;

• Melting Cleansing Balm™ (1^st cleanse at night) & Daily Cleansing Cloths™ with Luxury Facial Wash™ (2^nd cleanse at night) & Manual Cleansing Brush™. In the morning decide how your skin is behaving. If problematic use LFW, if calm and dehydrated, use MCB.
• Iconic Youth Serum™ – morning and night. To hydrate and calm the skin
• Skin Brightening Exfoliating Peel™ – 2-3 times per week. If using in the morning, it replaces your cleanse so, not an extra step. Do other chores while it is activating on the skin and that way you have not taken ‘extra’ time from your busy schedule to look after your skin and are more likely to keep it up
• Concentrated Spot Treatment™ – Dab it on the pesky spots at least morning and night (bigger blob at night) and during the day if you need. It will address the redness, inflammation without creating a horrible crusty mess that becomes impossible to conceal.
• Intensely Youthful Eye Cream™ to care for the area that generally shows the first signs of ageing.
• Day and night moisturisers – as your skin needs it with Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF20™ and/or Overnight Recharge Night Cream™ (ONR contains spot treating Sytenol A too)