How do I get rid of my acne?
In our books, this is the most popular acne-related question. We wish there were one simple answer. Many factors play a part in dealing with acne, and everybody’s story is different. So let’s go through some important factors that relate to acne.
In the article, we will address:
1. The type of skin you have.
2. The habits you keep. We believe that how you live your life affects your skin.
Knowing the type of skin you have is important to understanding how to tackle your acne.
Problematic
This type of skin can get mixed up with sensitive skin. Yet, new studies have shown that sensitive skin has more to do with handling and less to do with your skin type.
For example, using the incorrect face wash can aggravate your eczema. Using products that have alcohol or fragrances in them can lead to sensitivity or reddish skin. Not caring about your skin barrier and locking in your skin’s moisture can cause more sensitive skin.
We don’t see sensitive skin as a skin type but as a habitual problem. Problematic skin is frequently aggravated skin with a repetitive problem. If you are prone to eczema, you will know certain foods or products cause it to inflame. If you have acne-prone skin, it could be from how you eat or how often you wash your face.
If you study your skin long enough, you will find that certain habits lead to acne-related problems. How do we know this? We assist many people with their problematic skin. We can see with our clients that acne is generally a repetitive problem and can be healed.
Oily
Oily skin is the most common skin type related to acne. Oil, sweat, hair, and dead skin get trapped in your pores, causing bacteria build-up. This can lead to blackheads, whiteheads, or cysts. We encourage our clients to keep a strict skincare regime if they have oily prone skin, and this is what that looks like:
- Wash your face twice a day. Make sure your face wash is not just stripping your skin of oil but also nourishing it. Our face wash contains prebiotics to give back the natural bacteria that assist with the health and strength of your skin.
- Make sure your skin barrier is looked after. Securing your skin barrier will close your pores and trap all healthy moisture your skin needs. It will also strengthen and not allow oil, sweat, hair, or dead skin to build up and cause an infection.
- Exfoliate your skin – an important step! Daily cleansing your skin and removing debris that builds up throughout the day will ease your acne. We have combined our exfoliation and daily cleanser. So you can use fewer products yet still fight against your acne with a targeted skincare regime.
Normal or Combination
These two skin types are problem-free or have very few acne-related issues. It is important to note that your skin type can change throughout the years due to hormone or stress-related circumstances.
Dry Skin Acne
You may be thinking, “Is dry skin acne a thing? I have never heard of it.”
Yes, it is a thing and rarely spoken about, yet easily corrected. Dry skin acne is caused by a build-up of trapped dead skin, hair, and bacteria. This type of skin is more stressed due to the lack of moisture but is easily remedied with skin barrier protection: deep moisturising and exfoliation.
Dry skin acne sufferers struggle with a build-up of acne underneath the skin. This type of acne is difficult to get to, and if you try to squeeze (not that we advise this), you land up breaking open your skin around the pimple, leaving future scarring and dark marks.
To assist with dry skin acne, you need an exfoliant and to deeply disinfect your skin. We suggest using either soft sugar granules or natural exfoliation and benzoyl peroxide.
Remember, you won’t see instant results, but you must continue disinfecting and moisturising your skin regularly.
Pro Tip: If you have dry skin, wash your face only at night and invest in the correct facial cleanser and moisturiser.
Now that we have covered the different skin types commonly found in South Africa, we can look at common habits that our South African acne warriors do:
These habits include:
- Gut Health
- Hygiene
- General Habits
- Skincare Regime
Gut Health
This one is difficult to assist with because it involves sacrificing some of the foods you eat. Dairy, spices, colourants, and artificial flavouring.
By eliminating certain foods, you can see what is disrupting your gut health.
Gut health has a lot to do with the positive bacteria called microbes. Microbes assist with keeping your gut strong, leaving you with more energy and healthy skin. Artificial foods interrupt and can kill these helpful natural microbes. So by eliminating the foods that hurt your gut health, your skin will benefit!
Hygiene
Struggling with your hygiene habits is nothing to be ashamed of! You only know what you know. Developing good hygiene habits is important in caring for your skin because one of the causes of acne is bacteria. Acne is no different from having an open wound that needs special care.
Touching your skin is a popular acne spreader. Most of our acne clients admitted that touching their face and picking their skin less was step one towards their acne healing.
We suggest washing your hands regularly, touching your face less, and cleansing your skin with a strong disinfectant.
General Habits
We class general habits as the small daily things that you wouldn’t think are acne-related.
- The way you think
- How you handle stress
- Having a fringe and not washing your hair often
- Not drinking enough water during the day
- Not wiping down your phone when you place it on your cheek.
The best solution to overcoming these habits and healing your skin is to view where your acne is and evaluate which habits could be affecting your skin in that area.
Skincare Regime
Your skincare regime is vital for your acne healing. As stated above, your skin type determines how you should care for your skin.
- Oily skin means washing your face twice daily and changing your pillow slip weekly!
- Normal to combination skin is about using the correct product on only the dry or oily parts of your skin. But be careful not to overdo it because we have seen people suffer from acne from overdoing their skincare.
- Washing your hands before washing your face is an important step in your skincare regime.
- Consistency with a regime that works for you is essential. A skincare regime can be relaxing and settling as it has the power to restore your skin with the correct products.
Here at acne.org.za, we take your whole life into consideration when viewing your acne and helping you reach healing.
