Hello, great skin!
If spots are plaguing you in your twenties and thirties, don’t do anything until you’ve read Carly Cardellino Vaccaro’s story ›
hi, I work in beauty, I have for years, and I don’t have clear skin.
This is despite having access to the country’s best dermatologists and the most cutting-edge treatments. The most frustrating part? I’m no longer 16 – I’m a grown-up. A spotty-faced adult. For me, acne is like that one frenemy who just keeps popping back into your life.
Here’s the hard truth: acne is almost always chronic, and it’s getting worse for adults – it’s not something you cure, but something you control. So buckle up, because I (and some people with actual, spot-fighting medical degrees) am going to show you how.
First, it helps to know that there are two main kinds of acne, teenage and adultonset, explains dermatologist Dr Shari Marchbein. The former typically shows up in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin), while adult acne tends to invade the jawline, mouth area, cheeks and neck. They both stem from four causes: bacteria in your skin, inflammation caused by said bacteria, enlarged oil glands and hormones.
Imbalanced hormones force your sebaceous glands (which spit out waxy, pore-clogging sebum) into action. This may provide a clue as to why breakouts have become a big problem for twentyand thirtysomethings recently, explains Dr Marchbein. “One theory we have now is that you have an increase of hormones in your skin that causes your oil glands to overproduce,” she says. This could be due to contraception use.
In addition to hormones, though, there are a lot of other factors that can make adult-onset acne worse – and unfortunately, they’re things many of us have to deal with every day…
STRESS
Feeling frazzled means the stress hormone cortisol is coursing through your body, triggering the inflammation that leads to flare-ups.
POLLUTION
Debris in the air can basically sit on your face, clogging pores and causing spots. Avoid this by using anti-pollution skincare ingredients like vitamin C.
PRODUCT OVERUSE
“People want to try every new beauty trend, but few consider what’s right for their skin,” says Dr Marchbein. Her recommendation? Stay strong against Instagram beauty bombardments and pare back your regimen.
DIET
Eating a high-glycaemic diet (one that contains lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates), as well as consuming certain dairy products, could make you break out. “The latter contain a protein that spikes certain hormone receptors, creating acne,” explains Dr Marchbein.