Reoccurring acne can be a devastating blow to anyone, especially in your adult life. You have been through your teen years, feel the worst of your acne prone years, covering zits with Band-Aids (thank you early 2000’s Nelly), and foundation are behind you. You have a skincare routine, no matter how sporadic it may be (any routine is better than no routine and I am proud of you), you wash your face, and you try to watch what you eat and stay hydrated. You get the one-off pimple here and there, but nothing to worry about, right? You have changed your skincare routine and things are working, then why? Oh why, did you wake up with what is looking like a resurgence of the worst of your high school years on your face? You my love have stumbled into the world of reoccurring acne. No need to panic though, as your local and loving skincare contributor I am here to let you know what causes it, and how to treat it.

I know what you are thinking, I am an adult, why is this happening to me? And you are right, you are an adult, and this should be behind you. You’ve paid your dues with OG purchases of Clearasil and Noxzema and unbelievably the same reasons that made you beg your parents to buy you these items as a teen are contributing to your adult reoccurring acne now. The top four factors that contribute to acne are excess oil production, bacteria, inflammation, and clogged pores. I know you know this, but other factors that we tend to have more of as adults that affect acne and reoccurrence of it are the influx of our hormones, stress, for women your menstrual cycle. Then there is your diet, cosmetic products that clog pores, and unbelievably, your own skincare routine.

With so many things that can cause reoccurring acne, we have listed a couple of things that you can do to help alleviate it or reduce the odds of acne rearing its white head on your face.

Sleep deprivation can prompt hormones to overproduce skin cells and oil, clogging pores and causing blemishes. And if you’re constantly stressed out, a good reason to relax is the fact that the body’s response to lack of sleep is similar to the way it deals with anxiety – stress hormones increase oil production. So, breathe deep my friends, and try to find ways to relax. 

Just to get ahead of it, there is no connection between eating chocolate and getting acne, so keep those bars on deck. That’s not what is burrowing those blackheads in your skin. Instead, we can point our fingers at three other culprits: sugar (I already said don’t include chocolate, nothing to see here), refined carbohydrates and dairy products. These can all cause spikes in your insulin level, causing oil-producing glands to go into overdrive. Which in return causes excess oils to clog your pores and gives the marching orders to reoccurring acne to appear on your beautiful face.

To get that perfect contoured look we must clog some pores, unfortunately clogging pores doesn’t allow the skin to breathe. We do ourselves no favors by using heavy concealers and foundations to cover up these blemishes, worsening the inflammation. But that doesn’t mean you have to bare your face to the world, makeup-free. You can look for makeup labeled noncomedogenic (non-pore clogging), as well as oil-free or mineral-based makeup to keep your pores clear. 

This actress says this skincare routine is the best, your favorite singer says it’s that one, your best friend found something on Pinterest, and your sister found something on TikTok that you must try. All these wonderful products to keep your skin clear, and yet every 3 weeks you break out with reoccurring acne. Sound familiar?

 The reason, skin purging. Like any good habit it is the consensus that it takes 21 days to establish. You must do it consistently for 21 days before it becomes something you do with little to no thought, a natural progression. For skincare, the magic number is at least 28 days. Why at least? Because depending on the product your skin may need up to 6 to 12 weeks or 1.5 to 3 months to see optimal results. Your skin sheds a layer of skin on your face on average every 30 days. When switching products rapidly you haven’t given your skin time to adjust to the new products. This causes periods of flawless skin, then purging skin, clear skin, purging skin, you get it. When introducing a new skincare routine allow yourself at least 28 days of continual use to start seeing the results.

Last, but not least, our hormones. As adults, we have most of our oil producing hormones stabilized. However, women tend to experience reoccurring acne even into their 50’s because of estrogen (the female hormone) levels spikes during certain periods in their life: around menstruation, pregnancy, and to a lesser degree, menopause. Men experience acne due to spikes in androgen (the male hormone) caused by changes in diet, stress, or other underlying medical causes. 

Now that you have the facts, and your solutions, here are the Suggestions from Skybox.

1. Wash your face no more than twice a day. Morning upon waking, and in the evening before bed, (got to get that grime off your face before bed!) Too much washing can cause your skin to become raw, and vulnerable to bacteria and infection.
2. Use cool or warm water and a gentle cleanser. Might I suggest one of our bar soaps? For acne try our Green Tea & Aloe Vera, Turmeric, Lemon, & Aloe, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Scars to Your Beautiful, or Vanilla Bean & Lavender. 

Here’s to staying informed, being nostalgic, and clear and healthy skin!

Marika – Skybox Skincare Bar