Aging is bittersweet. On one hand, it comes with experience and wisdom, and on the other hand, you’ll notice lines, wrinkles, and adult acne starting to creep up. You read that correctly, acne is not just a problem of our adolescent past.
With age, our skin goes through many changes. We develop wrinkles, the skin thins and droops, and the texture and color become somewhat unfamiliar. Battling the wrinkles and acne combination can be tiresome, but worry not, as there are many anti-aging ingredients that can also relieve you of your adult acne woes, but first let’s take a look into both anti-aging products and adult acne.
What Happens to Your Skin As you Age?
Lets face it, the idea of your skin aging can be intimidating. You may even wonder if there is anything you can do to prevent aging skin. While you may not be able to stop or slow down time, you can promote a slow aging process. Skin changes are due to a number of factors and vary from person to person. However, there are a few factors and habits that can be eliminated to age gracefully.
Sun exposure – We all love a little fun in the sun, however, it’s important to remain protected. Using skin products with SPF 30+, covering up, and limited sunbathing can help protect our skin from the sun.
Tanning – The UV rays from tanning beds can cause the skin to age more rapidly. It might be a great idea to swap out tanning beds for sprays and lotions.
Smoking – At Halo Clear, we believe in beauty from the inside out. Not only is smoking bad for your lungs, it speeds up the aging process, causes wrinkles and a dull complexion.
Adolescent Acne vs. Adult Acne
You will find that there are some differences in the acne that develops during your teenage years and the stubborn acne that appears during adulthood.
As a teen, you may have noticed that breakouts showed up primarily on the face, chest and back. This is due to androgen, a male hormone that shows up in both males and females. It surges during adolescence and causes excess production of sebum oil. Luckily for teens, their cells turnover at a higher rate and their skin is more resilient, and therefore they recover faster. For the lucky few who go into adulthood without breakouts, that is due to the hormonal changes leveling out.
As an adult, the cause of acne is a bit different. Chronic stress and hormonal fluctuations of adulthood are a leading cause, sending adrenal glands into overdrive which promotes a production of oil. For adults, acne tends to appear primarily around the mouth, chin, and jawline; all areas mostly associated with hormonal breakouts. Unlike teens, adult skin is experiencing aging, therefore the skin cell turnover is not as rapid, presenting a challenge in healing from the acne. Therefore, it is safe to say that aging skin is not necessarily a cause of adult acne, but does make it more difficult to treat.
What Causes Adult Acne
If aging skin does not cause (or prevent) adult acne, let’s take a look at a few things that can be attributed to adult acne:
Hormones: Adult acne can be triggered by a fluctuation of hormones. This fluctuation can simply be attributed to pregnancy, menstrual cycle, medication, and menopause; all of which can influence oil-production, potentially clogging pores.
Oils: Not only can oil be produced naturally, the products that you use can add oil to the skin. Shampoos and conditioners, gels, or hairspray all come into contact with our skin. Additionally, cosmetics and many skin products that promise beautiful skin can contain too many oils that might not agree with your skin and end up clogging your pores.
Stress: Between work, raising a family, financial responsibilities- we get it! Adulthood is stressful, and as a result, that stress may show in our skin.
Diet: Let’s face it, diet does not only affect our weight. What you consume has a major effect on the entire body, skin included. That is why taking a holistic approach to your acne is hugely beneficial.
Killing two Birds With One Stone
We get it, the aging skin and adult acne combo can place you between a rock and a hard place. When fighting acne, you may be concerned that the products you choose will dry the skin, leading to more visible signs of aging. On the other side of the coin, when fighting aging skin, you may fear that the products you choose subject your skin to clogged pores and even more breakouts due to thick or oily textures. Is it possible to attack both issues without sacrificing one or the other? The bottom line is: YES! When choosing products, it is important to check the label.
Below are ingredients that can bring you radiant and smooth skin. And you are in luck, because most of them can be found in our products:
Retinol /Retinoids – This topical ingredient is anti-wrinkle. It promotes skin cell turnover, stimulates collagen, and helps treat acne and hyperpigmentation.
Glycolic Acid – This ingredient improves skin cell turnover, removes sticky and older cells, evens skin tone, texture and stimulates collagen.
Salicylic Acid – A favorite amongst many dermatologists. It mildly stimulates collagen, eliminates the sticky cells in the hair follicle and the oil gland ducts, which causes acne, and it evens skin tone and treats hyperpigmentation.
Azelaic Acid – Found in barley, rye, and grains that has potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and comedolytic properties, preventing clogged pores and producing bright and radiant skin.
About Halo Clear: Halo Clear’s patented Acne Treatment System is a 5-product acne solution that penetrates the subdermal layers of the skin to target acne at its source. Developed by Halo Clear scientists, the Acne Treatment System uses a unique formulation of salicylic acid to treat acne without irritating or drying the skin. The system is used in a day and night routine so that your skin is treated 24/7 leading to visible results in as little as 2 weeks or less.