Whether you’re experiencing adult acne, teenage acne or sporadic breakouts every now and then, we know exactly how you feel. Developing acne at any given age can be extremely irritating as well as mentally draining. Having to worry about how you look or if your skin is the first thing people notice when they meet you can be very frustrating, therefore we are here to help you understand what your acne might be a result of and give you a few tips that might help get rid of your preventable breakouts.  

Different Types of Acne:

Acne can pop in more than one form, either inflamed or non-inflamed.  Non-Inflammatory Acne: are commonly known as whiteheads or blackheads, also known as surface blemishes.  Inflammatory Acne: mostly present as red bumps and pus bumps that can be very painful and uncomfortable. 

Common Causes of Acne:

You might sometimes get conflicting reasonings and diagnosis behind your sudden facial breakouts. Some might tell you it’s the food you're eating or poor hygiene, and with those myths come the unsubstantiated advice that can actually cause more harm than good. Therefore, here are the possible, most common causes behind your acne:

Hormones: Hormones can be an extremely significant factor in the presence or absence of acne. We’ve all experienced some sort of breakouts during our period, have you ever wondered why? Hormones like estrogen and progesterone that increase in levels during your cycle are responsible for stimulating oil glands, aka sebum, which can consequently clogging your pores and causing breakouts. 

Stress: Stress can be a vital cause of breakouts and sudden acne. It is real and valid. When stressed your body releases corticotropin-releasing-hormone, aka CRH, in addition to stimulating your oil glands, consequently leading to oil production and inflammation.

Genetics: Genetics are a great and effective factor to how prone to breakouts you are. Some people are more predisposed to acne than others, it all depends on your rate of pore shedding. When pores get clogged with excess oils while you're prone to high pore bacteria can easily form, leading to an infection, aka a pimple. 

Diet: Even though a big misconception regarding food and acne is always circulating the internet. The fact is that yes, what you eat can affect the severity of your acne, however it is not how you think. We’ve always been told that creasy foods are the ones to cause breakouts, however studies have shown the main food group to cause acne is actually dairy. So the surprising twist is that greasy foods aren’t linked to an increase in breakouts, but sugary, starchy foods and cow’s milk are.

Acne Treatments: 

Lifestyle Changes: 

1- Clean your pillow cases: Making sure your pillow cases are regularly changed and disinfected can substantially affect how often you develop breakouts. Illuminating contact with bacteria on a daily basis can do the trick.

2- Cut Dairy: You could try cutting down your dairy consumption, especially cow’s milk. This can definitely decrease the amount of breakouts you’re developing. Trying to cut it out may help.

 3- Stick to a simple routine: We know how alluring it is to want to try a million products at a time in hopes of finding your perfect routine. However doing so can do more harm than good. Incorporating too many corrective products can cause irritation to your skin, accompanied by breakouts. Try sticking to a few products at a time, make sure they work for you and don't cause any adverse effects, then start adding to those.

Natural & Over-the-counter Ingredients to Treat Acne:

• Tea Tree Oil: has been proven to sometimes work as good as some OTC acne treatments as it effectively kills bacteria and gets rid of moderate acne. The Tea Tree essential oil from Rhea Beauty is an organic oil that can fight breakouts, acne and pimples, it can improve skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. *If you suffer from extra sensitive skin, make sure to dilute the tea tree oil with water or even your moisturizer as a cautionary measure.

• Salicylic Acid: aids in unclogging and cleansing your pores as well as treating comedones. Incorporating a cleanser with Salicylic acid as a main ingredient is taking one step closer towards perfected skin. The Clean & Clear Deep Action Face Cream Wash is a great and affordable cleanser with a suitable salicylic acid concentration that is specially formulated to cleanse deep down into the pores to help prevent spots and breakouts.

•  Glycolic acid: Is known to enhance and rejuvenate skin elasticity as well as encouraging cell turnover, even at a concentration as low as 0.2%, glycolic acid can be effective in treating acne. The Rhea Beauty whitening and exfoliating cream works as a chemical peel and helps with reducing the degree of skin darkening after sun exposure,  fading of dark spots, removing dead skin cells, treating fine lines, acne and uneven skin texture.

  

• Vitamin A:  Retinols and retinoids are both vitamin A derivatives, used as over-the-counter acne treatments that have proven effectiveness with multiple acne types. The HG Aesthetics retinol 0.2% anti-aging serum is composed of pure retinol, designed to minimize fine lines, brighten skin tone, as well as treating acne and softening the skin's texture. 

  

After you’ve read this in-depth acne guide, you must know that every body is different, and can react differently to many products. If something works for you, that doesn't mean that it'll work for everybody else, and vice versa. Beauty is trial and error, and you must know that no matter what skin, hair, or body challenge you’re facing, you are beautiful in every way, shape or form. Love who you are and strive to be a better version of that, and most importantly don't compare yourself to anyone else.