Getting spots is something we all dread. As a Teen, I would wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and there was nothing worse than seeing a new spot on my face. What teenagers don’t realise is there are a few simple steps you can follow to prevent spots and the symptoms of acne.
Firstly, What Is Acne?
As defined by the NHS: Acne is a common skin condition that affects roughly 95% of people aged between 11 and 30. It causes spots, oily skin and sometimes skin that’s reddened, hot or painful to touch. You can get 6 types of spots; Blackheads, whiteheads, papules, and pustules, which are the most common and are more mild symptoms of acne, normally treatable with off-the-shelf products. The last two, nodules and cysts typically require medicated products to treat, and it’s best to speak to a dermatologist on treatment plans.
Now that you understand spots, let’s focus on what YOU and what you can do to reduce excess oil, the likelihood of breakouts, and target the size and redness of current spots.
4 Top Tips To Reduce Symptoms Of Acne:
- Consistent Routine
One of the biggest contributors to getting spots, is when you don’t regularly wash your face and apply products – a consistent routine is key. Pores getting clogged with excess oil, dead skin and other debris that your skin collects during the day or night can all cause spots, which is why washing your face regularly is key. Without consistency products don’t work as effectively as they could, which means you are not only wasting your time but your money! You should aim to cleanse your face and apply moisturisers/serums/spot creams at least twice a day for the best results.
Top Tip: Try getting into a good routine first thing when you wake up and after your shower at night.
- Choosing The Right Products And Ingredients
Another important aspect is choosing the right products. You should be choosing ingredients that don’t irritate your skin but provide an effective cleanse or treatment. When I look for ingredients for young, sensitive and acne-prone skin, I choose ingredients such as:
- Salicylic Acid or Succinic Acid for exfoliation, unclogging pores and targeting the symptoms of acne (oily skin and blemishes);
- Niacinamide for combating redness, smoothing skin and promoting an overall clearer complexion;
- Hyaluronic acid for reducing inflammation, soothing irritated skin and most of all, locking in the skin’s moisture;
- Azelaic acid helps target bacteria that causes irritation or breakouts, while also reducing inflammation;
- Jojoba Oil as a great anti-inflammatory that can help reduce the symptoms of Dermatitis, Acne, and Eczema.
For your skin, you should be looking for creams that are lightweight (also known as noncomedogenic – simply meaning they don’t clog pores). Often, we get spots because heavy creams block our pores which cause inflammation and spots to form. Choosing lightweight products can prevent this from happening.
- Watch Your Diet And Lifestyle
Diet is something that a lot of people argue about how much affect it has on your skin, and to be honest it does need further research. Some teen’s skin responds more than others, but as a simple fact your skin is your largest organ in your body and is affected by what you do with your body – that includes diet, sleep, and lifestyle.
As a basic rule for your diet, omega-3 fatty acids are your friend (fish is a great source, as well as spinach, and soy products!), try to eat fewer dairy products (this can be milk, cheese, ice cream etc.) and fewer foods with a high glycaemic index (these products are breads, sweetened cereals, snack foods such as popcorn, pretzels, and some fruits like melons, pineapples).
Another aspect is how much water you drink, keeping yourself hydrated (6-8 cups a day – adjust depending on how active you are) will help your skin look its best, and getting enough sleep (9-9.5 hours is suggested for teens) will give your skin the best chance of looking clearer.
- Hygiene
A big factor, especially for body acne or acne on the forehead, is making sure you shower frequently especially after sport, and taking off sweaty clothes as soon as possible. Keeping excess sweat on your skin can irritate your skin and cause reddened patches as well as breakouts.
Here are some general tips for you to follow:
- Wash your skin (body and face) twice a day, and then after excess sweating or playing sports;
- Wash your hair (especially oily hair) with shampoo regularly;
- Try avoid your hair touching and brushing against your face;
- Avoid squeezing, touching or picking spots – this can lead to bacteria entering open spots and making it worse;
- It’s best to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, especially without adequate sun protection.
I hope the above tips will help you.
Let me know, which one’s you are going to add to your daily routine by leaving a comment below…
About The Author
MD of Bare Addiction Skincare – Mark Poole
Mark Poole created Bare Addiction in 2020 with the desire to create effective, safe and natural based skincare for the problems tweens, teens and twenty-somethings face every day. The range has been created from scratch with the help of British formulation scientists and Harley Street Dermatologists.
The market is saturated with Teenage Skincare products that are either filled with harsh and synthetic ingredients or are fully organic and natural which failed to show results. So we decided to find the answer to one question… Can we achieve the best of both world’s, natural yet effective?
From the Author:
‘’As a Teen, I experienced what most teens do, spots! Even though I didn’t have any severe levels of acne, one spot is too many at that age. I tried many skincare products, from very synthetic to all natural, vegan, organic products – name it, I have tried it! My mum did her best hunting everywhere for products that would give me spot free skin. She wanted a product that she knew wouldn’t damage my skin yet would give me the results I wanted. And to be frank, I just wanted something that worked.
This is where Bare Addiction was born, the sweet spot between nature and science to create a range of products that leverage the best of natural and scientific ingredients to provide effective yet gentle products – so teens and parents are both happy!’’
If you’d like a personalised routine and product range that can help you achieve a clearer complexion?
Bare Addiction Skincare offers a ‘Skin Type’ quiz that provides you with a personalised routine and explains how each product will help your skin and finally give you that clearer complexion you are searching for.
Visit www.bareaddiction.com/pages/skincare, and within 5 minutes know your skin type, the right products for you and have a personalised routine. It’s that easy!
To learn more about the type of spots and acne in general visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acne/