Learn how to treat adult acne effectively while preventing signs of premature aging simultaneously.
story highlights
- Your skin behaves differently as you age, so you need to treat it differently
- A combination of regular exfoliation (but not too much!), hydration, highly-active skin care and a healthy lifestyle can help clear adult acne, smooth skin and brighten skin tone.
- Understand the causes of adult acne, including hormonal triggers and stress to build a more targeted skincare routine.
what causes adult acne?
Adult acne is more common than you might think, especially among women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. If you’re still breaking out long after your teenage years, you’re not alone but the causes of adult acne are different to those in your teens and so are the treatments.
common causes of adult acne include:
- Hormonal fluctuations, particularly during menstruation, pregnancy, menopause or after stopping birth control (often referred to as adult hormonal acne).
- Chronic stress, which increases cortisol and oil production.
- Build-up of dead skin cells due to slower cell turnover.
- Environmental factors, like pollution and exposure to comedogenic ingredients.
- Lifestyle choices, such as diet, sleep, and smoking.
still using the same acne products you relied on as a teen? Here’s why they’re not working
If you’re using the same acne treatments you relied on in your teen years, they’re probably not working like they used to. That’s because your skin behaves differently when you’re an adult, so you need to treat it differently to get the results you want.
Unlike teens, adults are typically also concerned about sensitivity, dehydration and pigmentation issues, which are common among adults. Cell turnover slows with age, meaning adult skin can take longer to heal than teen skin, which means post-acne marks and redness can last longer, increasing the appearance of premature skin aging.
how to treat adult acne
To clear adult acne, first focus on reducing chronic stress. This is a top acne trigger because it can stimulate excess oil production and hormonal fluctuations as well as impair the skin’s ability to heal. Managing stress through sleep, exercise and mindfulness practices can have a noticeable impact on breakouts.
Second, establish a regular skin care regimen that targets the main contributing factors of acne: overactive sebaceous glands (excess oil), cell proliferation (excess dead skin cells), growth of acne-causing bacteria, chronic inflammation, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. (The last one is what causes those stubborn post-acne marks.)
Look for multifunctional products that contain ingredients like Salicylic Acid, which helps clear away dead skin cells; Bentonite or Kaolin Clay, which helps reduce excess sebum (oil); Thymol and Terpineol, which help reduce sebum and breakout-causing bacteria; Niacinamide and Hexylresorcinol, which help fade post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation; and soothing botanicals like Tea Tree Oil and Licorice.
Shop our Active Clearing range, designed specifically for adults dealing with both breakouts and early signs of ageing.
do you have post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) or a scar?
It’s easy to confuse post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation with scarring, but they are very different. Think of PIH as skin tone-related and a scar as texture-related. PIH leaves a mark that ranges from pink to dark black. A scar creates a raised or depressed area on the skin, resulting from a loss or overgrowth of tissue.
PIH is more common in adult acne and can often be reduced with exfoliants or ingredients like Niacinamide and Hexylresorcinol. Scars are more difficult to treat and may require clinical interventions.
Practice good skin care habits. Good skincare habits can reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts to support healthier, younger-looking skin. While teen and adult acne differ, both can be reduced by the following habits backed by our skin care experts, which help promote clear skin:
- Clean make-up brushes regularly, wash pillowcases weekly and disinfect cell phones daily to help reduce breakout-causing bacteria.
- Avoid ingredients such as Lanolin, Isopropyl Myristate (common in powders), Mineral Oil (which can prevent skin cells from shedding properly) and fragrance (a common irritant).
- Be careful not to wash your face with hot water, over-exfoliate, or treat the skin too aggressively. Such habits can dry out the skin and trigger inflammation, which can lead to wrinkles.
- Keep skin moisturised to combat dehydration, which not only makes fine lines more apparent but also stimulates excess oil production in the skin.
- Avoid pore-clogging, congestion-inducing habits like working out with make-up on and not thoroughly cleansing skin afterwards.
- Practice a healthy lifestyle whenever possible. That means get more sleep, eat a balanced diet, drink more water, limit caffeine consumption, and don’t smoke. Do this, and you’ll be on your way to clear skin in no time!
adult acne can be treated effectively
Adult acne is complex but not untreatable. By identifying the causes of adult acne, like hormones, stress, or lifestyle, and choosing high-performance, multitasking products, you can reduce breakouts, fade post-acne marks and prevent premature ageing.
Active Clearing is Dermalogica’s answer to breakouts and related signs of premature skin aging. To find out which products in this system are ideal for your skin, visit a Dermalogica professional skin therapist for a Face Mapping® skin analysis and customised product prescription.