What is Acne? Understanding Your Skin Is The First Step To Treating Yo

Here at Face the Future we understand the importance of educating and supporting those who struggle with acne concerns. Many people may worry about the dreaded blackhead and whitehead, but some are still left with the questions; what is acne? How do I treat acne? What are the different types of acne?

Acne can come in many different forms and be caused by various factors, and unfortunately some cannot be avoided. But, there are ways to treat that stressful spot and manage an acne flare up. In today’s post we are going to be going through all things acne related, so you can understand your spots better and know what the best acne treatment may be for you.

What Causes Acne?

This skin condition can affect anyone and most people, at some point in their life, will experience one of the types of acne. It is often linked to changes in hormone levels which happens during puberty, but it can occur at any age with links to your lifestyle, diet and stress. The main symptom of acne are spots on your face, back and chest. It occurs when your hair follicles, which can be found all over your body, become blocked with excess oil and dead skin cells (not the most pleasant information we know). But this is very common, especially if you have an oily skin type, so understanding the cause is the best way to ensure you can manage your acne effectively.

Keep Your Hands Off!

Your hands can be one of the most common causes of the different types of acne you may have. From touching your face whilst doing daily tasks, to trying to get rid of those pesky spots by prodding, squeezing, and picking. By touching your face, the bacteria found on your hands can be transferred onto your skin creating spots.

Squeezing spots is not the best acne treatment. No matter how therapeutic or satisfying it is, you should never try to pop your acne. By doing this you will be creating an opening in the skin, inviting more bacteria which can then cause more spots, and increase your risk of scarring. Your skin should only be treated with products for acne.

SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3% is a great product to diminish blemishes and any irritation that acne can cause. If you are a first-time retinol user this is perfect for you, with its new and improved formula ensuring maximum stability and improved skin tolerability.

What Is Acne? Understanding Your Skin Is The First Step To Treating Your Acne

What Are The Different Types Of Acne?

Acne is found to be a named cause of stress and low self-confidence by people whoa re struggling with it - no matter what type of acne it is. However, there are different types of acne, and all can be dealt with in their own way.

Blackheads (open comedones):

With oil and dead skin cells being combined, this then oxidises and turns black in colour, hence the obvious name blackheads.

Whitehead (closed comedones):

Quite like a whitehead, this type of acne hasn’t oxidised leaving them white at the surface. One of the biggest no-no’s when it comes to acne is never to pop them. With this, if you squeeze a whitehead, it will not be emptied, so any of that satisfying pus you may have thought came out, is just going to fill right back up.

Papules:

This type of acne may be visibly smaller on your face, but that doesn’t mask the redness and tender sore feeling they leave. The best acne treatment for papules particularly is benzoyl peroxide, which targets surface bacteria, a common cause of the spots on your skin.

Pustules:

With papules being solid and inflamed, pustules are similar in appearance, but you may notice a white or yellow pus-filled tip. You may find that acne papules can become pustules when they go without treatment.

Nodules:

This type of acne can be described as severe, as it leaves you with hard, painful lumps deep within the skin. It is vital that you treat nodules with care and attention as it is possible you may be left with scarring.

Cysts:

Highlighted as the most severe type of acne, a cyst is a large pus-filled lump and typically can only be removed by an experienced dermatologist. Without proper treatment of this, it could lead to it becoming increasingly bigger and a greater risk of permanent scarring.

Maskne

With what's been going on in the world in recent years, maskne has become another skin concern. Wearing a face mask can create friction and sweat when worn for long periods of time, which can cause an acne flare up. To prevent maskne, it's important that you maintain a good daily skincare routine to ensure any acne causing bacteria is removed.

iS Clinical Cleansing Complex is the perfect first step for both your morning and evening skin regimes. With its lightweight but powerful formula, the combination of bio nutrients, mild resurfacing ingredients and antioxidants, your skin will be deeply cleansed but not stripped of those vital natural oils. If you struggle with acne prone skin, but it is still sensitive to the common harsh ingredients, this product is for you!

How Can You Treat Acne?

Identifying the type of acne you have is the first step of the process; once you’ve done this you can choose what treatment is best for your skin condition and skin type. Due to acne’s main cause being a result of surface level bacteria, using a deep cleanser will ensure all unwanted grime and debris will be removed. We recommend one of our best-selling cleansers Environ Focus Care Clarity+ Botanical Infused Sebu-Wash Gel Cleanser. A perfect foaming and mattifying cleanser to leave your skin feeling clean and refreshed, with AHA & BHA gently removing excess surface oils.

Are you looking for a quick treatment to soothe that inflamed spot when you have somewhere to be? With spot-fighting active ingredients, Medik8 Blemish SOS targets and soothes, minimising the appearance of the blemish in as little as 24 hours. To make it even handier, it comes in a compact size tube making it easy for those on-the-go trips.

Sometimes, acne can be a result of not only what is going on at the surface of your skin, but also what is going on inside your body. The Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax is a unique blend of active ingredients that will treat your problematic skin without the need for harsh chemicals that may damage your skin’s natural protective barrier. The advanced formula of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Phytonutrients work together to support healthy skin from the inside.

Discover Acne Treatments

SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3%

The new and improved formulation and packaging ensures maximum stability, improved tolerability and is specially packaged to preserve the potency.

£71.99 £80.00 10% offsaving

iS Clinical Cleansing Complex 180ml

This clear, lightweight cleansing gel is powerful yet gentle enough for hypersensitive skin. Formulated with a balance of bio nutrients, antioxidants and mild resurfacing ingredients that thoroughly cleanse without stripping essential natural oils.

£48.00

Environ Focus Care Clarity+ Botanical Infused Sebu-Wash Gel Cleanser

£34.00

Medik8 Blemish SOS

Medik8 Blemish SOS is designed for use on individual blemishes or problem areas. It contains a fusion of spot-fighting active ingredients, all in a soothing and cooling clear gel.

£25.00