Is Your Skincare Giving You Pimples?

When you are a teenager, your skin tends to be oilier and more prone to pimples than the grown ups. You are better off using skincare for oily skin. The kind of skincare labeled for younger skin and problem skin.

As you grow older, your skin matures. It becomes less oily. Pimples become a thing of the past. Fine lines and wrinkles threaten to appear. You change your skincare to fit your skin's changing needs. You switch to anti-aging skincare to preserve your skin.

Then spots start appearing. Soon, you look like a classic case of teenage acne. Your entire face is covered with angry red spots.

Does that sound anything like your current situation?

Pimples and blemishes appear during puberty because of hormones which cause your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Those hormones cause the horny layer of your skin to thicken and pores get blocked more easily. The acne bacteria, propionobacterium acnes breeds happily in the sebum stucked in that blocked pore. The result? That red inflammed bump known as a pimple.

Puberty isn't the only thing that messes with your hormones. Stress too can cause your hormones to go haywire, and pimples to appear. It is pretty common for stressed out middle aged folks to suffer from acne too. Besides, some women never outgrow acne.

If you are faced with pimples, evaluate your skincare. What skincare are you using?

If you are using antiaging skin, chances are, the creams you are using are too rich for your skin. They may very well clog your pores, or add more oil to your already oily skin. Even if you are in your forties, if you have oily skin, give the skincare meant for mature skin a miss. Stick to skincare for younger skin or oily skin or problem skin.

Is your skincare oil-free?

If you have a pimple outbreak, stick to skincare that is oil free. Why add more oil to the fire? Your skin has enough oil to fill those pores and to clog them. Why add more oil to your already oily skin?

Is your skincare noncomedogenic? Comedones are those hardened plugs in blocked pores. Blackheads, whiteheads and pimples start with these blocked pores. Non comedogenic skincare has been tested not to block pores.

Which cleanser are you using?
Does your cleanser effectively, yet gently clean your skin thoroughly, without adding more oil to your skin? If your skin is oily, you are better off using a wash-off cleanser. A foaming cleanser is excellent for oily skin. Cream cleansers or milky cleansers that have to be cleaned off with toners may be a little too rich for pimple prone skin.

Although you want to get rid of excess oil, you don't want skincare that is so harsh it strips all the oil and moisture from your skin. Alcohol based skincare may strip more oil than necessary, tricking your skin into producing more oil than before.

Your best bet is to switch to skincare meant for oily sensitive skin. The ideal skincare regulates your skin's oil factories, unblocks the pores through exfoliation and kills acne bacteria so your skin doesn't get pimples.