All You Need to Know About Acne and its Effects On the Skin
Most people experience skin conditions like acne at least once. When excess oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells accumulate within the tiny pores in our skin, they swell up to become pimples or zits. If you experience pimples more frequently and abundantly, it is called acne.
When a pore is clogged, it is prone to infection. This causes different types of acne – pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules, or cystic acne. Certain body parts – forehead, cheeks, jawline, chest, upper back – are more prone to acne , as they contain the most oil glands. Face acne is the most common type that bothers people the most, especially because it is easily visible.
Identifying the different kinds of acne
Whiteheads: These are caused when excess oil accumulates in the pores and gets trapped by dead skin. You will spot these tiny, white bumps mainly near your nose and forehead. They are usually painless.
Blackheads: Also called open comedones, these are caused by clogged pores. The black colour is from irregular light reflection from the clogged hair follicles. Just like whiteheads, blackheads are non-inflamed and painless. However, they can sometimes be itchy.
Papules: If you have small red or pink bumps on your skin, you may have papules. These are mainly caused by excess oil and bacteria. These inflamed pimples are smaller in size but sensitive to touch.
Pustules: These are inflamed whiteheads. These swollen, painful bumps are filled with pus and have a red ring around them. If not treated well, they can leave scars and dark spots. Pustules occur when excess oil and dead skin cells clog the pore and break its walls.
Nodular acne: Also known as nodules, these are clogged pores that become red and swollen with irritation. As they go deeper underneath the skin, they can leave scars. Nodules are inflammatory acne and can be painful. They are mainly caused by the overgrowth of acne-causing bacteria and the buildup of dead skin cells.
Cystic acne: Cystic acne or cysts are pus-filled inflammatory pimples. They go even deeper than nodules and are more painful. These often develop due to clogged pores and bacteria.
Acne is caused by an imbalance in the skin microbiome. Therefore, the best formulation to resolve acne has to work on restoring balance in the microbiota.
Incomplete solutions that are overhyped
People who usually deal with chronic acne often choose to use ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and niacinamide. However, these chemicals may break down to form oxygen, destroying most of your skin’s good bacteria in the process. Thus imbalance renders your skin a breeding ground for acne once again. Frequent use of these chemicals may irritate your skin initially and dry it out in the long run. You may also experience peeling, tingling, itching, or hives.
Choose science that’s good for your skin
Technologies like TT (Thymol and Terpineol) work on the bacteria themselves. TT technology uses the dual power of terpineol and thymol – naturally occurring alcohols derived from pine, petitgrain, and cajuput oils and thyme and monarda oils, respectively. These break the bacterial cell membranes and prevent them from flushing out antibacterial substances. Thus, instead of working only on the surface, they go deeper to effectively kill gram-positive and gram-negative acne-causing bacteria and restore the skin’s natural microbiome. Found to be 2.5 times better than salicylic acid, TT technology has also been found to reduce acne from day 3 of usage.
Acne is a common condition many teenagers and adults experience, which you can treat with the right formulation, backed by solid research and evidence. We recommend researching acne and common acne solutions thoroughly and being mindful before using non-prescription medications and skincare solutions.
