Acne Tips by Althea Giscombe, the founder of Thea Skincare
What are the symptoms of acne, why do they
cause such problems for sufferers?
Acne is a condition that can affect anyone at any
time in their life. Although it is mainly associated with teenagers and young
adults (reports indicate that up to 85% of people between the ages of 14 and 25
have had acne at sometime in their lives) it can affect other age groups also
such as women who are going through the menopause.
Acne can be a confidence-reducing problem for sufferers
because it is a condition that is very visible for all to see!
The symptoms of acne vary in its severity from
fully blown acne, where the skin has spots with heads that have yellow pus on
their surface, to just a few pimples of the face.
The main symptoms of acne are:
Black and whiteheads
Pimples
Yellow lumps on the skin
Cysts
Dry, itchy skin, scaring and blemishes.
It's obvious to all and very distressing to most sufferers as the symptoms are clearly visible. Plus, most people that
have acne have it on their face (even though you can have acne on other parts
of the body too); acne in other parts of their body can generally be
hidden but on the face it cannot!
What Causes Acne?
The human body is a wonderful and dynamic natural
machine but when it does not function properly it can cause us havoc.
We all have hair follicles in our skin. These are
connected to very tiny glands called the sebaceous glands. These glands produce
oil called the sebum whose job it is to keep our skin and hair naturally moisturised.
People with acne have a disorder that causes the oil glands to produce too much oil.
The glands then become blocked and bacteria builds up. The bacteria, combined with the dead skin cells
lying on the face, cause infections that we call acne.
3. What sorts
of products and regimes should consumers use at home if they suffer from acne?
If you suffer from acne, avoid any skincare
products with alcohol in and try to use chemical free skincare lines wherever possible. Alcohol and chemicals can all aggravate the skin and worsen the problem.
Have and
stick to a simple, regular skincare routine; it only takes 5 minutes to cleanse, tone and moisturise in the morning or night and you'll
see the benefits almost instantly.
Cleanse twice a day with a good natural foaming face
cleanser, tone your skin and use a good anti-acne moisturiser.
Give yourself a deep cleanse once a week, with a
face steamer or a bowl of hot water and a towel over you head - this opens the pores to get rid of the excess oil and impurities that are lying on the surface of the skin.
Use an exfoliator twice a week, remembering to choose one that's
alcohol free and gentle.
100% natural acne skin care products by Thea Skincare |
What should they avoid doing and what sort of
products and ingredients are bad?
Avoid foods that are particularly fatty or have a lot of
sugar. I know someone who has become a Vegan and his acne skin has improved
considerably due to significantly reducing his fat intake!
Drink a lot of water each day and if, like me, you
find it hard to drink water then drink herbal tea 3-4 times a day to flush
bacteria and other toxins out.
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit; make juices
from different combinations of fruit and vegetables to detoxify the body.
Can any lifestyle choices or changes help?
Exercise is great for refreshing the blood and
ridding the blood of some of the toxins that can cause acne.
Try to have a professional facial treatment once a
month or if it's not affordable give yourself an at-home treatment. A deeper
skincare treatment once a week at home can help to remove the excess oil under
the skin and can improve acne considerably.
Have a simple but regular skincare routine and
stick to it every day. Throw out all the products you have in your cupboard
that are loaded with alcohol and other chemicals too!
How can the chances of recurrence be minimised?
Like anything, getting rid of acne is not easy. You
will need to review what you eat; it's vital to do so as certain types of food could make
our acne worse.
Exercise 2-3 times a week and have a simple
but consistent skincare routine with a deeper skin care treatment at least
once a month. Finally, drink lots and lots of water!
I'd love to hear your own tips on how you overcame acne - leave a comment below!