The Reasons Your Formerly Clear Adult Complexion Suddenly Has Acne and What Could Help

Squeezing a blemish forces bacteria deeper into the skin, which is the wrong approach for adult acne.

Acne is something that you associate with teenage skin.  However, adults do get acne more often than you may realize.  In fact, you may never have experienced acne in your youth only to find your complexion under attack once you get in your late 20s, 30s, 40s even through your 50s.  Why skin trouble at this stage of your life you may wonder? Here are some likely reasons for the unwanted blemishes plaguing your face.

The Tie Between Increased Stress and Adult Acne

No one can pinpoint the exact cause of adult acne because various factors can contribute to this condition, but experts tend to agree that an increase in your stress level is a top contender.  The reason is the body under stress responds by releasing the hormone cortisol, which pumps up oil production rapidly.  The pores can’t keep up with the constant flow of oil and clog in the follicles along with dead skin cells and bacteria, resulting in those skin eruptions.

Being a Woman With a Menstrual Cycle and the Link to Adult Acne

Just because you are born female, our hormones are different and can do some wacky things during a monthly period, peri-menopause or even through the years of menopause to cause breakouts.  The way the estrogen and progesterone jump up and down during those times can wildly increase oil production. 

If you’re just starting taking birth control pills and switching to another type or medicine or even stopping, this can play with your hormone levels too.  This is why some birth control pills can help some women have clear complexions while others are known to aggravate the skin.  Each of us is different and unique in how our bodies respond to any foreign substance.  You just need to discuss the effects of medication with your doctor because it may need a different dosage or a change in the prescription to clear up that acne.

Apples help the skin detox so eating more along with regular cleansing, not overstimulating the skin can be beneficial.

How often have you craved extra sweets or more salty, deep-fried foods when your period rolls around?  Though sugar and foods that are high in saturated fats don’t cause acne, they do affect hormone levels with how they oxidize in the body by turning into glucose and high insulin to cause inflammation.  Besides that, I hate to tell you this but too much sugar also ages the complexion faster from the way it breaks down in your system, latching onto collagen.  You just might want to try to reduce the refined sugar and saturated fats.  Instead, opt for some fresh fruit,  whole grains or other food choices that will not exessively raise your insulin levels.  Also, a great resource available online is called the Glycemic Index that can help find the right food, levels, etc.

Ingredients in Your Beauty Products That May Trigger Adult Acne

We all dread getting older and do our best to keep those lines away.  The only problem is that some formulas just may be too rich for our particular complexion, resulting in those breakouts.  Worst offenders are ingredients such as sunflower oil, cocoa butter, wax, petrolatum, mineral oil, fragrances, silicones, parabens, phthalates, alcohol, acetylated lanolin, silica, and coconut oils are just some. Talc and particularly, bismuth oxychloride that is found in a lot in dry makeup formula powders, can burrow into the pores due to its sharp, angular shape, causing cystic acne.  This is the type of big red pimple that hides deep beneath the skin’s surface, poking out of your face like a giant, red rock.

When shopping, do yourself a favor and also make sure to see non-comedogenic and oil-free on the packaging before buying that product.  

Your first thought may be benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, but you might just aggravate your complexion more, especially if you’re borrowing your teenager’s high strength pimple product.  Something with 10% salicylic acid is too drying and harsh for adult acne so keep this in mind.

The better way to handle cystic acne is applying warm compresses once you cleanse your face.  The warm water helps the blood flow in that affected area to cause the eruption to either surface or dissolve internally.

You can also seek out skin care products with charcoal or soft clay to help dry out some of the oil.  It won’t budge cystic acne, but it is useful for other adult acne blemishes.  

Something else to look into is LED light, such as red and blue light for dealing with adult acne.  The red light calms the skin's inflammation whereas blue light targets and destroys acne causing bacteria. 

Adjust Your Diet and Internal System Can Help Promote Clearer Skin

You can also try adding more fiber and probiotics to your diet to help rid your system of toxins and promote better digestive health.  A glass of Metamucil isn’t that bad to drink as well as turning to some Greek yoghurt.  Then again, you might want to add a beta-carotene supplement since vitamin A is an antioxidant that can help the complexion renew and repair.  Another suggestion is adding more Omega-3s, whether in supplement form or through eating more fish, for its powers in calming the acne down.

Hopefully, your complexion is not suffering and will not have this adult acne problem in the future.  Nonetheless, the information that I am sharing can come to your rescue.

Have You Tried Raw Honey to Heal a Blemish?

Be sure to use raw honey, which is more effective since it was not treated with heat or processed to alter it.

Did you know that raw honey can help with pimples?  It is a natural antibacterial that also has anti-inflammatory properties.  Together, they reduce the swelling and redness and are kinder to the skin unless the harsher drying effects of salicylic acid products.

Once you cleanse your face, you dab just a little over the pimple before covering with a bandage.  You repeat this process for a long as you need to.  

I tried this last week for a few days and it worked without any skin irritation.  

How Your Nightly Slumber Could Be Contributing to Bad Skin!

Your bedding is just as important to health and condition of your skin as the products you apply.

Perhaps, you keep breaking out and nothing seems to work despite being vigilant with your skin care and diet.  Naturally, there are other factors such as hormones, smoking, drugs, pore-clogging products, etc. that also could be contributing to those constant new breakouts.  However, you could be overlooking one small thing that could mean the difference between good and bad skin–your pillowcase. 

Of course, you make a habit to regularly change your pillowcase at least once or twice a week. So what you say?  Well, before you put your head down on that pillow, think of your nightly ritual of products you just applied from face creams, acne treatments, eye serums, hair gels, mousses, sprays, etc., which also will be touching that pillowcase. Those products also deposit ingredients where your face will be picking them up every night afterwards, along with accumulating oil and grime from new applications until the next laundering.  

Those product ingredients combined with detergent, a liquid fabric softener, dryer sheets can make the problem even worse since liquid fabric softeners and those dryer sheets leave a waxy buildup behind that lock in that constantly replenished supply of product grime.  

If you want to protect your complexion there are several things you can do.  To begin with, stop using dryer sheets and especially liquid fabric softeners, which can help keep your pillowcase cleaner without the help of waxy residue adding to the problem.  Liquid fabric softeners also accumulate in the fabrics enough to increase flammability, which is another good reason to avoid them.

Though satin pillowcases are great for wrinkle prevention since they don’t pull the face as other fabrics when you move, you may want to return to a natural fabric pillowcase.  A natural material won’t absorb as much oil as the satin so your skin is at less risk.

Then again, you simply just might want to wash your pillowcase more often.  Try every two nights and see how your complexion reacts.  If there is no improvement, then change the pillowcase nightly, which is the best option.

Even if you decide to give your hair a deep overnight treatment, your face can feel the impact.  Make sure to get a fresh pillowcase the next day because those oils can aggravate skin enough to cause a fresh breakout.

Sometimes, the simplest fix like a fresh pillowcase each night can do more to improve your complexion than you may give it credit for.  Do try it.

A DIY Complexion Remedy to Help Clear Up Acne and Excess Oil That You’ll Love!

Though my skin is dry now, there was a time when it was on the oily side.  Usually, summer weather only made this skin problem worse, especially when it came to my T-zone and breakouts.  However, I am going to share something that used to work for me in getting rid of excess oil and help normalize my skin–-Milk of Magnesia. 

Don’t worry.  You will not have to swallow any, only use about a teaspoon of the unflavored variety as a facial mask.  This amount should be sufficient for an area, but you can pour on more if you want to cover most of the face.

She was in a hurry to improve her skin by applying too much and entirely too close to her eyes.  

You’re probably wondering how could a stomach product have anything to do with the skin.  The reason this stomach product works so well on oily skin is because it has an active ingredient, Magnesium Hydroxide, that soaks up stomach acid in the same way to control the shine.

Though as wonderfully as Milk of Magnesium works in correcting excess oil, this DIY solution is not meant for regular use to deal your acne or an oily skin condition.  Since it does have a high PH level, which is not the optimal thing for skin, it is best to only use occasionally when needed.  

Wash and dry your face first.  Then apply with a cotton ball over your complexion, avoiding the eye area, and allow to dry thoroughly.  If you just have a few pimples that you want to target, I used to zap them with a cotton swab that I dipped in the Milk of Magnesia first.  Later, rinse it off with cool water and dry.

Remember, only do this treatment OCCASIONALLY.  Long-term use of any product with a high PH level is not good for the skin.

The Best Way to Hide a Blemish and Mask the Redness!

Blemishes always seem to erupt at the worst times. With Valentine’s Day so close, I thought I should post this helpful bit of advice just in case that lovely face of yours has or should get some angry looking blemishes that could spoil the occasion.  

When this would happen to me, I had always relied on a tube of thick stick concealer in the past for this purpose. However, I later discovered the more control you gain by using a concealer pencil because your aim is more targeted and precise.   Also, the drier texture manages to mask the problem better.  At the same time, the product in this form seems to stay in place longer than a slicker version.

In a previous post, I shared a great tip on how to calm down redness around the blemish with Visine that I want to remind you about.  Please  do this ONLY if you didn’t pick at it and have any open skin.  After all, you don’t want to land up looking worse by getting that blemish infected–so this is what you should do.

Hopefully, this post will help you stay pretty!                                                  

How to Better Conceal a Blemish!

Don’t you hate when your face is clear and then suddenly you get what feels like a massive pimple to ruin your day?  If you want to hide it better, then there are a few suggestions to make that offending blemish more discreet.

First, you might want to try masking the redness just as you would with bloodshot eyes with a drop or two of eye drops like Visine.  Believe it or not, it helps reduce the redness since it constricts the blood vessels.  The only thing I advise is to drop the eye drops on a cotton swab and dot only on the pimple instead of directly from the bottle.  After all, you want to keep a healthy flow of blood still going to the rest of your complexion.

When it comes time to do your makeup, you would be better off saving your liquid concealer for under your eyes and turning to a stick form.  The liquid formulas provide lighter coverage than the heavier consistency of a stick concealer.

Another helpful thing is to use an oil-free concealer with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or sulfur in the formula, if you have it in your stash.  Since I only used to break out infrequently such as before an important date, like a pending interview, I always just went with a regular stick concealer, instead of running out and buying something special.

Now the real trick is the application.  For this, I recommend using a clean eyeliner brush over your fingers or a concealer brush.  The reason an eyeliner brush is what you want is because its tiny size will give you the control you need to be artistic.  You just might be surprised at how much more accurate you can be as you dab so just the right amount of concealer goes on without piling on too much, which only does the reverse by calling attention to the problem.

I do hope your face stays beautifully clear and you won’t need to try this advice.  However, if you do find yourself under attack by a pimple, then please do give this trick a shot because it does help.

A Quick Tip for Trying to Squash an Emerging Pimple

You always seem to get a new pimple just at the most inopportune times. However, I have a wonderful suggestion that could help you out when this happens.

Wash your face first and then dab some facial toner or witch hazel over the new offender. This will help zap the excess oil and prepare your skin.

Next, go to your freezer and get an ice cube. Wrap your ice around a thin cloth, paper towel, or even a tissue, just something to protect your skin from too close of contact with that ice.

Now take your covered ice cube and press it flat against your pimple for about one or two minutes at the most because keeping that ice on too long can irritate and cause you extra redness. 

If you haven’t tried the icing method for a fresh zit, you might want to give it a shot.

Léonie Blackhead Removing Peel-off Mask Review

Disclaimer:  This post is based on a free product provided by a company as a press sample so that I may offer my own  opinion, which may be the same or differ from yours.

Léonie Blackhead Removing Peel-off Mask

When I was asked if I would like to review the Léonie Blackhead Removing Peel-off Mask, I was perfectly honest with the PR rep that I had very nice skin and no blackheads.  However, my nose is quite oily in the summer and being a deep cleansing mask, I thought this newly launched product might be a wonderful normalizing fix so I decided to review it.

This is a black mask with activated charcoal, grapefruit, lemon peel, and rosemary extracts for pulling impurities and toning the skin.  Since my complexion is dry except for my current bout of oiliness on the nose, I only applied this mask to my freshly washed nose.  According to the directions, you need to leave this product on your problem area for fifteen minutes or until it completely dries before you peel it off.

Seeing how hideous my tar-like black nose looked, I hide out in my bedroom to wait out the time.   Almost immediately, I started feeling the intense tightening action of this product pulling, which was not exactly comfortable.  Nonetheless, I managed to leave it on for the entire time.

Finally, I noticed my clock read it was time to take this mask off and see what it did.  Removing my mask was not easy to find the edge with the light-medium coat I gave myself because lifting it was difficult.  I kept digging into my nose for a spot to begin, but it took a while until I budged some sections and freed my nose.   My mistake was probably not using a thick layer so I could have had more to grab onto.  

Everything eventually peeled off except for a few lighter pieces near the sides and under the nose.  I needed to wash the last of it with hot water and soap, but it did come off.

This did strip oil, but I do not think this mask was for me with the extreme tightening sensation or the feat of removing it.  Those with extremely oily complexions with blackheads and pimples probably would have a more favorable opinion.

The company has a video to explain the mask in detail.  If this sounds like a product that could help you, then do check out the video for a better understanding.

The LéonieBlackhead Removing Peel-Off Mask normally will retail on Amazon for $28 for a 3.4 oz. tube.  To celebrate it's August 1 launch, the price drops to $17.
 *Disclaimer:  A free product was provided to facilitate this review--not my opinion.*

Nelsons' Pure & Clear Skin Care Line Review

*Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

This line really target blemishes!

If you want a gentler way to treat the occasional pimple to acne  than you currently use, then I need to make you aware of Nelsons' Pure & Clear skin care line that I was sent to review.

The Pure & Clear System is uniquely different and uses pure, natural plant extracts combined specially to work together to break the cycle of blemishes to restore the skin's balance to the way nature intended.  All the products in this line deliver powerful skin clearing magic without chemical irritants such as:  parabens, salicylic acid, PEG's, lanolin and silicones from my experience.

Although I don't have acne, I do break out occasionally and when I do I get what feels like a small boulder of a blemish on my face.  When these products arrived, I was relieved since I needed to get rid of one.

I started with the Purifying Cleansing Wash.  As advised, I cleansed using upwards and outwards circular motions to draw all the impurities out and away from my skin.

Next, I followed with the Balancing Toner to remove excess oil and shrink my pores.

The second step I did was reach for the Nourishing Moisturizer.  This was a light facial moisturizer that helped my face stay hydrated while protecting it from environmental factors.

Finally, I used their Acne Treatment Gel.  This is a superior homeopathic medicinal product in my opinion because I watched how this shrunk my pimple more each of the three days it took to rid me of it. 

What I really liked was how much kinder this line was for the skin than their typical competition.  My face did not peel, and this goes for my chin where I applied the stronger Acne Treatment Gel.  Usually with salicylic acid products, I peeled and hurt afterwards. 

Currently while supplies last, you have a chance to receive a month's worth of FREE Pure & Clear skin care products to take the Pure & Clear Challenge for yourself.  Send the company a headshot that shows your skin problem area to receive a FREE shipment.  Use these products for one month, then take another photo and send back the results.  Everyone completing the one month Pure & Clear Challenge with a final photo submission will receive Nelsons goodies.  In addition, to celebrate Nelsons 150th birthday, all who complete the Challenge will be entered to win an iPod touch!

Honestly, these products are excellent and deliver tender loving care to your face while fighting a problem.  No wonder products from this line were nominated for an award in the 7th Natural Health Magazine Best Products Competition of 2011.