Acne-Prone Skin: Here's What You Can Do

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Blemished Skin: Here's What You Can Do

Acne is a skin condition that can affect people of all ages. This article will tell you how to deal with it and improve your skin.

Retinal can help refine the skin's texture and reduce blemishes—this active ingredient is found in Absolute A Retinal Serum.

Absolute A

This serum, containing 0.05% retinal, 5 peptides, and soothing ingredients, is specially formulated to improve skin elasticity, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and provide a foundation for combating skin imperfections. It’s Absolutely Amazing!

CHF 105.00

(CHF 350.00/100 ml)

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WHAT IS IMPURE SKIN?

Blemished skin is primarily characterized by excessive sebum production (seborrhea), clogged pores (comedones), and inflammatory lesions such as papules and pustules. It often occurs during puberty, but it can also affect adults, especially during hormonal changes. Important: Acne-prone skin is a skin condition, not necessarily a disease. Acne, on the other hand—the medical term for the most common form is acne vulgaris—is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease. It is characterized by pimples, comedones, and pustules.

There are two different types of skin blemishes: non-inflammatory blemishes (such as blackheads) and inflammatory blemishes (such as pimples and cysts). Blemished skin may be accompanied by enlarged pores, an oily sheen, or—on fair skin—localized redness. In people with darker skin tones, however, blemishes and acne can often lead to pigmentation issues or dark discoloration.

TIPS FOR TREATING ACNE-PRONE SKIN
What helps treat acne-prone skin? There are a few tips that can have a positive effect on your skin:

Gently Cleansing Problem Skin
Problem skinshould never be cleansed aggressively. On the contrary: Washing too frequently can damage the skin barrier and contribute to breakouts. For blemished skin or acne, a mild facial cleanser with a pH-balanced, non-drying formula is sufficient to remove excess sebum without irritating the face. Harsh surfactants or formulas with high alcohol content are not recommended. Incorporating Effective Active Ingredients into Your Routine There are several active ingredients that may be recommended in facial care for treating pimples and blemishes: AHA (e.g., glycolic acid): Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) promote natural exfoliation by gently loosening dead skin cells. BHA (e.g., salicylic acid): Salicylic acid is an exfoliating substance and is also lipophilic—meaning it can penetrate the skin because it has a high fat content. Salicylic acid thus clears pores of excess sebum and can help combat blackheads and pimples.Chemical peels containing AHA (such as glycolic acid) and BHA (salicylic acid) help remove dead skin cells and cleanse the pores on the face. Mechanical peels are not recommended: They contain small granules—usually in the form of a cream or gel—and can cause micro-injuries to the skin.
Retinoids (e.g., retinal):
Retinoids can regulate keratinization and reduce sebum production, meaning they have a comedolytic effect. They can also have an anti-inflammatory effect. A retinal serum may therefore be beneficial for blemish-prone skin.
Niacinamide:
Niacinamide regulates sebum production and can reduce redness and hyperpigmentation—which are dark spots or discoloration that can remain after blemishes or lesions caused by acne. Niacinamide can therefore help with blemish-prone skin—for example, in the form of a weekly face mask like the Pore Perfection Purifying Mask.
Incorporate Moisture and UV Protection
Blemish-prone skin can also be dry—and it needs moisture, too. For facial care for acne and blemishes, light formulations with ceramides and panthenol are ideal, as they help regulate moisture balance and strengthen the skin barrier.
Important: When dealing with blemish-prone skin, you don’t necessarily have to use a cream specifically for pimples. While face cream with salicylic acid is effective against enlarged pores and pimples, it’s even more important to use a moisturizer at all. The idea that moisturizing products stimulate sebum production and may actually be the cause of oily skin and breakouts is a widespread myth. Also, incorporate a sunscreen with a high SPF into your daily routine—for example, in the form of a sunscreen lotion or a lightweight SPF fluid. This will protect your skin from premature aging and also help counteract post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Removing Skin Blemishes
Do you want to remove skin blemishes? You shouldn’t try to do this on your own. Inflamed blemishes and blackheads should only be treated by trained estheticians. They have the necessary expertise and techniques to safely and effectively remove facial blemishes without damaging the skin or leaving scars.

ACNE-PRONE SKIN: THE RIGHT SKINCARE CAN HELP

Step 1: CLEANSE – Gentle Cleansing
Use a cleansing gel with mild surfactants every day, such as The Ten Out of Ten Gentle Gel Cleanser.

Step 2: EXFOLIATE – Exfoliation
Incorporate regular use of a chemical peel containing AHA and BHA to exfoliate the skin. The Active Acids Exfoliating Mask, for example, is ideal for this.

Step 3: PREPARE – Using a Toner
A soothing toner can help combat pimples and, in some cases, acne. Use a product that strengthens the skin barrier and prepares your skin for the next step in your skincare routine—for example, the Essential Essence Skin Balancing Toner.

Step 4: TREAT – Treat with active ingredients
In your skincare routine for treating pimples and blemished skin, you can use retinoids or niacinamide in the form of a serum or a weekly mask, for example. Retinoids (retinal) are found in the Absolute A Retinal Serum.

Step 5: MOISTURIZE – Hydrating care
Use a lightweight moisturizer like the Barrier Boost CPA Barrier Cream.

Step 6: DEFENCE – UV Protection

Use sunscreen with a high SPF and UV filters that protect against both UVB and UVA rays every day to protect your skin.

MAIN CAUSES OF IMPURE SKIN

Hormonal Factors
Hormonal changes are among the most common causes of blemished skin. Androgens, such as testosterone, stimulate sebum production, which can lead to clogged pores. Acne and skin blemishes can occur at almost any age, including in women going through menopause. They are also common during puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or when taking hormonal birth control

Excessive Sebum Production (Seborrhea)
Excessivesebum production is usually one of the causes of oily skin. It provides an ideal environment for the bacterium Cutibacterium acnes, which can contribute to skin blemishes. In addition, keratinization disorders and sebum buildup on the face can prevent sebum from draining properly, which can lead to clogged pores. As a result, clogged pores can manifest as closed comedones (whiteheads) or open comedones (blackheads). By the way: The dark color of blackheads is caused by the sebum and dead skin cells on the surface of the pores reacting with oxygen.

External Factors
Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or HPA axis for short, and can lead to inflammatory processes in the skin. UV radiation can affect blemish-prone skin in various ways: It promotes thickening of the skin (hyperkeratosis) and stimulates sebum production, which can lead to breakouts. It also increases the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation—that is, dark spots that remain after pimples. Consistent UV protection helps minimize these effects and maintain skin quality. “Comedogenic ingredients” in skincare products are often associated with clogged pores and breakouts. However, there is actually no standardized scale or official definition that specifies which products—such as face creams—are considered “non-comedogenic.”

Good to know:
Assessing a product’s comedogenicity is difficult because there is no standardized testing system, and many evaluations are based on outdated charts. In fact, every skin type reacts differently, and whether a product causes breakouts depends not only on individual ingredients but also on their concentration and the overall formulation. This means that a substance that could potentially be comedogenic in its isolated form often behaves completely differently in a well-formulated product. We therefore recommend that you first test new products on a small area of skin.