How To Treat And Prevent Breakouts

Let’s be honest: there’s nothing worse than pesky blemishes that just won’t go. Breakouts can be caused by hormones, blocked pores, and sometimes inflammation, which then trigger acne. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting up to 50 million Americans annually.

Whether it’s down to diet, sleep pattern, the season, face masks or overusing actives, there are ways we can treat and also prevent them from appearing. 

Diet (While this isn’t a cause for everyone, some of these foods can cause breakouts)

Refined sugar - can cause insulin levels to spike, which can cause inflammation throughout the body and increase sebum production, leading to breakouts.

Caffeine - can spike the production of cortisol (a stress hormone). When levels are raised this can often lead to breakouts.

Salty foods - in high doses can aggravate breakouts. Most processed foods (“junk” foods) contain high levels of chemicals that cause inflammation.

Dairy - evidence shows that dairy can both irritate and cause acne. Research from the American Academy of Dermatology showed that women who drank more than two glasses of cow’s milk a day were 44% more likely to suffer from acne.

There is an abundance of food out there with antioxidising and anti-inflammatory properties out there. Maintaining a healthy diet that includes colourful fruit and veg. The antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in fruit and veg such as kale, oranges, carrots, sweet potatoes, and lemons are great for helping to hydrate the skin, increase collagen production, treat acne scars and prevent breakouts. If you want to know more about increasing collagen, you can check out our Collagen Serum.

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Finding a routine that works for you

Discovering a simple but effective routine directed at helping to clear your skin is key. Rather than constantly trying new products, incorporating harsh ingredients and over-using actives, we recommend stripping it back to basics (without stripping your skin!). Here are 6 steps your should take when finding a skincare routine for blemish-prone skin, but before getting into it, find our blemish battling collection.

1. Use a gentle cleanser. We have the perfect one.

While you may be tempted to scrub, buff, and scrub some more, it actually makes things worse and aggravates your skin. Over-cleansing and over-exfoliating is a common mistakes, so don’t worry we have all been there! It’s very important not to over-strip your skin, as this can compromise your skin's natural protective barrier. We also recommend getting rid of your face cloths and just using your hands, this is much more sensitive on your skin and also reduces bacteria spreading.

2. Mandelic Acid

Mandelic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and is one of the best acid selections for those with darker complexions because it isn't melanotoxic, meaning it doesn’t kill melanocytes and won't exacerbate discoloration. Making it great for decreasing the appearance of dark spots created by acne. It also has powerful antibacterial properties that work to gently exfoliate, and activate cell turnover, together helping to treat acne. Our Proactive Mandelic Acid Restoring & Anti-Pollution Toner aims to gently exfoliate, refresh and stimulate dry and congested complexions.

If you are curious to learn more about Mandelic Acid, we wrote another post that you can find here.

3. Apply a blemish treatment.

This is your chance to directly target those pesky pimples. Using a blemish treatment can help to avoid post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and help to soothe any irritation that might arise. Our Pro Salicylic Immediate Blemish S.O.S Treatment is a fast-working treatment fortified with revolutionary ingredients, including Salicylic Acid, Sarcosine, and ​​Papaya Papains.

You can also read our article about the best products to treat hyperpigmentation to learn more.

4. Be careful with exfoliation

While you should be careful not to over-exfoliate it doesn’t mean you have to cut it out completely. Using a gentle exfoliant 1-2 times per week can aid in the removal of dead skin cells. Our Probiotics Sensitive Pore Refining Exfoliator designed to revive dull, tired sensitive skin.

5. Hydration is key

Ensuring your skin is kept moisturized and hydrated is important to aid your skin's natural skin barrier. Using a hyaluronic acid moisturizer twice daily helps to maintain your skin's collagen production.

6. Sunscreen!

Exposure to UVA & UVB rays can cause skin irritation, so if you don’t wear SPF on a daily, there’s no better time to start than now. While Vitamin D can help to improve the appearance of blemishes, it is so important to ensure your skin is protected. When purchasing sunscreen look out for an SPF “broad-spectrum” sunscreen, this ensures that your skin is protected against both UVA & UVB rays. A lot of SPFs only protect against UVB rays. We recommend wearing an SPF of 30 or above.