Everything You Need To Know About Adult Acne 

Firstly, There Is No Single Cause

“There are four contributing factors to acne: excess oil production, sluggish cell turnover, acne bacteria and inflammation,” says clinical facialist Kate Kerr. “If your cell turnover isn’t working effectively, excess oil and skin cells become trapped in the pore alongside the bacteria. This leads to inflammation and the onset of breakouts. The key cause of this is an incorrect use of skincare products, which leads to the skin’s function becoming impaired.” 

Dr Tiina Meder, dermatologist and founder of Meder Beauty, agrees: “There are also additional health and lifestyle factors that may make you more prone to adult acne. Physical stress from illness, dehydration or exposure to environmental contaminants can also trigger hormonal changes, weakened immunity and inflammation. Excess oil can clog pores, and a rapid turnover of skin cells can lead to backed-up hair follicles. In both cases, the result is usually acne.”

Stick To Non-Comedogenic Formulas Where Possible

“I’ve done a YouTube series called #AcneSolved recently,” says skincare specialist Dr Sam Bunting. “It’s a big deal for so many people and I’m keen to give people a framework for taking charge of this blight on so many lives. For starters, you need a non-comedogenic [non-pore clogging] support system of cleanser, moisturiser and SPF, like my Perfected Basics. Other good brands include CeraVe, La Roche-Posay and Heliocare for brilliant SPF options. Then you should look to an anti-inflammatory for active spots like niacinamide, benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. Finally, it’s worth including a ‘preventor’ in your regime, which is either a retinoid or azelaic acid.” 

Hormones Aren’t Always To Blame 

“Acne isn’t always hormonal. Sure, it can be that your hormones are out of sync because of stress, diet or coming off the contraceptive pill, but it can also be from incorrect product choice or even working out too much,” advises Kate. “Lifting a lot of weights increases muscle mass, and muscle mass increases testosterone and endogenous, which can create oilier skin. Hence you often see bodybuilders have the occasional breakout – that’s not to say we should all down tools and stop working out immediately, but it’s worth considering how much oil you’re producing when you work out because acne isn’t a dirty skin condition. It’s an overproduction of oil.” 

Not All Make-Up Is Bad

“In my opinion, make-up is the friend of any acne sufferer, providing you make smart choices,” says Sam. “Most patients I see already suspect that long-wear foundation isn’t doing them any favours. They are almost as bad as indelible marker pens to remove. This has consequences for acne: we know now from studies that the more aggressively you cleanse, the more wound-up acne gets. A disrupted barrier and skin microbiome can cause acne to flare. The good news is: not all make-up is bad. Through my years of practice, I’ve come to rely on a handful of products that I’ve found to be suitable for acne-prone skin. NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturiser is a major favourite and a ‘good skin day’ base, as it offers very sheer but flattering coverage. Armani Luminous Silk offers a little more coverage while still delivering that ‘real skin but better’ finish and it lasts well. As for those days when you just need more, Vichy Dermablend Liquid Foundation offers a real security blanket. If their shades aren’t an exact match (it is a bit limited) custom-blend a little into your Armani for a better match with better concealing power.”

Be Aware Of Synthetic Ingredients

“I recommend you check labels that indicate ‘fragrance’, ‘perfume’, or ‘parfum’,” says Tiina. “The essentials oils found in natural or holistic remedies aren’t the friend of anyone suffering with adult acne. This is because they can irritate already inflamed skin. Oils with a prevalence of saturated fatty acids should be avoided too: these include coconut, cocoa, shea, mango and cupuacu oil. I also recommend avoiding any products that include sodium lauryl sulphate, which is commonly found in cleansers. All of these can damage the skin’s protective barrier, resulting in worsened irritation.” 

Remember That Skin Prefers Simplicity

“It likes consistency and it behaves like every other organ in our body,” advises GP and skin specialist Dr Anita Sturnham. “What happens if we take away our food supply or go on a starvation diet? We would be tired, malnourished and prone to infection. We all know how our body feels when we overfeed it with junk food: tired, sluggish and unhealthy. Think of your skincare like your breakfast, lunch and dinner for your skin. If you feed it with the right nutrients, it will be healthy. If you underfeed it (face wipes, soap and water, girls) or you overfeed it (multiple products AM and PM, you know who you are) your skin will rebel against you. Mixing and matching lots of different products from different brands can result in products that weren’t designed to go together clashing, interacting or destabilising one another. I recommend sticking to one or two brands max, so you can eliminate this risk.” 

Try Acne Patches, But Don’t Rely On Them

“The new acne patches are certainly another fun import from the Asian market, but they shouldn’t be relied on,” explains Tiina. “They do, however, act locally, providing an anti-bacterial or healing effect on the spot. They’re a good SOS treatment when you need to make one spot fade but patches can’t make your skin healthy, regulate the sebum production or restore the skin’s natural protection barrier. Use them as a complementary product, but don’t count on them to play a starring role in any acne-fighting regime.”