As many as 54 percent of women and 40 percent of women have to deal with acne issues in their 20s, 30s and 40s--well after their teenage days are past. Though many people associate acne with the dramatic hormone shifts of adolescence, adults can have to deal with unwanted breakouts, too. The same issues that cause adolescent acne--hormonal changes, clogged pores and skin-irritating products--cause adult acne, and while adult acne tends to be less serious than teen acne, it can also be harder to treat.
Step 1
Use a chemical exfoliator containing lactic acid or glycolic acid once a week, recommends Virgil Hatcher, a New York City dermatologist, in Marie Claire magazine. It's gentler for your skin than granular scrubs and has the same pore-clearing and skin-refreshing benefits.
Step 2
Wash your face with a mild soap or gentle cleanser with no added fragrance twice a day. Acne isn't caused by dirt, so be gentle when you're cleaning your skin, and don't scrub.
Step 3
Apply a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer every day. Though you may think your acne-prone skin doesn't need any extra hydration, letting your skin get too dry encourages your oil glands to work even harder, according to dermatologist Patricia Wexler in Marie Claire.
Step 4
Choose makeup that is non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic, and remove it completely before bedtime, according to Real Beauty magazine.
Step 5
Pay attention to your diet, and take note if a particular food or food group seems to trigger breakouts. There's evidence that some people's acne is affected by their diet, so if you notice a connection, you're probably right, according to Bethanee Schlosser, director of the Women's Skin Health Program at Northwestern University in Chicago, in Best Health magazine.
Step 6
Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every day. Wexler says sun damage is one of the leading causes of skin inflammation.
Things You'll Need
- Exfoliator
- Cleanser
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
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