When you have adult acne it can seem that you are fighting two battles at once. Acne AND aging skin.
It can be confusing because the skincare products that fight acne can often cause dry and irritated skin, and the products that fight aging are too heavy and make break-outs worse. So what is a girl to do?
You have to stop right there because you are fighting the wrong battle. Skin care products are not the solution to acne and aging. You will never clear your acne and solve all the signs of aging using skincare products – and if that is your strategy your results are going to be incredibly mediocre.
The truth is that the root cause of both issues are often the same, and treating your acne from the inside out will often solve many signs of aging as well.
The latest epigenetic research confirms, 90% of the aging process can be controlled by lifestyle – diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, etc. – and only 10% is determined by our genetics.
My top tips for aging beautifully with acne:
1. Solve the root cause of your acne.
a. If you have acne you must solve the root cause of your acne, because acne is inflammation and inflammation leads to aging. Acne can also be a sign of poor detoxification, gut inflammation and dysbiosis, insulin dysregulation, poor stress management and poor skincare.
2. Optimize the aging process from the inside out.
a. Reduce glycation, support the mitochondria, reduce inflammaging, heal the microbiome, repair telomeres, and manage stress.
b. Regulate your circadian rhythm – Every single cell in our body performs according to our circadian rhythm. This means that if we are not conducting our lives according to the rhythm of the sun (ie. sleep when it is dark, awake when it is light, getting enough sleep and regulating our meals) our cells are not going to perform optimally. This is especially important as we age.
3. Try Supplements for the Skin
a. Will work best if inflammation has been reduce and inner work has been done. Caution with collagen, try verisol collagen.
4. Adopt a gentle skincare routine.
a. Gentle cleansing
b. Gentle actives, anti-oxidant and humectant in the morning, retinol or other exfoliant a few times a week at night, gentle moisturizer.
c. Anti-oxidant will protect the skin and prevent brown spots from forming (caution with vitamin C, niacinamide, alpha arbutin)
d. Humectant will add moisture to the skin (hyaluronic acid, aloe vera gel, glycerin)
e. Retinol / exfoliant will help turnover cells, which is a process that slows with age.
f. Gentle moisturizer to protect the moisture barrier.
5. Regular Treatments
a. Laser
b. Cosmetic Acupuncture
c. Nuface
