Adult acne affects 50% of adult women at some time during their adult life.  One-third of those women also have acne somewhere else on their body.

What Causes Adult Acne?  Sebum, an oily substance produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands.  It clogs pores, which attract bacteria and become inflamed.  The actual reason adult acne happens can be a result of hormones, cosmetics, stress, premenstrual flares, or pregnancy.  It can also be a perimenopause symptom, a menopause symptom, or medications (such as corticosteroids).

How To Treat Adult Acne?  Most acne medications are geared to teen’s oily skin, which is a bad choice for drier adult skin.  An effective treatment usually requires trial-and-error – here are some recommendations:

Cleansers: Cetaphil and Aquanil are the most gentle.  Avoid too-strong gels and products containing beads or granules, which are abrasive and can irritate and worsen sensitive skin.

Creams and Lotions: Use an over-the-counter retinol product to clean pores and help reduce fine wrinkles.  Prevent discoloration and fade acne scars with products that contain salicylic and glycolic acids.  To spot-treat a breakout, use a product with benzoyl peroxide, which helps kill bacteria.  An excellent, natural, hormone balancing cream can be found at www.ihd.myarbonne.com.

Prescription Medications: The topical antibiotic clindamycin helps fight bacteria in the skin; also oral antibiotic tetracycline.  A gel containing dapsone (an antibiotic) helps fight infection and inflammation involved in acne.

High-Tech Solutions: Laser and intense pulsed light treatments mainly target scars, but blue light therapy treatments kill acne-causing bacteria, however, these treatments are expensive.

An Acne Skin Care Regimen. There is a trick to skillful face washing – (1) Wash your face twice daily with a cleanser; (2) Use only warm water – hot water is too drying; (3) Wash for just 1-2 minutes – any more will irritate your skin; (4) Use your hands, not a rough washcloth.