Acne-prone skin: how to reduce inflammation?

Acne-prone skin is one of the two biggest skin concerns of our generation. The factors, which can be both endogenous and exogenous, are sometimes difficult to control.

Complicated skin

Acne-prone skin are characterized by hyperseborrhea (high production of sebum), visible and dilated pores, as well as often painful and inflamed pimples on the face – sometimes the neckline or the back.

Numerous factors

Pollution, hormones, birth-control pill, stress, endocrine disruptors, junk food, irritating cosmetics, over-cleansing of the skin... These factors are all potentially responsible for acne on the face, but fortunately, it is possible reduce their impact by readjusting your lifestyle and adopting a targeted care routine.

Whenever possible, try to limit inflammatory factors. Dairy products, gluten, sugar, alcohol are for example often involved, even if they are not the only ones to be careful about.

Stress management is also an important element. Under the effect of cortisol — one of the stress hormones, the skin produces more sebum, which creates a breeding ground for the development of pathogenic bacteria. The pores are also more dilated, which means more sebum will be blocked and will eventually oxidize, leading to blackheads and closed comedones (whiteheads).

To reduce cortisol, start by praticing cardiac coherence: breath for 5 seconds through the nose, block for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds through a semi-closed mouth, and repeat 5 times. This practice is excellent when you wake up in the morning, before going to bed and as soon as you feel stressed. Try to sleep before midnight because lack of sleep is an aggravating factor of stress, and above find a physical activity that makes you vibrate, one that you will enjoy practicing regularly. The serotonin released during a sports session naturally lowers cortisol levels in the blood, which helps balance sebum production and reduce inflammation.

Recent studies also show that the health of the intestinal microbiota is directly linked to the health of the skin. More generally, everything that happens "inside" shows "outside", so, any internal disorder will appear in mirror on your skin if not treated. To promote a healthy microbiote, favor fresh and seasonal foods, organic as much as possible, but also fermented foods (which are naturally rich in probiotics) such as kefir or kombucha —much better and inexpensive when homemade, apple cider vinegar, raw vegetables and lacto-fermented vegetables… A probiotic treatment can also be a good idea for 3 months once or twice a year, along with a healthy diet.

The skincare routine is the 3rd most important step to relieve acne-prone skin. At Absolution, we have developed effective treatments that are suitable for acne-prone and hyperseborrhoeic skin. Their natural and powerful ingredients are selected for their soothing, purifying and balancing properties.

In addition to your anti-acne and inflammation skincare routine, you can put the odds in your favor by applying a few basic, very effective rules:

•  Skin dehydration always leads to hyperseborrhea: the skin experiences dehydration as an attack and produces more sebum in response, which is not good news when you already have enough. Drink at least 1.5L of water each day, and at least 2L if you are pregnant or if you have an intense sports activity. If water seems a little boring to you, consider infusions!

• SPF: if the sun rays are essential to synthetize vitamin D, too much of it can be very damaging for the skin (from premature skin aging to skin cancer). When the sunny days come, apply a daily SPF and avoid exposing yourself during the hottest hours of the day.