Why am I getting ACNE? -5 min read-

“How do I get rid of my acne?” “What can I do to cover up acne?” “What is the best acne treatment out there?” These are just a few of the common questions about acne that almost everyone asks some time in their journey through life. Then there are the follow up questions. “Why doesn’t this product work for me?” “How come my friend’s acne is getting better but not mine when we have the same skin routine?” “Do I have to go see a dermatologist?”

These are all really good questions! But, what I find surprising when talking with people or reading other blogs and articles (minus the scientific/research papers) is that most people don’t ask the most important and key question. “Why do we get acne?” By understanding even the basics of acne, so many of the questions above can be answered and may even help find the solution to it. So before you go pay an extreme amount of money at the dermatologist, simply study up a little and try out a couple, more affordable things. Here, I will do my best to explain why we get acne without getting too scientific, so that it can serve as a building block in your skin care knowledge.

Acne vulgaris, or more commonly known as acne, is a chronic skin disease that almost everyone in the world suffers from. In general, we can break down the reason of their formation to four factors:

1) Your outer skin cells grow/multiply too fast that they plug up your follicles

2) Your skin creates excess sebum (an oily secretion that your skin creates to lubricate and waterproof the skin and hair) causing clogging 

3) Microbial infection

4) Inflammation

Genetics and stress also play a huge role in acne, which is why your skin might not react the same way to products or environments like your friend’s does. For example, your skin cells multiplying too fast can definitely be due to genes you inherited from your parents (don’t get mad at them!). Or your immune system might be too sensitive and react to every little bacteria and product even if they aren’t harmful! On top of that, how much stress you have and how your body handles it may differ from other people. But don’t worry, there are little tricks around each factor and I’ll do my best to target all of them!

Hopefully by now, you are starting to get a sense of why the same acne treatment or skin care regime doesn’t work for everyone. If not, here is an example. Let’s say the reason you are getting acne is because of your skin cells growing too fast. You decide one day that you are going to treat your acne and start going to the dermatologist to get shots to fight against infection. You can see how this will prove useless and just waste time and money. Of course, I would expect your dermatologist to run exams first to determine the reason(s) for your acne but, it doesn’t hurt to know yourself.

 So here’s a basic guideline you can try at home to try targeting the source of your acne.

1) Try exfoliating. If your skin cells are multiplying too fast (known as follicular epidermal hyperproliferation), exfoliating your skin a couple times a week may help prevent the plugging of the follicles.

2) Don’t wash your face with just water but use soap. Washing your face with just water will only dry out your skin. If your skin is already producing excess sebum, the last thing you want to do is dry out your skin to make your skin think it needs to make even more! Washing your face with soap can also help prevent bacterial infection.

3) Use a mud mask or something that will suck out and absorb excess oils on your skin. This will help your acne by preventing the clogging of pores with excess sebum.

4) Try using a couple of essential oils known for anti-inflammatory or astringent properties. Lavender, Frankincense, Rosemary, Ginger, Carrot Seed, Juniper, and Patchouli are all great examples but there are many more! If you have already oily skin, try putting 1 or 2 drops into an oil free lotion and moisturizing your face with it.

Now, unfortunately the world is not perfectly linear and more than one of the factors can be causing your acne. So to target all the factors, David and I created the Clear Skin Set by ClearLee. The Mineral Water Mud Mask/Cleanser not only exfoliates but also draws out all the unwanted oils of the skin. Factors 1 and 2 down! It even has rosemary and lavender essential oils to help with inflammation. Then the Mineral Water Toner comes into play to rehydrate and condition your skin. It has tea tree oil, which is known for its amazing antiseptic properties. Factor 3 down! Finally, the Mineral Water Moisturizer not only moisturizes your skin, but also has jojoba oil, which mimics your natural sebum. It will tell your skin there is enough sebum and to slow down production, which is awesome if you are producing too much sebum. On the other hand, if your skin naturally does not produce enough sebum, it will act in its place and help the lubricating process. All three products also have essential oils with anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. Factor 4 down!

I’m not against going to the dermatologist. In fact, I encourage it! Dermatologists are experts in the field of skin care and I know how hard each and every one of them worked to get there. However, I also know that it is not feasible for many people today, so hopefully I provided a little knowledge as to how to go about targeting your acne without destroying your bank roll. If you have any questions or comments, please mention them below and I will do my best to answer! I will also be coming out with video segments answering all these questions so stay tuned at our Youtube channel. Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you next time.