ACNE + PROBLEMATIC

What is Acne & who gets it?

Acne is an ailment that affects the skin’s oil glands, essentially it is the inflammation of the skin due to a blockage. The small holes in your skin (pores) connect to oil glands under the skin.  The glands produce an oily substance called Sebum. The pores connect to the glands by a canal called a follicle, inside the follicles oil carries dead skin cells to the surface of the skin.  A thin hair also grows through the follicle and out of the skin. When the follicle of a skin gland clogs up, it produces a pimple. 

There are many different forms of acne, including blackheads, whiteheads and swollen nodules or pimples, showing as reddish bumps, boil- like swellings, pus-filled bumps. Sometimes a single blemish without any additional cysts.

Most people that suffer from acne are aged between 12 and 25 but some older and younger people are affected continually. Skin blemishes can manifest in those as young as 8 years old, and then span until your late 50's or even more.  Acne usually affects the face but can also appear on the back, neck and chest. The severity can range from mild to severe. About 8 in 10 teenagers suffer from some degree of acne, which is usually mild. It is estimated that about 3 in 10 teenagers are affected by acne bad enough that requires treatment to prevent scarring. Untreated acne usually lasts about 4-5 years before settling. Though, in some cases it can last many years.  Acne is common and usually if you can get on top of the problem and learn some Acne management tools. 

What can cause Acne & what can make it worse?

There are four main factors that can cause Acne.

-        Oil Production

-        Clogged Pores

-        Dead Skin Cells

-        Bacteria

The items above is almost always the cause of acne.

Other points to note:

·        Hormones - Androgens are hormones that increase in boys and girls during puberty and cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Hormonal changes related to pregnancy and the use of oral contraceptives also can affect sebum production. Low amounts of androgens circulate in the blood of women and can worsen acne.

·        Certain medications - Drugs containing corticosteroids, androgens or lithium can make acne worse.

In women, the hormonal changes around the monthly period may cause a flare-up of spots or break-outs on the face and chest. 

Thick or greasy make-up can acne worse. However, most make-up does not affect acne if it is cleansed sufficiently. You can use make-up to cover some mild spots. Non-comedogenic (formulated so as not to block pores) or oil-free products are most helpful for acne-prone skin types.

Picking and squeezing the spots may cause further inflammation and scarring as well as possibly spreading bacteria in other areas of your skin.

Humidity and excessive sweating may make acne worse. For example, doing regular hot work in kitchens. The extra sweat can also contribute to blocking pores.

Myths about Acne

·        Acne is not caused by poor hygiene. In fact, excessive washing may make it worse.

·        Stress does not cause acne, but can cause inflammation.

·        Acne is not just a simple skin infection. The cause is a complex interaction of changing hormones, sebum, overgrowth of normally harmless germs (bacteria), inflammation,   (described above). You cannot catch acne - it is not passed on through touching (contagious).

·        Acne cannot be cured by drinking lots of water.

·        There is no evidence to say that sunbathing or sunbeds will help to clear acne.

·        Some people believe that acne cannot be helped by skincare treatments. This is not true. Treatments usually work well if used correctly.

Solutions for Acne Problematic Skin

-        Gently dissolves oils and impurities without dehydrating the skin

The Refreshing Cleanser is a gentle cleanser which removes oil without irritating the skin. It is essential for oily & acne skin types to have the removal of excess oil, dead cell build up, makeup and everyday dirt pores do not become clogged. The natural ingredients that aid this process are Lemon Myrtle and Orange Blossom.

The Refreshing Cleanser is designed for managing oily and acne skin types by having a gentle cleansing action which removes the oil and build-up without irritating the skin. The Refreshing cleanser contains antioxidants in Jojoba Oil, Kakadu Plum and Vitamin E, also the anti-inflammatory properties of these ingredients can soothe and nourish the skin.

The Refreshing cleanser contains Jojoba Oil which has a similar structure to the skins natural oil, sebum. It is theorised that the Jojoba Oil mimics the sebum and tricks the skin into thinking that there is enough oil produced, therefore regulating oil control.

Note: If you have an active outbreak of pustules, avoid using a physical exfoliator. 

-        manually remove dead skin cells

The Bamboo Pearl Exfoliant reduces the accumulation of dead skin cells through both physical and chemical exfoliation.  The chemical exfoliation is due to the Witch Hazel which is naturally rich in Salicylic Acid, the Salicylic Acid dissolves the glue like structures holding the dead skin cells together. This is then complemented with the physical exfoliators of Bamboo and Mother of Pearl which softly remove the surface dead cells. This combination unclogs pores and removes excessive build-up of dead cells, which is essential to any acne skincare routine. 

The Bamboo Pearl reduces the signs of premature aging, dullness and blemishes through its mild exfoliation. The Bamboo Pearl also contains soothing and nourishing ingredients packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to reduce the appearance of redness on the face commonly caused by acne. These ingredients include Witch Hazel, Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera.

-        Dissolves impurities, loosens blocked pores and absorbs excess oil

The Brightening Mask contains Australian Ivory Clay and French White Clay which absorb the excess sebum produced by the skin.

The Brightening Mask works to reduce accumulation of dead skin cells.

The Glycolic Acid in the Brightening Mask is a chemical exfoliator which dissolves the glue like structures which hold together the dead skin cells. This reduces the accumulation of dead skin cells and unclogs pores. This is extremely import in the treatment of acne as the excess sebum and dead cells accumulation to block pores, the block pores lead to a perfect environment for the acne bacteria p. acnes to grow and multiply.

The Brightening Mask contains the potent anti-inflammatory ingredients: Sea Buckthorn, Green Tea, Beta Glucan and Vitamin E. These ingredients reduce redness and skin irritation.

The Brightening Mask also is an excellent resource to reduce blemishes and even out skin tone.

-        Calms and soothes, reduces redness and inflammation 

The Anti-Oxidant Oatmeal Mask contains ground Oatmeal which has been shown in numinous studies to be significantly beneficial in the skin barrier function, maintaining pH levels, reducing irritation and as an extremely potent anti-inflammatory agent.

The benefits of oats on the skin is attributed to their ability to reduce transdermal water loss which is a critical component in maintaining the skin barrier function (protective layer). This is so significant as if the barrier function (protective layer) is disrupted it leads to multiple skin concerns including irritation, sensitivity, inflammation (visible as redness) etc.

The barrier function (protective layer) of the skin is critical to the health of the skin, because if the barrier function is disrupted it can lead to multiple skin concerns including irritation, sensitivity, pH disruption and inflammation (visibly seen as redness). The barrier function (protective layer) of the skin is aided by the topical application of oats because the oats provide a moisturising protective layer which prevents transdermal water loss, and therefore maintain optimal barrier function.

The oats are not limited to only skin barrier maintenance, they also to have shown great results in reducing inflammation and irritation of the skin when applied topically. The addition of the Anti-Oxidant Oatmeal Mask is a must have for acne, inflamed, sensitive and irritated skin because of its unique ability to maintain barrier function (protective layer) and reduce inflammation (redness) commonly seen in acne, sensitive and irritated prone skin.

-        Calms redness, hydrates and helps control sebum production

The Refreshing Toner is a hydrating that contains Witch Hazel which helps control oil on the surface of the skin, and helps to refine pores. The Jojoba Oil controls sebum production, Chamomile to calm as well as heal and Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate. 

-        Promotes skin healing, water based and rebalances pH

The Soul 20% Vitamin C contains only the purest and most active part of Vitamin C called Ascorbic Acid. The Ascorbic Acid in its natural water state is the best way and most stable way to deliver Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) and all its benefits to your skin.

The Ascorbic Acid has shown to aid in hyperpigmentation, which is the overproduction of melanin (skin colour) in concentrated clusters. The Ascorbic Acid disrupts the production of melanin by interfering with the enzyme responsible for melanin production, tyrosine. This is why Ascorbic Acid is referred to as a natural depigmenting agent which aids hyper pigmented skin concerns.

-        Prevents premature ageing and provides hydration to the delicate eye area

Enhance Eye Repair is a two step bioactive anti-ageing tool against fine lines and wrinkles as it activates collagen and is a wrinkle relaxant.

The Enhance Eye’s collagen activation is due to the Tripeptide 5 complex.  The Tripeptide 5 mimics a sequence in the protein TSP-1. This is so significant in collagen and elastin synthesis as TSP-1 has been shown to activate the growth factor TGF- B, which in turn activates the production of collagen. Tripeptide 5 also activates collagen production essential in any anti-aging routine.

The Enhance Eye Repair also contains the peptide Argireline which acts as a wrinkle relaxant. The Argireline temporarily destabilises the SNARE complex limiting communication and results in a muscle relaxation, this is significant as it relaxes the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes.

-        Reduces inflammation, redness and the appearance of scars

The Clear and Brightening Moisturiser contains Coffee Fruit Extract, Chamomile Extract, Beta Glucan and Pomegranate Extract which are all powerful well known anti-inflammatory agents and in combination they create an even more powerful anti-inflammatory formulation to counter act the inflammatory response and the side effects of redness and irritation associated with acne.

The Clear and Brightening Moisturiser helps to balance out the sebum production and creates a protective barrier against bacteria and the environment.  With its healing properties such as Sea Buckthorn, Beta Glucan and Vitamin E helping with the appearance of scaring and pigmentation.