Tackling Acne at Home

We regularly work with patients dealing with acne at our Idaho-based practice, but taking care of acne at home doesn’t need to be difficult! A few quick causes of acne are inflammation from the food we eat, bacteria getting trapped in the pores, and hormones. Acne will continue to worsen until about 18 years of age for boys and 22 years of age for girls. Things to avoid are drinks high in caffeine, milk or white chocolate (60 percent dark chocolate is OK!) and alcohol.

First, start with a good cleanser that cleans out the pores but doesn’t strip the skin, such as Epionce™ Lytic Gel Cleanser or Purifying Wash. Gently wash your face with your fingertips morning and night. Avoid using rough scrubs, as this could cause more irritation. Follow that with a topical medication that also keeps that bacteria out of the pores and reduces skin redness.

A good ingredient to make sure the topical you choose has is salicylic acid. That specific ingredient  keeps pores clear and rejuvenates the skin by exfoliating. It works best for mild acne and is found in a variety of over-the-counter products. We recommend Epionce™ Lytic Lite Lotion for dry and sensitive skin, Epionce™ Lytic Plus lotion for more oily skin, or Epionce™ Lytic Sport for very oily skin. You would apply one of these after washing and leave on, typically once or twice a day.

Lastly, apply a good moisturizer that also repairs the skin.  We recommend Epionce™ Renewal Facial cream for dry skin or Epionce™ Renewal Facial lotion for oily skin. Moisturizer can be applied one to two times a day over the topical products depending on amount of dryness.

There are a variety of alternative over-the-counter products that you can also use to treat acne. Make sure whatever you chose is indicated for “sensitive skin” or non-comedogenic and won’t clog the pores of the face. Good choices would be Neutrogena oil-free acne wash or Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser. You would use these to wash morning and night.

Adapalene 0.1% gel is a good non-prescription topical to apply every night or every other night if skin is dry. This product would help your pores stay clear and shouldn’t aggravate the skin. You could also look for products that contain benzoyl peroxide, but be careful as to how often you use them as they can irritate sensitive skin.

Another trick for acne-free skin that is easy to add to your regimen is supplements. Dr. Carl Thornfeldt recommends Niacinamide 500mg in one pill two times a day. This is vitamin B3, which helps shrink hormone-sensitive oil glands and changes the concentration of oil. Zinc picolinate 30mg in one pill two times a day helps with healing and rejuvenating the pores. For women specifically, vitamin B6 can be taken in one 100mg pill daily at the start of menstrual symptoms and continue through the duration of your period. If you take this daily, you will not get the same benefit. Drinking two cups of organic spearmint tea daily has an anti-inflammatory effect and is comparable to oral antibiotics.

Different skin types may need different treatments, so if these at home recommendations don’t work, then seeking an experienced skin care provider is the next step! Contact the team at CT Derm to schedule an appointment.