Acne Skincare: Facts, Causes and Treatments

Why does the curse of skin acne follow some people from their teenage years into adulthood? Why do the biggest pimples always show up before big events such as proms and weddings? And when those nasty red or white bumps appear, what skincare treatments can help the unsuspecting victim? Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll be better equipped to make pimples and pustules a smaller or non-existent part of your daily life. Here are some suggestions for keeping problem skin at bay.

Acne occurs when skin follicles are clogged by dead skin cells and oil. Bacteria can grow inside the clogged pores, which makes a sore appear on the surface of your skin. As the follicles naturally clean themselves, the pimple will come to a head, break and fade away. Acne can take several forms, including pimples (red, pink or white bumps), blackheads and whiteheads. Although it most commonly occurs on the face, it can also develop on the back, shoulders, chest and neck. Although acne is not dangerous, picking at sores can cause scarring or discolored spots on the skin. Heavy acne on areas such as the shoulders can be quite tender when touched.

According to the National Institutes of Health, skin acne is most common among those ages 11 to 30. Around 80 percent of people in that age range with suffer an outbreak at some point. However, adult acne is a condition that plagues plenty of people. The International Dermal Institute reports that more than 50 percent of women 25 and older experience acne outbreaks, likely caused by hormonal activity. Adults dealing with acne may actually have dry skin, which makes skin sensitive to acne treatments. This may be why gentle mink oil products that clean and moisturize show good results.

You’ve probably heard that eating chocolate can cause breakouts. That is somewhere between the truth and an old wives’ tale.  According to the magazine Prevention, cutting down on dairy and foods with a high glycemic index (including sweet foods like chocolate bars) can slow or eliminate problem skin. It’s also a good idea to drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated and healthy even after skin improves.

• Watch what you eat (as described above). Choose a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Choose makeup that is oil-free and non-comedogenic, which means it’s formulated not to cause breakouts. Don’t sleep with makeup on, and clean (or replace) application sponges and brushes often.
• Touch your face as little as possible. It transfers the oils from your fingers (including any oily leftovers from food) to the clog-prone skin of the face. You can also try changing your pillowcase more regularly. Oil and dead skin cells can build up on them, making acne worse.
• Gently exfoliate skin once a week. A washcloth with warm water will remove dead skin cells and stimulate the skin, or you can use a mild exfoliating scrub.
• Wash your face or other affected areas with a mild cleanser. Cleansers with beads or other scrubbers can irritate skin and make acne worse (avoid cleansers with perfumes or harsh chemicals). Wash skin twice per day, once in the morning and once at night, and after exercising (sweat can make acne worse).
• Moisturize dry or combination skin with a natural oil that will not clog pores, such as pure mink oil.

Touch of Mink soap bars and cleansers work well for helping people who suffer from acne, especially those with sensitive skin. These cleansers are gentle and, in most cases, fragrance free. Mink oil is the oil most similar to the oil that is naturally produced by human skin and contains Omega 7 fatty acid (palmitoleic acid), a building block of tissue. Using products rich in this all-natural oil keeps skin healthy and looking great. Touch of Mink’s pure mink oil also keeps skin moist and balanced, which means it may be less likely to break out. Customers report they’ve used Touch of Mink on their acne-prone skin with great results for many years.

When breakouts do occur, an over-the-counter cream that contains benzoyl peroxide can help pimples go away more quickly. Prevention also recommends several natural acne cures, including tea tree oil, green tea extract and skin masks made with bentonite clay.

A deep lump under the skin may be an acne cyst and a dermatologist can drain them if they stick around for a long time. Just make sure you have cysts checked by a doctor; skin lumps can be a sign of a more serious condition.

People with severe acne can also talk to their doctor or dermatologist about prescription creams or oral medications such as Retin-A and Accutane. These drugs increase photo-sensitivity (chance of sunburn), and have other side effects, so they must be prescribed by a doctor.

Here’s some recent customer feedback:

“I’ve had acne problems since I was a teen,” says Sheila. “I’m 45 now and have been using Touch of Mink for three years. It is the only thing that keeps my skin clear. I ran out of cleanser once and within two days, hello breakouts! Touch of Mink is a must-have in my home.”

“I’m a middle-aged woman with adult acne, a bonus that comes with perimenopause,” reports Anne. “You might think that a soap bar with mink oil would be a bad idea. However, you would be mistaken. It is the best thing for acne-prone skin. When you use a regular soap, it removes the oil. The mink oil is very close to our natural oil and somehow it miraculously helps the skin fight the acne breakouts.”

Can Touch of Mink help you with skin acne? Shop now>