Banish Blemishes
The last thing anyone wants to do is wake up in the morning before a big interview, roll out of bed and squint bleary-eyed into the mirror only to find that something went terribly wrong with your face last night.
You’re chastising yourself for not washing your face before you went to bed last night. Especially after you went out for drinks with your friends in that dive bar that served the really comforting greasy french fries loaded with fake cheese and bacon.
Now you’re digging frantically through your medicine cabinet trying to find a remedy or a patch or a coverup for the red, swollen, blotchy pimples that are dotting your face, today of all days.
Not stressing is easier said than done, but it’s almost guaranteed to make your acne worse. Hopefully you have a little bottle of SciaEssentials DELTA-5 on hand because that’s almost all you need to win this battle.
Where Does Acne Come From?
Acne is the skin condition responsible for pimples and breakouts, which can manifest as whiteheads, blackheads, pustules, and papules. As sebum is produced by sebaceous glands and travels up through your pores, dead skin cells are carried up with it to be washed away. Sometimes the gland produces too much sebum, which can clog the pore, forming a plug. As the pore is clogged with sebum, oil, and bacteria, the bacteria can multiply, leading to an infection, swelling, and inflammation around the clogged pore. Sometimes you’ll notice a white tip of purulent discharge (pus).
Things like hormonal imbalances, traveling, genetics, and medication can all play a role in the development of acne. The good news is that these types of breakouts are normally temporary. There are things that you can do to help speed up their disappearance.
Stress and Blemishes
Emotional stress won’t necessarily trigger a new case of acne, but it could worsen symptoms of a current breakout. According to Lisa A. Garner, MD, FAAD, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, “When you already have acne and you get into a stressful situation, that seems to be when your acne really flares up.”
The cells that produce sebum have receptors for stress hormones. Somehow, these sebum-producing cells are stoked to produce more sebum when you are upset or worried. On a good day, sebum helps to protect your skin. When too much is produced, it mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria to clog hair follicles, leading to blemishes.
Chronic inflammation is usually the culprit. Acne inflammation can occur with or without acne bacteria present. Though if bacteria is present, a chronic inflammatory response will turn a few easy-to-kill bacteria into a situation involving way too many inflammatory chemicals. Stress hormones can also trigger the release of chemicals that will cause the skin to redden and become irritated, meaning bacteria doesn’t even have to be present for acne to get started. All it takes are lots of the inflammatory chemicals. The problem is that many acne treatments also cause damage to healthy skin, as well, which leads to more acne.
So while de-stressing isn’t necessarily going to cure your current breakout, it can help to keep you from being your own worst enemy.
Caring For Your Face Through Breakouts
The first rule of thumb to follow is don’t squeeze your pimples. This can make them worse, causing the infected pus to spread infection. Apply acne treatment products twice a day; when you wake up and before bedtime. They may take a little bit of time to work, but will help to prevent any new pimples from forming. You’ll want to stay away from any products that contain oils. They’ll only serve to further clog your pores.
Take these steps now to help curb your breakout and prevent it from getting any worse:
- Cleanse your face twice daily with a foaming cleanser that contains salicylic acid. This should help to clear current blemishes and keep more from popping up. Gently rub your face for at least one minute. The cleansing will help to rid your skin of all the grime that could lead to more clogged pores.
- Massage in an oil-free moisturizer, designed to be non-comedogenic (non pore clogging). Even if your face tends to be greasy or oily, it is still in need of a good moisturizer.
- Apply DELTA-5 oil directly onto blemishes. So gentle, it can even be combined with your moisturizer and applied all over.
Beware of excess exfoliation. I said excess. Some exfoliation is helpful in improving acne, but too much can actually make things worse by removing too much oil. Your skin may decide to compensate by producing even more oil!
How Can DELTA-5 Banish Blemishes?
This unique fatty acid takes full advantage of the inflammation-stopping power of sciadonic acid. In addition, it contains linoleic acid, which penetrates the skin to deliver the sciadonic acid, building and improving the skin’s ceramide structure. By decreasing inflammation and strengthening the skin’s barrier function, inflammatory blemishes can be put to rest.
