How To Tackle Adult Acne!

There’s only one way to win the war against adult acne: Understanding it. Two leading skin experts tell us how to tackle it

- Hena Desai

Step 1: Get to the root of it

If you’re prone to frequent breakouts well into adulthood (you’re not alone; 85 per cent adults reportedly face this in their lifetime), it’s safe to assume that you’ve tried every lotion and potion out there to beat it. But we won’t be surprised if you haven’t always been successful – and that’s because the root cause often goes untreated. While skincare solutions work topically, it’s usually internal causes like hormonal fluctuations that cause these eruptions in the first place. Dr Chytra Anand explains that, “hormone disruption is the major cause of this among women.” Allow us to break it down for you – changes in the production of reproductive hormones like progesterone and androgen can increase sebum production in your body, clogging your pores to birth painful cystic zits. This is why young people often complain of breakouts before their periods, but for some, this cycle continues later in life too. Other usual suspects pop up on the list too – “stress, pollution, improper sleep and a sedentary lifestyle, can all keep you from achieving clear, healthy skin,” she adds. Basically, anything that throws your body’s balance out of whack could be causing this, so it’s best to pause and think about this before rushing to try every new anti-acne cream available.

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution,