Acne is a widespread skin condition. Many people use skincare to get rid of it, but can skincare products cause acne? What are the products to avoid with acne-prone skin? What does cause acne?
Here is everything to know!
Can skincare products cause acne? The acne causes!
First things first, what does cause acne breakouts? Acne is due to clogged pores and bacteria. Skin pores can get clogged with dead skin due to hormonal imbalance and hormonal changes (such as puberty, PMS, or imbalance). As the pores are clogged, the sebum (the skin’s natural oil to moisturize and protect it) is stuck in the pores and cannot discharge properly; it causes whiteheads or blackheads and is a perfect environment for bacteria development.
Many things may trigger acne breakouts, including hormonal issues, a poor diet, or hygiene. Skincare does help with acne, but a poorly selected skincare routine may trigger acne breakouts, as some ingredients worsen pore-clogging.
Can skincare products cause acne: the ingredients to avoid
The question is: what are the ingredients worsening acne breakouts, and how to avoid them?
Here are the ingredients that are known for worsening acne:
Algae extracts
This ingredient is tricky as some algae are excellent for curing acne, while others may dramatically worsen this skin condition. Better avoid any product containing “algae extract” without further information about what algae it is. The ingredient “red algae” and “seaweed” are also to avoid in skin care products for acne-prone skin.
Alcohol
Anything saying “alcohol” on the ingredients list is to avoid because alcohol irritates the skin and worsens acne-related inflammation. Acne-prone skin is sensitive and drying it out with alcohol products is the last thing to do.
Most oils and essential oils
It’s not breaking news to say oils are fat, worsening pore-clogging and acne breakouts. The same applies to butter, such as cocoa, coconut, or shea butter. Better stay clear from avocado oil, argan oil, almond oil, cocoa butter, coconut butter, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseeds oil, sesame oil, shea butter, shark liver oil (also known as squalene), soybean oil, castor oil, jojoba oil.
The only essential oil which is very efficient in treating acne is tea tree oil.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a very harsh ingredient. It is often used in cleansers and shower gel because it “cleans” very efficiently, but for sensitive acne-prone skin, it is very irritating. Better go for skincare products containing more gentle ingredients such as tea tree or aloe vera, which won’t worsen breakouts.
Can skincare products cause acne: beware of expired or infected products!
Aside from skincare ingredients, skincare products may cause acne breakouts if bacteria contaminate them. For example, you have acne on your face, and you touch your pimples before shoving your fingers into a skincare products jar, infecting it with the bacteria. Then, every time you use this product, you will be reapplying the bacteria on your face worsening the breakouts. The same applies to makeup products or tools.
The best way to avoid contaminating your skincare products with bacteria is to wash your hands before touching them, especially in a jar.
Expired skin care products may also trigger breakouts as the ingredients have degraded over time. Preservatives contained in skincare products also lose effectiveness after one to three years, making the products more likely to be contaminated by bacteria. To know if a skincare product is expired if the packaging does not mention an explicit date of expiration, search for a little opened jar symbol with a number, it means the number of months the product may be used safetly after opening. Then, it is safer to toss the products as bacteria may develop more easily and cause breakouts on acne-prone skin.