Inflammation and Acne
Acne is caused by blockages and/or infection in the Pilosebaceous Unit (Hair Follicle & Sebaceous Gland).
There are 3 main causes to consider when working with an acne skin:
- Quality of Sebum: If the sebum is a thick & gluggy texture it is very likely it will cause a blockage when moving from the sebaceous gland through the narrow hair follicle to the skins surface. Once the passage becomes blocked it is easy for an infection to begin. P.Acne Bacteria is the bacteria which causes breakouts, and it is anaerobic – meaning it doesn’t survive in an oxygenated environment. However once the hair follicle is closed, there is no oxygen and P.Acne Bacteria can thrive.
- Blockages of Hair Follicle Opening: Hair Follicles can become blocked by dead skin cells, comedogenic products and dirt and grime. This can impair the ability of sebum to make it to the skins surface and can result in infection.
- Incorrect pH: The skins pH should be between 4.5 – 6.5pH, when this is the case, the skin is acidic, and this is the perfect environment for clear skin as P.Acnes bacteria cannot survive in an acidic environment. Once the skin becomes alkaline, P.Acnes bacteria is able to thrive.
- EFA’s are able to improve the quality of sebum, changing it from a thick gluggy texture which often blocks the skin to a free-flowing liquid which moisturises and protects as intended. This enables us to correct the acne cause internally, then we can also begin to work on the external options.
- Salicylic Acid is often turned to for treating acne, the reason for its high regard is that it is Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Inflammatory, in addition to being an oil-loving acid. This means it is attracted to oil, enabling it to enter the hair follicle, where it is attracted to the sebaceous gland and offers a very deep clean.We use EFA’s to clean from the inside out and Salicylic Acid to clean from the outside in.
Vitamin B3 works on acne by: regulating sebum production, restoring the skins pH – back to its correct acid balance and treating pigment (melanin uptake inhibitor) – PIHP is common after breakouts.
Vitamin A: Helps to treat acne by rebalancing the Stratum Corneum (improving cell turnover and avoiding cell build up blocking follicles. Speeds up skin healing by stimulating the stem cells. Prevents and treats scarring by stimulating the Fibroblasts.