5 Products To Help With Cystic Acne
Spots in general are the worst as a teen, but cystic acne is a whole other level of awful. It’s red, sore and you just can’t cover it.
I always suffered with spots in my teens years but then it magaically went away over-time, until my skin went mental 2 years ago and I developed cystic acne. No matter what I tried it just wouldn’t go away. So, if you’re suffering from acne, I feel you.
I finally got my skin under control, so I thought I would share some of the products that helped me beat cystic acne.
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid, €4.99
I’m pretty sire that this is the product that I’ve mentioned the most on missy.ie, but it is hands-down my saving grace when it comes to spots. And it’s only €4.99!
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution exfoliates the surface of skin, clearing away dead skin cells, and penetrates into the inside walls of pores to clear excess oils that can lead to clogging. It helps to reduce the appearance of blemishes and clarifies skin. Salicylic Acid also has anti-inflammatory properties, so helps to tone down redness and inflammation of acne. It can even help to regulate sebum production so skin becomes more balanced over time.
Salicylic Acid is the ingredient that most acne-busting products contain, so you may as well go straight to the source.
Salicylic Acid can be quite strong. I personally use The Ordinary Salicylic Acid, €4.99, when I have a breakout. I have seen Salicylic Acid cleansers such as Skingredients Sally Cleanse, €25 and The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser, €12. If you go down that road do not use a Salicylic Acid serum as well – you’ll just irritate the hell out of your skin and make it worse.
If you try the Salicylic Acid and find it a bit too strong try mixing it with a facial oil.
Speaking of facial oils….
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate
I know if someone recommend a facial oil to me when I was in the midlle of of my acne battle as a teen I would have lots my mind, but in a really weird way it actually works wonders!
I find Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, really good at dealing with those spots that just never seem to come to a head.
Other options are the Trilogy Rosehip Oil.
Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax
I’ve seen a lof of skincare experts online saying that a lot things that you can do to help your skin starts from within and it kinda does make sense. I’m a believer that chocolate causes acne and all that other nonsense – a lot of it is hormonal, but I do see a big difference in my skin when I make an effort with my what I’m eating. My skin always looks so much better when I drink water and eats lots of salmon for dinner.
So, the idea of taking supplements to improve your skin from within does make sense. When I had a really bad case of acne two years ago I was recommend the Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax. They’re seen as an alternative to Roaccutane, which freaks a lot of people out.
If you feel like you might need something more than a new skincare routine, this might be a good place to start.
Pixi Glow Tonic
Another one of my go-to ingredients for dealing with my skin is glycolic acid
Glycolic acid remove the dead cells on the surface of your skin. As a result, the dead skin cells are no longer able to mix with the oils (aka “sebum”) in your skin and clog your pores. Glycolic acid speeds up this helpful process and keeps skin healthy. Glycolic acid products on acne-prone skin is that it can help reduce the appearance of marks and dark spots left behind by acne.
There are a lot of glycolic acid toners on the market now, but I really love Pixi Glow Tonic, €12.95. There’s also The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, €8.70 and I’ve heard amazing things about Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, €84. If you have sensitive skin I would be careful with this – maybe just use it once or twice a week first and see how you get on.
Also, FYI if you’re using glycolic or salicylic you need to be using SPF as the acids make your skin way more prone to sun damage.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Blemish Treatment, €13.49
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ is one of those cult products that everyone raves about when to comes to banish spots and dealing with cystic acne.
This is really good at taking down the redness in angry cystic acne.
Be A Skin Nerd
If your skin is really getting you down it might be time to seek some additional help from a GP or a skincare specialist.
A great option if you’re looking for detailed skin advice is The Skin Nerd who runs a special online clinic for teens. It costs €25 for a 20 minute online consultation where one of the highly-trained skin experts will asses your skin concerns and help you come up with a customised skincare program. There are more details on The Nerd’s Website.
