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Acne is something we all hope to leave behind in our teen years along with our high school yearbooks and other relics of the past. However, some adults continue to suffer from acne in their thirties, forties and even fifties. Acne that pops up after the age of twenty-five is called post-adolescent acne, or adult acne. If breakouts are something you’re struggling with, you’re likely wondering what causes adult acne and how you can help keep your skin looking clearer. We’re here to help by covering some key topics, including:
“Hormonal changes are a common cause of adult acne,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “It tends to be more common for women and adult acne flareups might be tied to monthly hormone fluctuations or major changes such as pregnancy, menopause or starting or stopping birth control.”
If you’ve ever had a breakout before a big event or an important presentation at work, you might not be surprised to hear that stress can also contribute to acne. “In this case, it comes back to hormones as well,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “Stress can actually result in more androgen being produced in your body, and that’s a hormone that can signal your skin to produce more oil.” Excess oil on your skin can combine with dead skin cells, dirt and bacteria on your skin to clog your pores, which can result in acne.
Wearing sweaty clothes after working out at the gym or even residue on your skin from hair products such as conditioners can also potentially lead to acne around your hairline or your body (the most common being back acne).
If you’re noticing acne on your body or your hairline, there are some easy lifestyle changes you can make that could help, such as showering and changing clothes after exercising and rinsing your neck and back thoroughly after using hair products such as deep conditioners in the bath or shower.
If you’re wondering how to get rid of adult acne, there are a wide variety of topical treatments that you can try at home, including facial and body cleansers, spot treatments, scrubs, toners and more. Some popular active ingredients that you’ll find in topical acne treatments include:
afaLUXE
Benzoyl peroxide
Azelaic acid
Adapalene
Many acne treatments you can use at home may combine two or more of the active ingredients mentioned above to help get rid of adult acne. Here are a few recommendations to help clear existing blemishes and keep future breakouts at bay.
This two-piece skin care set from Dr. Schlessinger’s own skin care line, LovelySkin LUXE, includes a facial cleanser and an exfoliating gel treatment that both contain afaLUXE, an amino-based filaggrin antioxidant that helps gently exfoliate skin and reduce clogged pores.
The LovelySkin LUXE Clarifying Gel Cleanser also contains salicylic acid and glycolic acid for additional exfoliating power, while the LovelySkin LUXE Acne Care Gel contains vitamin C to help stimulate collagen production. “These two products are excellent when it comes to treating adult acne,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “The combination of afaLUXE with salicylic acid and glycolic acid is a triple threat to help heal existing acne and prevent future breakouts from forming in the first place.”
This acne spot treatment from La Roche-Posay features adapalene, a type of retinoid that was previously only available by prescription. Adapalene is a vitamin A derivative that helps clear clogged pores and regulate cellular turnover, which can help reduce acne over time and help keep your skin clear.
Using a multi-step acne system from the same skin care maker is a great way to treat adult acne because you can feel confident that all the products are formulated to work well together. This three-piece kit from Obagi contains a cleanser and toning treatment with salicylic acid and a facial lotion with benzoyl peroxide. Together, these ingredients work in tandem to treat existing acne and keep clogged pores in check so breakouts can be a thing of the past.
We’ve all been there: A new pimple is ready to rear its ugly head when you have someplace important to be. This gel treatment goes on as a creamy golden liquid and dries to an invisible clear film to cover your blemish and keep it from surfacing with colloidal sulfur and niacinamide. You can even apply it over makeup, making it a convenient go-to acne treatment to keep in your skin care arsenal.
If you’re feeling plagued by body acne, whether it be on your back, chest or elsewhere—consider adding this acne-zapping body scrub to your shower or bath routine. It contains highly concentrated glycolic acid to help eliminate acne-causing bacteria and buff away dead skin cells that can lead to blocked pores. It also has the added bonus of softening your skin, so you can use it on rough patches on your elbows, knees or feet as well.
You can use this versatile facial gel as a spot treatment on existing pimples or an all-over treatment to help prevent breakouts from forming. Salicylic acid combines with mandelic acid, another effective exfoliating ingredient, to help keep your pores clear from the dead skin cells, dirt and excess oil that can trigger breakouts to form. It also contains PCA SKIN’s proprietary OmniSome delivery system, which works to help boost the absorption of active ingredients for maximum skin benefits.
If you’re interested in using more organic ingredients in your skin care, this one’s for you. Hungarian skin care brand Eminence incorporates as many organic ingredients as possible into its formulas, including these three acne care products. This kit includes a foam cleanser, clarifying mask and clarifying hydrator, all with salicylic acid to help treat adult acne. Organic ingredients rounding out these formulas including hydrating aloe, glycerin, goji berry, lavender and more.
Specifically created for hormonal acne, this spot treatment combines benzoyl peroxide with bakuchiol (a retinol alternative) to help treat acne and increase cellular turnover while the addition of aloe helps soothe redness and provides much-needed hydration. It also contains REG-ulate 360 Complex, a proprietary blend of resveratrol, vitamin E, green tea extract and a plant-derived phytoestrogen to help balance hormonal skin. For a moisturizing sidekick, follow that up with Dr. Zenovia Aloe Vera Blemish Soothing Moisturizer, which also contains REG-ulate 360 Complex along with soothing aloe vera and squalane.
If you’re not seeing any improvement with acne care products at home after several months of consistent use, consider making an appointment with a board-certified dermatologist. Because it’s also possible acne could be a side effect of a medication you’re taking or an undiagnosed medical issue, a dermatologist can work with you to find the root cause of your acne and decide whether you might be a good candidate for prescription acne treatments, such as oral antibiotics, Accutane or spironolactone.
Curious about Accutane? You can read more about LovelySkin staffer Ashley’s experience using Accutane to treat her adult acne on the LovelySkin Blog.
Aaron serves as Editor at LovelySkin. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and English, he has immersed himself in the beauty industry. When he’s not writing about the latest beauty trends, he spends time cuddling his dogs, scouring antique stores, playing tennis and hiking.
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