Too Old For Acne? That's Not a Thing…

We'll share surprising facts about adult acne and how to deal with it.

With somewhere around a quarter of adult women struggling with some form of acne, you are in good company. If you've ever thought you're too old to get acne still, we are sorry to report that you are wrong. If you think there's nothing you can do about it, we are not sorry to report you are also wrong. Learn more here.

What is adult acne? 

To understand adult acne is to understand acne itself. So here's a refresher.

Acne is a genetic skin condition that is most easily described as a disease of the pores. People with acne shed up to five times as many dead skin cells inside their pores as people who do not have acne.

Picture the inside of an acne-prone pore as it collects the extra dead skin that flakes off the pore wall. The dead skin gets sticky as it mixes with your pore's natural oil. The dead skin and oil clog up the pore, creating an impaction that turns into a pimple.

There are different types of pimples, including blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, papules, nodules, and cysts. The first two, blackheads and whiteheads, are defined as non-inflamed acne lesions, while the rest are inflamed types of acne lesions. Many people with acne have a combination of different kinds of pimples.

But I didn't have acne as a teenager!

Like any disease, acne can lay dormant until something is a big enough catalyst to bring it to the surface. Just because acne may not have hit hard in puberty, it can still come in your 20s – and acne in your 30s and 40s is also common.

Hormones change and fluctuate throughout life, which impacts acne. Our natural hormones and the synthetic type we take in various formats can affect acne. Progesterone-dominant birth controls like some oral contraceptive pills, hormonal IUDs, the shot, and Nuvaring can cause new, sometimes baffling, acne. Fertility drugs can spark acne as well. And acne in pregnancy is common, especially in the first trimester, as well as after discontinuing breastfeeding. Acne during perimenopause and menopause can even be common from hormone fluctuations or by taking hormone therapy. 

Speaking of hormones, stress is also a considerable acne trigger. Stress spikes cortisol levels in our blood, which triggers acne for many of us. You may feel like you handle stress well, but your skin may not be as cool under pressure. Graduations, college entrances, grad schools, new relationships, breakups, the deaths of a loved one, deadlines, new jobs, and major moves can all be common triggers.

So, how can I treat adult acne? 

In addition to hormones, there are hundreds of other diet and lifestyle factors that can contribute to triggering acne. Familiarize yourself with this list of acne triggers and make edits to give yourself the best chance at managing your acne. Because once acne hits, it's easy for it to spread and linger – so even taking the triggers away won't always be enough to help clear you up. Once you have acne, you need a plan to treat it, and then you most likely need to continue that plan for years and years to come. 

Some skin professionals used to treat acne as just drying the skin out. The theory was that "no oil" meant "no acne." There is some truth to that since oil plays a role in acne formation, but acne doesn't just happen for those with oil-rich skin. Many people with acne have normal skin and even dry skin, too, especially those who don't really get acne until adulthood.  

The route of drying topicals in acne medicine may work for a few teens, but it is almost certain to fail an adult. Also, we know that the skin fights off acne better when hydrated because hydration will help flush out the clogged pores. Furthermore, a strong barrier will have an easier time fighting acne-causing bacteria. 

Acne takes months to form, so drying out the dead skin on top won't do much since pimples are still forming in the pores. You need to address the root cause, which is excessive dead skin shedding and sticking in the pore. The proper way to treat acne topically is to exfoliate regularly with chemical exfoliants that dissolve the "glue" that holds dead skin cells together, like mandelic acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid and apply a retinoid that increases cell turnover and helps to purge it out of the pore.

You can also use physical exfoliants in the form of scrubs to aid in resurfacing the surface of the skin and you may need some sort of antibacterial ingredient in the form of benzoyl peroxide or sulfur. Be warned that just any product containing these ingredients won't do. The formulation needs to be stable and efficacious to be effective, which is why people think they've tried it all and nothing works. Plus, several drugsseveral drugstore and mass market store "acne-treating products" are laced with additional pore-clogging ingredientsore and mass market store "acne-treating products" are laced with additional pore-clogging ingredients. Stick with acne-safe and potent actives from Vivant Skincare and Face Reality to treat your acne most efficiently.

You always want to pair exfoliation with hydration, but you must balance your skin's hydration with non-pore-clogging hydrators. Hyaluronic acid is beneficial because it helps our skin hold water, so it plumps and hydrates. As long as it's in an acne-safe formulation, it will not cause breakouts. Products containing ceramides and acne-safe oils can also be helpful for dry skin and acne, but, again, you need to make sure they contain no pore-clogging ingredients.

When it comes to professional-grade products, most lines have hits and misses, so you will spend precious time and money that don't work without the guidance of a professional. An expert aesthetician is someone who has tried a ton of options and only recommends what works. Imagine if you spent 40+ hours a week on skincare science! They know how and when to use every product and ingredients and also how to avoid pore-cloggers, which continue to cause as much if not more acne than hormone and diet imbalances.

I like to go above and beyond; what else can I do to treat my adult acne?

We just hinted, but it's critical to find an aesthetician who specializes in treating adult acne. You want to look for affordable monthly treatments that include exfoliation, thorough extractions, and (most importantly) recommendations for products to use, products to avoid, and lifestyle habits that need to be changed. These are the pillars of results for treating adult acne.

Can I treat adult acne internally?

It is specific to each person, and you will likely find that the external treatment will take care of your breakouts. It's true that some people can do all the right things topically and still break out. Add acne-fighting supplements if this is the case and your acne is proving stubborn. Clearstem's MINDBODYSKIN oral supplement is an option for hormonally-driven acne because it helps to balance hormones and your body's response to stress, and it also has digestive enzymes to help reduce gut inflammation that can cause acne.

Digging in a bit more to expand on inflammatory foods known to create inflammation in our bodies and skin, dairy can be an acne trigger for many adults and teens. It's a good idea to limit dairy intake if you're experiencing inflamed acne. But if you are really struggling, try eliminating it. Read more here about milk options.

Sugar inflames our whole body and therefore can be a huge trigger when it comes to acne. Some health experts say eliminating all forms of added sugar (which requires a lot of label snooping) can eradicate acne fully. We don't necessarily agree, but very much encourage cutting added sugar intake as much as possible. Sugar also feeds stress.

So now we have exposed that adult acne is really just acne. At least a quarter of women have it, and treating it can be in-depth but relatively easy once you invest yourself. It also gives you the reward of healthier skin. You can complain to the acne gods as much as you want about being over 35 with a pimple, but they really couldn't care less. You can also overanalyze why it's there, but understanding how to treat it is much more important. Besides, stressing about your acne leads to more acne.

While you work to treat your acne, you can cover it with acne-safe makeup. You can ice your skin daily, wash before and after working out, prioritize your regimen every night, and focus on getting good sleep. The right products can help you fake it until you make it, and virtual appointments are effective if you're not local to the Twin Cities. But we encourage you to get monthly treatments to give your skin all it deserves.