Acne isn’t just for teenagers, some women develop acne well after 30. Anti aging acne skin care can help you get clear skin. Unfortunately, the combination of aging skin and acne is what many women suffer with.
Battling wrinkles and breakouts requires a gentle routine for skin that has a weakened skin barrier, is sore and red, and becomes inflamed.
As we age, our skin becomes drier, and our wrinkles become more visible. If we use a heavy oil-based cream to combat our wrinkles, it can trigger an acne breakout.
Excess oil, dead skin cells, and clogged pores are the perfect recipe for an acne breakout. Clogged pores are also the perfect environment for bacteria.
Women on hormone replacement therapies can find themselves suddenly dealing with acne on the face, neck, or back. An increase in Testosterone can stimulate the production of oil, leading to acne issues.
The key is to follow a skin care routine that targets anti-aging but also deals with treating acne at the same time. It sounds impossible, but it can be done with Korean skin care as there are many products that repair the skin barrier, clean bacteria, and hydrate the skin all at the same time.
To treat acne skin, you need to:
- Reduce oil production on your face
- Increase your skin cell turnover
- Have clean, bacteria-free skin
- And reduce inflammation
What Are The Best Ingredients To Look For In Anti Aging Acne Skin Care Products?
Ingredients that help aging and acne skin are:
Retinoids
Retinoids have been proven to slow down the visible signs of aging. Topical Retinoids are used in skincare. The word Retinoid refers to multiple compounds derived from Vitamin A.
Common known forms are Retinol, Retin-a, and Tretinoin. The major difference between them is strength. Prescription-only Retinoids like Tretinoin or Retin-a are much stronger than the Retinol found in skincare products.
Retinoids work by repairing sun-damaged skin, increasing skin cell turn-over, and reducing hyper-pigmentation and unclogging pores. All of these work together to improve the look of wrinkles, clear the skin, reduce inflammation and minimise oil on the skin.
The main benefits of Retinoids are:
- increasing production of procollagen, collagen’s precursor
- unclogging blocked pores
- regulating the cells on the face/skin
- Stimulating collagen
Retinoids need to be gradually introduced to the skin to reduce the chance of side effects. Side effects of using too much Retinoid, too soon are:
- Irritated skin
- Dry skin
- Itchy skin
- Burning skin
- Sensitive to light
Glycolic Acid
Glycolic Acid is part of the Alpha Hydroxy Acid family and is a fruit-derived acid that is safe for the face.
Glycolic acid is effective for treating mild acne, as it helps improve skin cell turnover and evens skin tone and discoloration. It is also good for rough and bumpy textured skin and collagen stimulation. There are a wide variety of Glycolic acid skin-care products to choose from.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic Acid removes cells in the oil gland ducts and hair follicles that cause acne. It is also effective in reducing inflammatory hyperpigmentation from acne. It helps improve skin discoloration, and tone and has a mild collagen-stimulating capacity. Again, there are many products containing the ingredient.
Azelaic Acid
Azelaic Acid is found in barley, rye, and grain. It has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and effectively prevents clogged pores and pimples. In regard to aging, it is an effective skin brightener. It can lighten Melasma without damaging the non-affected tissue.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid is a must in any anti aging skin care routine. It can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, which helps to plump skin. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the body, but as we age our skin needs extra HA to combat dehydrated skin.
Niacinamide (B3)
Niacinamide is an anti-inflammatory that helps soothe skin, and reduce hyper-pigmentation and redness, caused by acne scarring. It also aids in the slowing of face oil production, which is a common contributor to acne.
Tips For Anti Aging Acne Prone Skin Care;
1. Cleanse With A Gentle Cleanser
For dry and sensitive skin types, use a gentle cleanser. The cleanser should not be harsh or too soapy as you do not want to strip your skin of its natural oils. Korean oil-based cleansers are very good for all skin types. An oil-based cleanser does not need to be avoided as it will glide over the skin, allowing you to remove makeup, dirt, and excess oil without pulling at sore skin.
If you use an oil cleanser it is a good idea to double cleanse; that is first oil cleanser and then follow with a water-based or cream-based cleanser. Make sure the water-based cleanser is moisturising also. There are many great oil-based Korean cleansers, that clean and keep the skin moist, without making it oilier or blocking pores.
2. Toning
After cleansing, use an alcohol-free toner that helps to repair the skin barrier and remove dead skin cells. Use a toner that contains green tea, or other herbs and one that is gentle for everyday use.
3. Essence
Toner should be followed by an essence, another layer of product that can help with anti-aging and acne. There are many essence products on the market that can assist irritated, aging skin that needs a little TLC.
4. Day/Night Cream
A moisturiser should now be applied over all other layers to hydrate and lock in the moisture. An oil-free moisturiser that is designed for oily, dry, and sensitive skin; will help soothe and calm aging acne-prone skin perfectly.
5. Sunscreen
If you are an outside person, protect your skin from sun damage. We advise using sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 50+. Korean sunscreens really are a cut above Western sunscreen. They are not greasy, not thick, and do not leave a white cast on the skin, but still provide maximum protection.
There are so many good brands you will be spoilt for choice, and even the cheaper brands are excellent.
The key to improving aging acne-prone skin is to be gentle and treat your skin with care.
Most importantly use products that contain ingredients to combat acne, oil, bacteria, and inflammation as well as hydrate and plump the skin.
When you use skincare that is suitable for both acne and anti aging you are on the right path to reaching your goal of having clear and glowing skin.
To Read More On How To Get Flawless Skin After 40 & Anti Aging, Click Here.