3 Trends in Acne Skincare to Watch Out For

There have never been more ways pretending to treat breakouts than right now. While these abundance of choices may look great for acne sufferers at least at first glance, not all of them are effective or even safe. Here are three increasingly popular trends that are making their mark in the world of skincare that we need to take a closer look at as for their real impact on treating acne (or their efficacy) and their safety profile.

The Diet Approach

For a long time, acne treatment was all about addressing the problem from the outside with things like creams and cleansers. While topical acne treatments are no doubt still popular, many people are beginning to see that what we put into our bodies is just as important as what we put on them. Take sugar, for example. Studies have shown that frequently eating high-sugar foods can cause skin inflammation that makes you more prone to acne breakouts. For this reason, dietary approaches to preventing breakouts have become increasingly important in the world of skincare.

It's true that the foods we eat can have an impact on our skin's health.  Yet, wildly specialized diets that require you to eat certain foods in certain quantities at certain times may not only be ineffective to really address the causes of acne (an overstimulation of sebaceous glands and over production of skin oil (sebum)) but also unnecessarily tedious and often unhealthy as they can limit your access to necessary nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, fiber etc.   For most people, simply eating a balanced diet recommended for overall health will do the trick. As long as you keep your calories in check, include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and take precautions to avoid excess sugar, and fried, over spicy dishes, this should be enough to promote healthy, resilient skin that isn't prone to breakouts.

Milk and/or dairy have also been under the microscope as of late as something that could contribute to breakouts.   If you think dairy could be contributing to your acne issues, take these next steps. 

The Medication Approach

Acne treatment is no longer just about over-the-counter products. There are now powerful creams and pills that can only be prescribed by a doctor. Even though these treatment options can show visible improvement in your acne symptoms, there is a lot of controversy surrounding them. Prescription-grade products are usually very potent and have serious and unpleasant side effects (ex. Accutane, the oral contraceptive Diane-35, retinoids).  We need to realize that our desire for quick fixes must be tamed by the need for a balance between a quick fix that may lead to a larger problem in the future or a more natural and safe solution to acne.

There's no doubt that some severe forms of acne may require medical intervention and that the elimination of breakouts may still, for some, be worth the side effects. However, these products should be used with "open eyes," and hopefully as an absolute last resort.

The Supplement Approach

Similarly to dietary treatments, addressing breakouts with supplements focuses on trying to address the internal causes of acne. However, this approach should not be confused with taking powerful and sometimes troublesome acne medications. As you already know, they are made of synthetic chemicals that may cause a whole host of potentially serious side effects.

Treating breakouts with supplements may seem as a gentler and more natural way to treat acne if of course they do not include phytoestrogens or an overdose of vitamin A, E or B-Complex that can also have an adverse, cumulative effect.   Also, do you know if these treatments have been tested for efficacy and safety?  For example, AcnEase® is a new breed of natural

medicine with a safe blend of natural ingredients that addresses the underlying imbalance of sebaceous glands that may lead to acne.  As this imbalance is often created by the presence of too much androgen in the blood that can over stimulate the sebaceous glands and cause them to overproduce skin oil, AcnEase will not affect or change the hormones and is therefore suitable for both women and men of all ages (from teenagers to adults). It has been tested for efficacy and safety, and helps minimize the interaction between your hormones and your skin by using a proven mixture of herbs, plants and other natural ingredients that don't come with any nasty side effects. 

As you're making a decision, just keep your eyes open, ask questions and make sure that your choice includes something that will not do more harm than good to your body. 

With a promise of clear skin,
Dr. A