Submit your skincare questions to Dr. Agnes, CEO of Herborium and natural medicine expert
Before treating acne, it’s important to understand just how this condition affects the body, and skin. Acne is attributed to a hormonal imbalance, which can affect the function of the sebaceous glands, whose job it is to create sebum, or oil. This oil travels along the pore to hydrate and protect the skin on the surface. When too much sebum becomes clogged within a pore and pairs with dead skin cells from the surface, bacteria forms, triggering an inflammatory response from the body. This process is known as theacne cascade, and usually results in red, swollen bumps known as pimples, a symptom of acne.
Many acne sufferers complain of increased breakouts during the warmer spring and summer months, when our skin gets hit hardest with a catastrophic combination of skin-damaging factors – the drying effects of the sun, extra dirt and debris buildup from the outdoors…all of this “attacks” our skin. In order to coexist with the change in weather, it’s important to keep a few key issues in mind when looking to maintain an acne-free complexion.