56. Can I Use Topical Vitamin C for Acne?

No matter your age or stage, no one wants to deal with acne. When a breakout occurs, is there a safe and effective way to get to the root of the problem and heal your skin quickly and safely? Is there anything you can do to prevent future outbreaks? In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using topical vitamin C serum to treat acne outbreaks and prevent future occurrences.

What Is Acne?

Acne is a skin condition that affects more than six million Americans annually, with 15-20% of them suffering from a condition severe enough to leave scars. While more prevalent during the teenage years, acne can affect anyone at any age or stage of life with the average age of acne sufferers being 26. While 85% of all Americans have experienced some form of acne throughout their lifetime, studies show that women account for most adult acne cases.

Often attributed to a hormonal imbalance, acne occurs when the sebaceous glands produce too much oil that, along with dirt, dead skin cells and bacteria, eventually clogs pores. (The oil in the clogged pores mixes with dead skin cells on the surface of the skin and enables bacteria formation that causes inflammation causing blemishes or pimples, or acne.) Acne outbreaks can occur anywhere on the body, most commonly on the face, neck, back and chest.

Common Causes of Acne

1. Hormonal Changes

Stress, pregnancy, and puberty all contribute to hormonal changes that may lead to acne outbreaks. While hormonal changes can’t be completely controlled, they can often be managed successfully under a doctor’s care.

2. Stress

If you ever woke up with a new blemish on the first day of school or work, then you already know that stress contributes to acne breakouts. We often experience these dreaded breakouts when stress hormone levels increase and trigger an overproduction of sebaceous oil causing clogged pores and visible blemishes. Stress is a part of life and can’t be fully avoided, but we can learn how to manage it.

3. Medication

All medications have side effects, and acne is a common one for corticosteroids, lithium or androgens. If you are prescribed any of these medications and experience outbreaks as a side effect, speak with your doctor about other options.

4. Genetics

While science has produced some amazing breakthroughs in recent years, we still can’t choose our genetics. Unfortunately, your odds of having bad acne breakouts increase if your parents previously or currently battle acne. It’s not something we can change, but we can learn to manage it with the proper skin care habits.

Treating Acne with Topical Vitamin C Serum

Americans spend millions of dollars on over-the-counter acne medications each year, yet only 30% of people who buy those medications report satisfactory results. Many of these over-the-counter remedies treat only the symptoms, the visible blemishes on the surface of the skin. To combat outbreaks effectively, you must get to the root of the problem – the over-production of oil in the sebaceous glands.

Using a topical vitamin C serum can help. When used consistently, you will not only treat the visible outbreaks on the surface, but you will also build an ample supply of antioxidants within the dermal layers that will continually fight outbreaks, ideally before they become visible.

Preventing Future Breakouts

While getting the current outbreak under control is great, what can you do to prevent another one from occurring in the future? Look for a topical vitamin C serum that is specially formulated along with other skin-nourishing ingredients like jojoba seed oil, vitamin E, and vitamin A, delivering anti-inflammatory and anti-acne benefits along with many other healthful benefits for your skin.

With vitamin C as the key ingredient, each product in a correct program sets the stage for the next product. As products are layered step-by-step, each one contributes to a cumulative “reservoir effect,” storing up vitamin C in the layers of your skin for better skin nutrition and health. By building this reservoir with consistent use over time, your skin may be healthier and more vibrant with fewer acne outbreaks. Topical vitamin C serum should be an integral part of your daily skin care routine.

Contact us here for questions or comments.