Acne is a prevalent skin problem among people, and contrary to popular belief, it is not just restricted to women. That’s right. Acne can affect anybody. Some of the leading causes behind the formation of these pus-filled bumps on your skin include lack of a proper skincare routine, insufficient water intake, and can even be linked to genetics.
While most acne medicines help successfully tackle pimples and spontaneous outbreaks, what remains behind are the scars that are just as difficult to hide. This is where essential oils come in. Packed with natural goodness and lots of nourishing nutrients, essential oils are nature’s antidote to combating acne and its scars.
Not just that, essential oils also help to brighten your complexion and give your skin an everlasting softness by replenishing your skin with hydrating molecules. Additionally, essential oils are also very advantageous against hyperpigmentation. This is because most of these oils have vitamin E, which helps to brighten the skin and give you an evened-out complexion.
In this article, we will discuss a few reasons that cause severe acne and a few essential oils you can incorporate into your self-care routine to eliminate this problem from your life.
What are the causes of acne?
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Excessive Sebum Production
Sebum is a naturally occurring serum that the skin produces to regulate its pH and protect the skin against dry patches. However, if you have an oily skin type, this means that there is excessive production of sebum on the skin.
In such cases, this oily lubricant can clog the pores of your skin with entrapped bacteria and dead cells on your skin. This is a common cause for acne in men as excessive sebum tampers with hair follicles and results in inflammation caused by bacteria.
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Environmental Pollution
One of the leading causes behind this common skin disease is pollution. Our environment is filled with harmful pathogens and bacteria which can penetrate the skin and accumulate beneath the epidermis. If these toxins aren’t regularly exfoliated and removed, they can build up and result in unexpected breakouts.
Aside from bacteria, the harmful UV rays emitted by the sun can also have a negative impact on your skin. There are millions of free radicals in the atmosphere, which can irritate the skin and lead to severe acne and other skin conditions, such as eczema and rosacea.
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Unhealthy Diet
These large pulsating bumps on your skin are highly affected by the quality of diet you put in your body. For instance, greasy foods, dry fruit, and chocolates often stimulate the production of pimples on your skin. Additionally, most dermatologists prescribe their patients with acne to avoid eating refined sugars and refined grains as well. However, people with acne are encouraged to drink more water as it helps to flush out toxins from the body and keeps your skin looking fresh.
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Hormonal Changes
Hormones are chemical substances excreted by the body to ensure correct bodily functions. However, at certain times, the body can start to produce certain hormones in excess, which leads to acne.
Additionally, during puberty, men and women alike experience a rush in hormones called Androgens. Androgens can trigger a greater production of sebum on the skin, which subsequently results in pimples. The same hormone also surges in women who reach their midlife.
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Certain Medication Side-effect
Certain medicines tend to have a negative impact on the body and may lead to a spontaneous outbreak. This is especially true for most antidepressants, birth control, and medicines containing a substance called corticosteroids.
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Stress and in-proper sleep
Stress can not only cause abrupt acne breakout but also make your existing acne worse. This is because when you are stressed, your body experiences a hormonal imbalance that can impact your skin.
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Extensive Cosmetic Usage
While most cosmetic products are launched with the intention to make your skin look more flawless, if you don’t thoroughly cleanse your face before going to bed, the same makeup can lead to acne breakouts. This is because makeup is oily in nature and can fill up the pores and trap bacteria beneath the skin, leading to acne.
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Mensuration
You might have experienced a growth in acne as you get closer to your time of the month. This is because your body undergoes hormonal stress before and during menstruation which can trigger acne and spontaneous breakouts.
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Genetics
Just like being passed down by your father’s green eyes and your mother’s luscious hair, you can also get acne from your parents. In certain families, skin diseases such as acne run in genetics. This means that you are much more susceptible to spontaneous breakouts if your parents also suffer from acne.
How to combat acne the easy way?
When it comes to treatment, you will be able to find a wide variety of products at your local pharmacy to treat acne. However, not every treatment is effective. If you don’t choose the products wisely, you might even end up causing more harm to your skin than what had previously been done by acne.
For this reason, we highly suggest that you stick with natural essential oils. This is because aside from being effective, they have no side effects on your skin. We have gathered a list of the beneficial essential oils you can use for your skin.
10 Best Essential Oils to get rid of Acne and Acne Scar
Tea tree oil is an antibacterial essential oil that helps to eliminate acne-causing bacteria from the skin. We suggest you opt for spot treatment of this oil by cleansing your face and applying tea tree oil over pimples with a cotton swab before going to sleep.
Aside from soothing the nerves and improving your sleep, clary sage essential oil is also very beneficial for maintaining healthy moisture levels on your skin and subsequently preventing acne.
Chamomile essential oil sits at the top of the long list of essential oils for acne scars. This is because this oil has high contents of azulene, a molecule that enhances healing and prohibits inflammation.
Packed with oodles of beneficial nutrients, such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, this oil helps shield your skin from acne and pimples
Many doctors prescribe essential oils for pigmentation as they contain bundles of vitamin E. Tamanu essential oil is especially helpful in restoring an evened-out complexion and fighting against acne.
Rosemary essential oil inhibits an excessive secretion of sebum on the skin. If you have acne-prone skin, we highly suggest incorporating this oil into your skincare routine.
Famous for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, peppermint essential oil is a very beneficial treatment against acne.
Grapefruit oil is enriched in collagen-stimulating vitamin C, which helps to even out acne scars on your skin and provides relief against painful pimples.
This essential oil works excellently as a toner to relax your skin and restore its natural radiance. It is also a very effective treatment against acne and acne scars.
Packed with skin rejuvenating properties, this oil is the solution to all of your problems. Add carrot seed oil to your skincare regimen for instant results.
The Bottom Line
Essential oils are only beneficial for your skin if they are pure. Many manufacturers add chemical enhancers to their products to increase shelf-life, which can be very harmful to your skin. All of our essential oils are 100% pure and organic at AZ Organics to maintain our high standards.