5 Common Causes of Adult Acne and How to Treat It

Author Scott

Posted on July 26, 2022

Scott is passionate about health and wellness, and enjoys writing on various topic surrounding these fields. Scott lives in Seattle and spends his free time restoring old furniture and playing pickleball with his friends.

Acne is a problem that a lot of people struggle with during puberty. Unfortunately, this isn't always where it ends. In one study, adult acne was a problem for up to 54% of women and 40% of men over the age of 25.

As an adult, acne can be a huge hit to your confidence. While adult acne is usually mild, it can have a huge impact on self-esteem. Particularly for women, there's so much pressure to have flawless skin, and it can be embarrassing to have a skin problem associated with adolescence.

The causes of adult acne and its treatments are a bit different to teenage acne. While the acne itself has the same cause (excess oil and bacteria on your skin), knowing why that is happening can help you know what treatment you need.

If you're struggling with adult acne, keep reading to learn more about why you're getting it and how to treat it.

1. Hormone Fluctuations

As hormones fluctuate, the amount of oil your skin produces changes. This is because hormones control your skin's pH balance, inflammation, oil production, and how well your blood is circulating. If any of these are out of balance because of poor hormonal regulation, it can result in acne.

This is why breakouts are normal at certain times of the month, even for people who don't suffer from acne.

Stress is also a big influence on skin. When your body is under a lot of stress, it leads to hormonal changes or disfunction. This can impact your body in a lot of ways, one of the most noticeable being skin.

If you have a condition that results in hormone imbalances, getting that sorted out will be a big help for getting your skin under control.

2. Harmful Exposure

When there are harmful substances in the air around you, it can damage your skin. And once your skin is damaged, it might be more prone to developing acne.

This is the case in situations where there is mold or pollutants in the air. Both of these substances can cause rashes or increase your skin's sensitivity. This means it's easier for bacteria to grow on your skin, increasing the severity of acne.

If you've got adult acne but can't figure out a cause, do an air quality and mold check. This can help you figure out if the problem is external exposure or not.

Harmful exposure isn't only from the air. If your pillow cases are an irritating material, or you don't wash them often enough, it can lead to skin irritations and worsen acne.

3. Using the Wrong Products

Everyone's skin is different, any will react differently to various formulas. But some products are more likely to cause acne than others. If a product is oil-based it can lead to even more oil production on your skin, which can result in more acne.

And if you're using the wrong products for your type of skin, it can lead to skin sensitivities. These sensitivities make your skin worse at regulating oil production and dealing with bacteria, which can worsen acne.

You might even be using the perfect products for your skin, but using the wrong amount. Skin products are formulated with specific concentrations, and if you're using it too much or not enough, it won't work.

If you're cleansing your face too often, the chemicals can become irritating to your skin. This leads to sensitivity and creates and environment that acne can flourish. But if you don't use enough of the product, it's not enough to remove the oil and bacteria, and also causes acne.

If you struggle with adult acne, do some research into your skin products. Look at the key substances you're using, and how much you're supposed to use. You can always try a few other products and track how your skin reacts to them.

4. Health Conditions

Certain health conditions leave people with acne. The acne isn't a result of the health condition, but a result of living with the condition. People who are sick a lot might not have energy to look after their skin, or medications that give them oily skin as a side-effect.

Some people are also just genetically predisposed to acne. There's no real health problem or reason why they've got acne, but they just do. It might simply be that they produce more oil in their skin. So no matter what products you apply or acne management tricks you use, you're going to have acne outbreaks.

If you've got a health condition or genetics that leave you with an acne problem, then medication is probably the best of the adult acne treatments. There are several medications for adult acne that you can look into, depending on your condition.

5. Diet

A lot of people don't realize how big a role diet plays in looking after your skin. Many people actually have mild intolerances to foods like dairy or gluten, but don't realize it because they don't react badly enough to notice it.

But cutting certain foods out of your diet can have a huge impact on your skin. The best way to look into this is to track your food intake and acne flare-ups, and see if you notice correlations.

Keeping hydrated will also improve the quality of your skin. It won't be enough to clear up acne entirely, but it can help improve your skin health. Paired with an improved diet, it can lead to improvements in your acne.

Treating Your Adult Acne

It can be a struggle to manage adult acne. If you're not sure what's causing it, you don't know how to treat it. And when you don't know how to treat it, it gets worse, or never clears up.

Improve your self-confidence and skin quality by addressing the cause of your adult acne. With the right environmental and diet changes, and the right medication, your acne should clear up in no time.