So you’ve mastered your skin care routine and are doing all the right things — uneven skin tones and dark spots are part of the past, but you’re now facing a new problem you never thought would be: adult acne.

Adult acne can be a result of a myriad of things, including hormonal changes, excess skin oil, and even outsider factors like bacteria or the stress of daily life.

Luckily, there are plenty of solutions available to help you on your war against acne, including almost miraculous ingredients like Benzoyl Peroxide and treatments such as our Ouchless Acne Facial.

Whenever my clients come to Bella in search of help to get rid of acne for good, they often hesitate over one product: moisturizer. Their conundrum honestly makes a ton of sense to me — putting a moisturizing cream over an acne breakout seems a bit counterproductive, especially if what’s causing their acne is excess oil. Plus, acne can make your skin feel greasy, so moisturizer might be the last thing you’d think of trying on your routine.

In order to put your doubts to rest, I decided to write this post on the reasons you should ABSOLUTELY moisturize acne breakouts.

Why should you moisturize active acne?

You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It’s an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible. Plus, you’re probably using cleansers to help fight acne, which penetrates deep into your skin for the best results, but they can also cause dryness, so moisturizing is key to help you fight acne without losing your glow.

Moisturizing is especially essential if you’re using the following acne treatments:

• Benzoyl peroxide
• Salicylic acid
• Adapalene, tazarotene, or tretinoin
• Isotretinoin

The reason behind it is that these ingredients can cause your skin to dry out. When your skin dries out, your body starts producing more oil in order as a reaction, which can, well, clog up your pores even more and lead to more acne. Moisturizing will definitely help with that!

To help your skin get rehydrated, add a layer of moisturizer on top of the treatments and products you’re using against acne. Moreover, if you’re dealing with specific dry areas, get yourself a light moisturizing lotion that is non-comedogenic, oil-free, fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic.

What moisturizer to use when dealing with acne?

Now that the reasons why you should definitely moisturize even if you’re dealing with acne, you need to be super careful of the products you use. Avoid using hydrating creams that are occlusive or comedogenic and instead, go for something lightweight, oil-free, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic.

P.S. – Don’t forget to cleanse before moisturizing! Make sure your cleansing products are gentle and their formulas contain Benzoyl Peroxide. Not only does Benzoyl Peroxide unclog your pores, but applying it consistently (keyword: consistently) will help prevent further breakouts in the long run.

What causes adult acne?

What causes adult acne, you might ask? Acne, no matter your age, tends to be caused by excess skin oil and sebum, bacteria, and hormone fluctuation. Another culprit when it comes to acne? Stressed skin. Stress can create havoc on our skin, and if acne is something pretty new to you, chances are it’s being caused by burnout or stress.

Still hesitating?

With that said, though, it’s important to note that no skin care routine is one-size-fits-all. Before you even start spending your hard-earned money on the newest skin care products, it’s super important to get to the bottom of what is causing adult acne in the first place.

If you are unsure where to begin when it comes to treating your acne, I highly recommend reaching out to a professional. You have a couple of options when it comes to skin care: visiting a dermatologist or a medical aesthetician. Aestheticians have probably seen it all throughout their careers, and they can work closely with you to create a routine and regimen that will really focus on your skin’s needs and treat any issues you might be dealing with.

Many med spas offer memberships in which you can come in once a month to get a facial as well as get your skin checked by an aesthetician. Our skin is our biggest organ and it’s ever-changing, so it’s important to treat and take care of it by doing regular checkups! At Bella Med Spa, we offer a Bella Transformation Membership, where you’ll get to enjoy treatments that address your individual needs, including addressing acne–prone skin! We’re based in Atlanta, so make sure to check it out if you’re in the area. If not, I’m sure there’s a similar offer at a med spa closer to your zip code!