Is Hyaluronic acid good for acne? Yes, here’s why!
What is this Hyaluronic acid?
First things first, what is this new fad everyone keeps talking about? Well, it’s not just a fad but a lovely humectant that basically pulls the moisture onto the surface from deep within the layers of the skin, obviously making the skin look very dewy & plump.
So how does Hyaluronic acid help acne?
Well, you can’t say it’s an ointment you apply to treat pimples but adding it to your skincare routine will be a game changer for your skin, read the benefits yourself
- The medication for acne has the tendency to dry the skin out making it very dehydrated. Hence using Hyaluronic Acid helps to get back that lost hydration & gives a dewy glow.
- Hyaluronic Acid is known for its calming nature & therefore any kind of redness, or irritation caused by medications or in general is taken care of by this darling product.
- When your skin is fully hydrated, aging automatically slows down a bit. Dry skin is the biggest reason for fine lines & wrinkles.
- Improves the skin texture by making it overall really smooth for makeup application.
- It’s cost-effective ha-ha! Inexpensive with enormous skin benefits. (Try from The Ordinary)
Which ingredients are compatible with Hyaluronic acid?
It’s the friendliest acid in nature hence no collisions if layered or paired with any other acid, medicine or serum.
Can you use Topical Hyaluronic acid serum during pregnancy?
Most definitely YES! It will give you some relaxation from that itchy dry skin.
Which skin type Hyaluronic acid can be used for?
It’s suitable for all skin types-oily/dry/combination/normal/sensitive Voila!
Now, I want you to become the master of your product by rightly knowing how to use it.
How to incorporate Hyaluronic acid serum into your skincare routine?
- Always layer Hyaluronic acid with a nice moisturizer & seal the skin. If you don’t & if the air around you is dry, it draws moisture from deep layers of your skin and makes the skin drier; leaving it uncomfortably sort of tight. So don’t forget the moisturizer!
- When using it with other ingredients or acids, always use HA as the last serum before the moisturizer followed by sunscreen.
- Apply HA on slightly damp skin, it absorbs amazingly well on damp skin.
But does this sweetest ingredient have any side effects too?
Side Effects of Hyaluronic acid
My personal & overall internet data report says NO! because HA naturally also occurs in our bodies hence chances of side effects are merely low, but again, there could be very few exceptions who might get pimples after using it. Chances are damn low!
You are my dear all caught up on Hyaluronic acid, but I think you might be very interested in knowing a bit more about your biggest enemy too – ACNE!!
What the heck is Acne?
It is that annoying guest who comes uninvited & stays uninvited till we decide to kick it out. Holy yes! We can.
Scientifically this means, a condition of the skin where your pores are blocked by excess sebum, bacteria, dead skin cells, or hair follicles. Those blockages lead to black/whiteheads, pimples & ultimately to acne. 650 million people worldwide are currently suffering from it. So, chill out & read on.
What are the top causes of acne?
- Hormonal Imbalances
- Genetics
- Using wrong skin care products
- Using not-so-clean towels/napkins on the face
- Stress (Duh!)
- Certain medications
- Too much sugar
- Face Masks (the covid ones I am talking about)
- Dairy products
- High Humidity or Dehydration
- Oily/Deep fried food
- Synthetic cloth materials
Now, I just need you to know that any kind of acne you are having can be cured or decreased significantly with a certain discipline in lifestyle & a few topical medications, I mean it from my personal acne journey!! Let me explain how.
How to cure Acne?
Be it any kind or reason for acne, these are the mandatory general rules to start with.
- Shift from towels to facial tissues.
- Change your bed sheets & pillow covers every week.
- No need to say much about Stress ha-ha, at least don’t stress about small things, guys.
- Drink water!! Consider it a free magic drink to help you tremendously with that inner glow of the skin.
- If you feel like nothing is working, go dairy free for a month & see the changes for yourself.
- Junk food always tastes the best but the trick is, to keep the portion size small & eat it occasionally.
- Please use specific acne-prone skin type products. (Have suggested few good ones in the end)
- Be very strict with your skincare regime. Consistency will bring you shocking results in no time (in a good way ha-ha).
- Wear a fresh face mask every time you go out! (COVID Masks)
- Moisturize!! People get really confused that moisturizer will make their pores clog & will make them oilier. It’s the opposite, Moisturizer adds a soothing protective layer for any water loss.
- Shower after hectic workouts. Sweat & natural oils accumulating on your skin can grow the bacteria more by creating a waxy buildup leading to inflammation in pores.
- For face mask- Stick to Clays, Calcium bentonite clay mask will be great for you as it sucks out all the oiliness and leaves you like a clean canvas. Salicylic acid-containing masks are also a very good option as they are formulated to treat acne only.
- Wash your face every morning after you wake up & before going to bed at night with a non-comedogenic cleanser & your medicated ointment followed by moisturizer.
Product suggestions for acne and breakouts
Cleansers containing ingredients like Benzoyl peroxide, Salicylic acid & Retinoids are most suitable for acne-prone skin. Products from companies like La-Roche-Posay, Inky list, Cereve, Cetaphil, Avene, and aha glow from Glenmark all have no fragrance bullshit & have gentle products.
Hydrocolloid pimple patches are a good option too. They suck out all the sebum and make the pimple dry.
Medications for acne and breakouts
Well, I am no dermatologist to write you any prescription but over-the-counter Retinoids are a solid treatment for average acne-prone skin & acne scars. If Retinoid suits you. You should definitely give it a try but slow with the concentration & application size, a pea size is all you need.
Over the counter Recommendation
- Adapalene (Differin) – You can get it without a prescription. Be careful around the eye & mouth area though. You could be drying initially so be mindful of the quantity & to avoid over-dryness or flakiness if it occurs, you can use hyaluronic acid after applying this to maintain hydration levels balanced. Layer it with a non-comedogenic moisturizer & voila you are set. Use it only at night times Cuz it makes your skin photosensitive.
Prescript Ointments Recommendation
- The other Retinoid options are Tazarotene & Tretinoin, both have a great history & record when it comes to treating acne & acne scars, they just need a prescription. But wonderful options for you.
The most important of all is sunscreen. Damaging sun rays can make your skin worse with additional more problems. We can’t afford that so be adamant about everything you read here & all the very best.
Now, the most difficult kind of acne in my opinion is Hormonal acne. Localizes majorly on the jaw area. They are more rigid than a teenager’s tantrums but my friends can both be handled with patience ha-ha. I have survived hormonal acne & obviously products do help but majorly the art is to calm & balance your hormones. Now how do you do that?
Curing Hormonal Acne
Well, that’s a pretty big topic in itself, which I am of course going to write about in detail in another article. But for now, I will only touch on the key points starting with
Lifestyle Changes
- Get a complete hormone test. This will give you a perfect picture of why your body & skin are being a rebel. Now when you have some idea.
- Then, take the vitamins in which you are deficient or ask the doctor how to correct that deficiency.
- Apart from that, there are a few herbs that are superb in balancing hormones like Shatavari, and ashwagandha depending on what exactly you lack.
- Primrose oil tablets are great for hormones as well as for the skin.
- Drink freshly made vegetable juice on an empty stomach every morning.
- Seeds! They are very helpful in regaining your hormonal balance. Chia, hemp, flax, sunflower, pumpkin. Eat them in any form you like.
- Eat healthy fats like nuts & avocados. Pls, don’t run away from fat.
- Forget diary! Shift to Soy, Almond, Oat or whatever you like.
- Stay away from artificial/refined sugar and deep-fried food at least for a few months.
My personal Suggestion is– Try and avoid birth control pills for treating Hormonal acne. Your doctor might suggest this but at least give your body a chance of 3 months to balance on its own with the determined lifestyle changes we discussed above & with topical retinoids. You will start getting better. I am very hopeful.
You learned a lot today! Kudos guys.
Love,
Beauty Stroll
