Darn those acne!

Don't you just hate the ever so dreaded "jerawats"? Commonly felt to all of us as a skin disorder caused by plugged or blocked pores of the skin.

To understand the mechanics on how to properly deal with acne, one should be able to first understand the causes of formation of acne, before moving on to how to get rid of it, with minimal side effects on the skin.

They are many theories on how acne is formed, but a simple understanding would be as the following :

Acne develops when the hair follicles gets blocked with dead skin cells and oil.
Each follicle is connected to the sebaceous gland which secretes oil.
Sebum will typically travel to the hair shaft to the surface of the skin.

However, when the body produces too much oil, the excess amount can be trapped in the hair follicle.
This, when combined with the dead skin cells, can cause acne.

Causes of acne could not be exactly determined, but the common views of professionals would be:

1) Stress
2) Lack of Sleep
3) Hormon changes (especially common to teenagers)
4) Unhealthy Food Intake
5) Lack of exercise
6) Hygiene / Cleanliness

Acne really affects everyone in life, so much as it could be a life-wrecker to most of us. Imagine having to wake up to face the public with whiteheads, blackheads and inflamed pustules* on your face! To many of us, it could definitely affect the probability of chances of getting a great job, of clinching a deal, or even a simple case of being noticed and accepted by the society.

Sure people say that Beauty is Only Skin Deep, but to many of us, ironically we realise the fact that how could we get the attention in the first place in order for people to know your "True Beauty" inside?

I'm not suggesting that you get carried away with achieving the utmost perfection ala "Jennifer Lopez" (who allegedly uses La Mer all over her...like wow?); But then again, why not take the initiative? There's no reason not to take grooming into account.

I mean, just look at the American Presidents and First Ladies and you do get my point.

In any case, it helps to boost your confidence level (Read: Confident, not Cocky), and also indicates that you do take into account of self-grooming to some extend.

But fear not, skin - caring nowadays had been taken to great heights where they are easier and more convenient to do, thus fitting into our busy schedule easily. Also, with the huge number of skin care review sites, its even better to compare before making your purchase.

Just some pint-pointers when caring for your skin, especially when it comes to Acne-prone skin:-

1) Do visit a dermatologist / skin doctor if you can't seem to understand your skin type. Sure your skin has acne, but then again the condition could vary to different peoplle (sensitive and acne prone OR oily and acne prone, OR EVEN dehydrated and acne prone!). Visiting a dermal or a doctor helps you to understand your skin thus, choosing your products wisely.

2) Don't take into account 100% of reviews. Sure, they're based on "user reviews", but every person's skin is different. Not just that, take note that these reviewers come from different races, countries and climates So, analyse carefully before you decide.

3) Carefully read the ingredients stated. For example, Salicylic Acid is a very popular and known to be effective in acne-busting. However, excessive amount could be damaging to the skin (may cause dryness, peeling, stinging) if the content is too much. Thus, it is important to do initial research on the acceptable and tolerable amount of these chemicals/ingredients first before you make a go for it. Then, you would know what to expect out of the usage of these chemicals / ingredients.

To cater for our acne concerns, I'll be reviewing more of the products of which I've tried and tested onto myself, AS WELL AS on my BROTHERS as well, in order to cater for the MEN as well.

Till then!