Although the majority of teenagers suffer from some form of acne at one time or another, its far less common among adults and it can be hard to ascertain the causes behind it.
If you are lucky enough to have overcome acne problems, they can unfortunately continue to affect you years after the event in the form of the scars left by the skin condition. It is thought that up to one in five people have acne scarring that is noticeable. Past sufferers can also be left with hyperpigmentation where the skin has become darker in areas previously affected by acne and may suffer from low confidence in social situations as a result.
The appearance of these scars and hyperpigmentation can be lessened through use of products such as Bio Oil from Lloyd's Pharmacy helps the healing process, but is non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic. Comodogenic is the term used for cosmetic products that can lead to clogging of the pores.
Although in some cases it is thought to be hereditary, acne can be caused by a range of factors including hormones and excess production of sebum, use of some comodogenic cosmetic products including natural moisturisers can lead to pore clogging. Although using these products doesnt seem to negatively affect all people or even all acne sufferers, individuals may find that formulas that contain cocoa butter, soybean, coconut oil, wheat germ oil, cottonseed oil and some synthetic fats can lead to pore clogging and in turn a skin break out. These products are quite rich and heavy and can leave the skin feeling greasy depending on skin type. With this in mind, it is wise to look at product packaging to check the levels of these ingredients.