Adult acne - why must we suffer aging skin AND acne?

As a young woman who suffered through agonizing periods of merciless acne breakouts in the already angst-filled years of my young adulthood, I thought that once I became an "adult", I would no longer have to suffer the unbearable cycles of noticeable, painful cystic acne. I remember feeling like every zit on my face was the focal point in every conversation I had with people, and I swore that everyone had clearer skin than I did. Even a day with clear skin was like a rare treat to me, to be savored cautiously, as I knew it would never last, and a breakout was just waiting for it's next opportunity to strike.

Little did I know, that when I hit adulthood, my battles with acne were far from over. Even as I had my twenty-fifth birthday, I still had to battle that never ending cycle of clear skin, followed by periods of days or even weeks where my skin would inexplicably erupt into a maze of strategically placed blemishes, mostly on the chin area, forehead, and around the nose. I still found myself searching for the latest acne products and treatments at drugstores, all of which didn't work at all. They merely dried my skin and made it look worse by adding redness and chafing to my growing list of skin problems.

There are many other adults that are finding they still have to fight the battle with acne - now coined "adult acne". Why is it, that even beyond our adolescent years of hormonal turmoil, we are finding that we must battle a new enemy, the formidable adult acne that we thought we might be fortunate enough to escape since we paid our dues in our teenage years. It is estimated that more than fifty percent of adult women between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-eight have some type of adult acne, and those numbers are only getting larger.

So what do the experts have to say about the cause of adult acne? Hormonal fluctuations are the most common cause of adult acne, followed by stress, which in itself actually triggers hormonal imbalances, especially in women. So basically, any way you cut it, adult acne is primarily caused by hormonal shifts and fluctuations, many times caused by stress, but also caused by diet, lifestyle changes, birth control pills, medications, and so many other circumstances.

Some good lifestyle rules to stick to for clear skin are pretty much common sense, but nonetheless are worth repeating. Eating a balanced diet, with adequate protein, little or no refined sugar products (which cause hormones to spike up and down rapidly), and plenty of skin-nourishing fruits and vegetables is an absolute must for clear, healthy skin. I notice that after even one day of a refined sugar binge, I may wake up to a puffy, red and sometimes slightly broken out face. This is proof that you are what you eat - especially when it comes to your skin.

Second, try to diminish stress levels by taking walks, getting cardiovascular exercise of some sort, or practicing relaxation techniques in the form of yoga, meditation, or tai-chi. It sound trivial, but stress levels and how you allow yourself to be affected by daily stress, really reflects in your skin's appearance.

Third, you really should consider giving a natural acne treatment a try. When all else failed, and it was clear that nothing else would work to permanently clear my skin, or at least get the ball rolling to even my hormone levels out and purify my skin from the inside of my body, I tried a natural acne remedy that I am forever grateful for. I still have clear skin today, and get compliments on how good it looks, at age 30. After years of taking prescription acne medications like tetracycline, Retin-A and erythromycin, I was finally able to clear my skin permanently -and at a fraction of the cost of constant dermatologist consultations and repeated prescription refills.

These new, advanced acne treatments really offer you what no prescription antibiotic can in that they are completely safe, contain all natural botanicals that purify the skin from the inside out, and in many cases, can clear your skin permanently with very little follow up treatment if you take them as prescribed and for a long enough period to have lasting effects.

You owe it to yourself to try a natural acne remedy. There are just too many great acne products out there that will get the job done better than anything a dermatologist can prescribe!