Acne -Fighting Skincare Ingredients: Part 1

July 13, 2020

 

Acne Fighting Ingredient’s: Part 1

 

Many people that struggle with acne cannot find quality products that help to truly clear their face, or prevent future breakouts.  What many do not know is that there are some key ingredients that are crucial to getting rid of blemishes. At Anika Skincare, we help people to have a better understanding about different types of acne and why we choose to carry certain acne products and devices for consistent homecare. These are proven ingredients to help your skin, whether you suffer from mild acne or more chronic acne.

 

In part one of this series we will discuss the benefits of Azelaic Acid- 10%, Niacinamide-5%, Alpha Arbutin and Salicylic Acid.

 

Azelaic Acid- 10% - this element is naturally derived from rye, wheat and barley. Its anti-inflammatory properties help to treat the skin, especially those with acne and rosacea.  It can be in the form of a gel, foam or cream.  This pharmaceutical agent is an over the counter product, but Azelaic Acid contains more than 10% and can need a prescription. This ingredients can be found in the following skincare products available either online on our website or at our beauty retail shop in Hudson, NH. Find Azelaic Acid in the Therapeutic Facial Cleanser, Skin Brightening Booster, Advanced Acne Crème with 10% Azelaic Acid, and Sulfur Salicylic Lotion

 

How it works. Azelaic acid clears your pores of bacteria and encourages cell turnover, making your skin heal more quickly and minimizing scarring.  It also reduces inflammation so that your acne may be less visible and irritated. It is specifically a tyrosinase inhibitor, delivering whitening effects to the skin.

 

Niacinamide- 5% this is an active form of vitamin B3.It has numerous benefits that help improve your skin’s moisture and appearance.  Niacinamide is an ingredients known to enhance your skin’s texture, including hyper pigmented spots and red blotches. As well as reduce the severity of fine lines. It is also known to treat eczema, along with acne. It may be most helpful for severe acne, such as papules, and pustules; creating fewer lesions over time, as well as minimizing your pores.  A Lipid Barrier is another benefit of this nutrient.  It helps your skin grown and keep in moisture over the long term. It stimulates collagen synthesis and production of ceramides that help the integrity of the skin barrier. Because Niacinamide is a Vitamin B3, it can be found in the form of food and supplements as well. Some of the foods include eggs, green vegetables, beans, milk and fish. This diet may not necessarily impact your health directly.  Using Niacinamide as a topical ingredient will be more beneficial in improving acne.

 

How it works. This ingredient normally comes in the form of a serum and you can vary how much of a concentration depending on your symptoms and condition. Using it in products alongside other ingredients such as in the Essential Dermaceuticals Advanced Acne Crème with Alpha Arbutin 10%, it may give you more optimal results. You may not see results for several weeks, but many say it is well worth the wait!

 

Alpha Arbutin. As just mentioned in the Essentials Dermaceuticals Advance Acne Crème with Alpha Arbutin, it must have some significance to prevention right?  This nutrient is 10 times more powerful that standard arbutin.  It derives from bearberries, blueberries, and cranberries.  It ultimately helps to fade scars and pigmentation from breakouts or sun damage. It is a much safer alternative to products such as hydroquinone, which is a topical bleaching agent.  Arbutin reduces pigmentation and evens out your skin tone in a gentle way for all skin types.

 

How it works.  Alpha Arbutin reduces skin pigmentation production by suppressing the enzymes that stimulate melanin.  It prevents and treats pigmentation production issues by slowing down the UV rays effects on the skin by suppressing unwanted pigmentation rather than killing pigment-producing cells. It is best used alongside Vitamin C. Please see out Ultimate Ferulic C and E serum and recent blog about why the Essential Dermaceuticals is a better formulation compared to other leading brands.

 

Salicylic Acid.   Another one of acne’s biggest enemies.  It is derived from willow bark and is classified as “salicylates.” Making it more oil- soluble and easier to get to the pores of your skin. Thus making it a target ingredient for treating acne, more specifically blackheads, and whiteheads.  You will find levels 0.5% and 2 % in over the counter skin care products.

 

How it works.  Oil-soluble ingredients , such as Salicylic acid, penetrate through the lipid layers between the skin cells more easily than water-soluble ingredients.  It can also be used as an exfoliant.  It is considered a keratolytic medication, which causes softening within the top layer of your skin cells.  It is important not to overuse this ingredients as it will dry out your skin and may cause irritation to certain types of skin. Talking with a professional, like Teresa Paquin Licensed Esthetician, will help you determine which ingredients may be right for you. Check out our Essential Dermaceutical and Visual Changes skincare International products that contain this amazing ingredients. A top seller from Visual Changes skincare are the Gly-Sal pads. Excellent for acne. Check out Essential Dermaceuticals Sulfur-Salicylic Lotion too!

 

Written by Megan Ward

 

Teresa Paquin, Licensed NH Aesthetician and Makeup Artist -  offers skincare and makeup consultations by phone for individuals who cannot come into the Hudson, NH location. Or, have product questions. See what Anika clients are saying! Testimonies . Please call 603.595.0224 

 Teresa's background and education 

Teresa has worked in the makeup industry since she was 19 years old. Her education was in Boston and NYC in Film, TV, and Fashion & Beauty makeup. Teresa’s work has  been featured in national magazines where she also served as a Beauty Contributor for Allured Publishing in the beauty industry. She was chosen by Allured Publishing to be their Creative Director for several years, creating the covers of their magazines, doing the model makeup, choosing the photographers, models and themes according to their editorial calendar. She has been a freelance Makeup Artist for film, television, weddings, beauty makeovers which included teaching beauty industry professionals classes. 

In addition to her makeup work, Teresa is a skincare formulator, and NH Aesthetician, where she provides skincare and makeup services for her NH & MA clients, and operates an e-commerce beauty store.

 

---

Also in Premium Skincare