What is acne?
Acne is a skin condition characterized by the appearance of blemishes and red spots on the face, chest, or back. Oily and combination skin are most affected.
Acne is a disease of the sebaceous hair follicle, a small pocket that runs through the different layers of the skin and contains a hair growth in its center as well as sebaceous glands. These glands produce sebum, an oily substance that serves to protect the skin from the cold, the sun, and pollution, and which flows through a channel on the surface of the skin. When your skin is acne-prone, the sebaceous glands go into overdrive and start producing too much sebum, the skin becomes oilier and shinier. In addition, the channel becomes blocked and the sebum then remains trapped, forming an open comedo (blackhead) or a closed comedo (whitehead). Finally, we also observe the appearance of numerous red pimples which are the consequence of inflammation due to the proliferation of microbial agents.
It is important to know that the causes of acne are diverse: hereditary predispositions, hormonal changes, but also tobacco, pollution, processed foods, sugar, the pill, emotional stress, exposure to the sun or a hectic lifestyle...
Advice from Dr. Sylvie Peres:
To treat acne, it's essential to adopt a gentle routine using organic cosmetic products recommended by dermatologists. Indeed, industrial cosmetics can often aggravate acne problems because they don't respect the skin's natural barrier, are too harsh, and prevent the skin from breathing naturally.
1 - Adopt double cleansing
Step 1: Cleansing Oil
This first phase of double cleansing removes makeup, impurities, and pollution. As a reminder, impurities are fatty substances. Since fat attracts fat, cleansing oil helps remove them as effectively as possible.
Step 2: Mango & Avocado Soap
This second step using soap allows you to deeply cleanse the skin so that it is free of all impurities. Once the skin is free of makeup and/or mineral filters from sunscreens, it is important to cleanse and rebalance the flora using the cold saponification Mango & Avocado Soap .
Double cleansing is essential for healthy skin because it deeply removes impurities, makeup, and pollution. It's important to go to bed with your skin thoroughly cleansed and free of makeup. Avoid touching spots to avoid spreading bacteria to the skin's surface.
How to properly practice double cleansing?
2 - Hydrate
Combination skin, like oily skin, also needs nourishment. However, you should be careful to choose facial care products that are suited to your skin type, such as an organic combination skin moisturizer or low-fat plant-based moisturizing oils like non-comedogenic jojoba oil.
How to choose the right moisturizer?
Finally, other natural treatments will help you combat excess sebum. Applying an exfoliating treatment (natural peel or scrub) 2 to 3 times a week helps prevent the appearance of imperfections and eliminate impurities while restoring radiance to the skin.
Ingredients to avoid:
It is essential to remove ingredients that promote the appearance of blackheads.
In conventional cosmetics, most formulas contain silicones, mineral oils, and waxes to give the illusion of hydration. In reality, these synthetic or petrochemical-derived ingredients form an occlusive film that clogs pores. We therefore advise you to check the ingredient list of your cosmetic products to avoid these comedogenic ingredients (ending in –one or –ane for silicones; mineral oil, cera microcristalina, synthetic wax, paraffin petrolatum, ceresin, or ozokerite for mineral oils).
3 - Reduce inflammation
Since acne has a strong psychological impact, it was important to us at Alaena to have a product capable of treating this condition by combining medical expertise with powerful natural active ingredients.
We have created the Anti-Imperfection Solution , a complex of fruit acids and flower acids to combat hyperkeratinization ( Hyperkeratinization: Excessive multiplication of cells in the wall of the follicular canal results in the formation of a real plug, which prevents sebum from draining normally.)
Its formula:
Hibiscus Flower Acids: This ingredient is obtained from the calyxes of the white hibiscus flower, which is naturally highly concentrated in pyruvic acid. This acid strongly stimulates cell renewal and collagen synthesis. It has properties complementary to alpha hydro acids (AHAs). This results in a natural, gentle peel for smooth, clear, and luminous skin. This acid is even suitable for sensitive skin.
Licorice to act on inflammation, Soothing and healing, licorice acts on inflamed spots and reduces redness. Thanks to its calming properties, it very quickly relieves irritated skin thanks to its anti-inflammatory power.
Extract of the fruit of the Florida saw palmetto to regulate sebum : it slows down the activity of androgens and reduces sebum secretion. Juniper berry extract acts against the causes of imperfections: hyper-secretion of sebum, comedones, dilated pores, dysbiosis, redness.
Zinc to promote healing: It has the ability to reduce sebum secretion and promote healing . Greater celandine has been known since antiquity for its healing properties.
Regulate the microbiota thanks to alkaloids such as berberine, it acts on dysbiosis (imbalance of the biodiversity of our intestinal flora) Harungana extract reduces the diameter of pores and eliminates imperfections. Soothing and antioxidant, it balances the microbiota and protects against the harmful effects of the bacterial secretome (set of organic and inorganic molecules secreted by bacteria and responsible for inflammation).
Probiotic from the fermentation of radish root by kimchi which provides a peptide that fights dysbiosis while maintaining good hydration.
4 - Treat acne from the inside out
The body naturally gets rid of toxins through the liver, kidneys, and intestines. But if the liver is congested , and it receives too many toxins and cannot eliminate them through conventional means, it will eliminate them through the skin - involving stimulation of the sebaceous glands and therefore blemishes appear.
Acne is therefore a sign of a congested liver and it is necessary to carry out a detoxification to restore internal balance and thus reduce skin inflammation.
The anti-blemish food supplement will therefore act on all stages of this liver detoxification to restore healthy skin over the long term.
Use :
We recommend a minimum 3-month course of treatment to see the full effects. The benefits on complexion radiance are seen quickly, as well as improvements in skin texture and digestive comfort. However, you may experience a "cleansing" period during which an acne breakout is possible. This can last several weeks before you see lasting healing of your acne.
A suitable diet will help you reduce your acne
Dairy products are too often overconsumed, yet they cause acne! Indeed, milk is naturally rich in hormones like dihydrotestosterone, the acne hormone that gives our skin a direct order to produce sebum. There's no need to tell you more to reduce your dairy consumption!
Switch to plant-based milks: between almond, soy, or rice milk, you'll find what you're looking for and you can vary the pleasures.
Finally, our experts advise you to avoid processed foods, foods that are too fatty (palm oil), too salty, alcohol, and fast sugars. A balanced diet is essential for beautiful skin.
In addition, as we have seen, tobacco, stress and pollution aggravate acne.
To help you heal your acne, we've written an acne guide with the help of Dr. Sylvie Peres, dermatologist and co-founder of Alaena. If your acne persists, talk to your dermatologist or doctor to find a treatment that's right for your skin.
discover the acne ritual