No one can dispute the depressing quality acne can have over one's day, especially before a meeting of any kind. I myself have had those moments of dread when disappearing under my VR headset for 3 hours and seeing villages of acne dots just wanting to throw my night into amiss. Acne is one of those conditions where telling someone not to become a dermatologist for the day and pick at it, would be in vain as the urge is too strong. Now, it’s a vicious cycle. So what’s the solution? The Anti-Vice Gazette (AVG) asks Rodrigo Diaz, Founder of GOA Skincare.
AVG: What is Acne?
Rodrigo: “Technically it’s a skin condition where your hair follicles become saturated with too much sebum and dead skin cells. It ends up clogging pores causing blackheads, whiteheads or pimples.”
AVG: Delicious. And what’s the difference between them?
Rodrigo: Blackheads are filled with dirt and bacteria, causing them to look dark and usually found on your cheeks, forehead, nose and back area. Whiteheads are smaller, harder and contain a white center. Pimples or pustules are larger areas of the skin that fills with visible pus - If they are hard and painful then it may be a cyst or cystic acne.
AVG: What causes adult acne?
Rodrigo: Hormones and bacteria play a huge roll in the development of acne where stress is a major player. The fluctuation in stress levels causes our bodies to produce more oil, and lower our immune system to kill bacteria. Pair this with touching your face without washing your hands, and voila, acne. The use of some medications and pollution are also causes of acne.
AVG: What’s the best treatment?
Rodrigo: For cystic acne, chatting with your dermatologist about hopping on a prescription with retinoic acid and the like, are the go-to treatments but it really depends on the severity. GOA Skincare has developed an ingredient called Dark Phyto Matter which focuses on dissolving most of the bacteria and lowering inflammation on the skin. It contains 2% retinol and salicylic acid which is a powerful exfoliator (chemical exfoliant). It heats the skin up slightly to open clogged pores and reduce the effect of acne caused by stress. Some preventative steps also include seeing if your skincare products are non-comedogenic (does not clog pores) or contain too much oil.
Using a purifying face cleanser on the daily which balances out the overproduction of oil is a must before using an anti-acne product helps your pores remain clear of dirt and dead skin. Other good points to not let stress affect your skin too much would be to meditate, exercise, or just cutting yourself from the world for a couple hours - You know, stress reducers.
AVG: What products do you recommend from your go-to list?
Rodrigo: The Anti-Acne Face Set for sure. It’s a starter set for anyone with acne or an overproduction of oil from stress.