Acne Myth-Busters

There have been and will always be myths about what causes acne and what may help prevent it. In the recent survey Dave conducted in Portland this month, it’s obvious there are many people who are still very confused about what is the real cause of acne. Some persistent myths on the causes of acne include poor personal hygiene, not exercising, or eating unhealthy foods. These potential causes have been seriously misunderstood.

How many of you still believe that having bad eating habits greatly increase the chance of acne breakouts? It was definitely a reason that many of our parents gave to us as we went through the awkward stages of adolescence. Perhaps it was just a great way to keep us from eating too much chocolate before we went to bed.

And how many of you have determined that you needed to wash your face at least twice a day in order to control breakouts. These acne prevention habits have steeped into our everyday routines and continue to influence how we perceive our skin health.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) released a study determining what myths have become the most prevalent out there today and the truth behind them.

The most common myth is how poor hygiene directly affects acne breakouts. It’s a matter of how much we wash our face. In Dave’s survey almost 30% of the 100 people asked about the cause of acne thought it was due to a dirty face, in the survey done by the AAD, the results were dramatically more. 91% of the people surveyed in the AAD study thought that poor hygiene was the major factor that causes acne.

A study on whether hygiene is a factor that causes acne was conducted at Stanford University. In it a group of twenty-four males washed their faces twice a day for two weeks using a mild over-the-counter cleanser. Then they were randomly selected to wash their faces either once, twice or four times a day for another six weeks. The results found that washing the face either once, twice or four times daily doesn’t significantly change the appearance or condition of acne.

This study doesn’t debunk the need to wash your face, but it does shed some light on our misconception of how important it is not to over-wash, which may cause more problems like drying out skin and depleting natural oils.

Another myth confronted by the AAD was role of exercise in either helping reduce acne or being the cause of acne mainly on the chest and legs. Many believe that the sweat produced from exercise helps clean the pores making skin healthier while other believe that the sweat combined with rubbing sweaty clothes on our skin from being active increases the chance of getting acne.

Stanford University went to their research lab again and found that “exercise-induced sweat does not have a significant positive or negative influence on acne.” In the study twenty-three male participants were assigned to three groups: no exercise, regular exercise followed by immediate showering, and regular exercise followed by delayed showering. The number of acne on the chest and back were counted over a two-week period and no difference was noted between the three groups.

These myths are always going to play a factor in our conception of what causes acne or how to treat acne. And they should. It is important to wash your face regularly and keep your skin clean while using treatment that is proven to work such as AcneRecovery, while it is equally important to exercise no matter if you think it causes acne or helps prevent it.

I would like to get your viewpoint on these and other myths out there for acne. In light of the research do you feel, no matter what, that washing your face is key in preventing acne? How about exercise? Do you see an improvement or worsening of your acne after you finish your run or workout at the gym? Have you found ways to control it?

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION: What do I need to be careful about? (Medication Warnings) Tips for success The American Academy of Dermatology National Institute of Health How AcneRecovery delivers different strengths

“I also found previous products too irritating and often stopped them after a few days.

With AcneRecovery, you can control the setting. This is a very good option.

Acne Recovery gives you what you need when you need it. You have total control based on how your skin is doing that particular day. I still have oily skin but I have seen a remarkable improvement in my skin's appearance since I've been using the products."

– AlisonWells, 40

“When my acne was at its worst, my self confidence was practically nil. I always felt that people were looking at my blemishes and not at the real me.

AcneRecovery has allowed me to be able to adjust my treatment according to my skin reaction. When my skin would become itchy and red I toned down the treatment until it no longer itched. My skin looks younger and has not dried out at all like other products have done in the past. My skin is softer and healthier looking than it ever has been.”

– Melissa Wyss, 37

“I have tried every product out there and I have read and researched every bit of information about acne. I did read about using both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. When I found out these products had both acne medications, I decided to try it out.....which I'm very glad I did. I told my sister to try it out because my skin cleared up in a matter of days.....and she did, and is also having great results.”

– Michelle Strange, 31

We encourage you to study our approach to skin care.

If at any time you have questions about your acne, call us at 1.800.539.5195 and we’ll do our best to help you out.

You can also email us at questions@trienelle.com.