Although acne is often considered a typical teenage problem, you can get pimples at any age. Adult acne most often occurs in the so-called T-zone, especially on the forehead, because of a high concentration of sebaceous glands there. Today, let us take a closer look at the causes and treatment options of forehead pimples in adults.
The main causes of adult acne, which occurs at age 30 or older, are practically the same as the causes of teenage acne: hormonal imbalance, chronic stress, and gastrointestinal issues. In some traditional medicine systems, breakouts across the forehead are believed to be related to the digestive system. Although it is now always the case, consulting with your physician definitely won’t hurt.
If your endocrine and gastrointestinal systems are okay and you’re not chronically stressed, a lack of proper skincare is most certainly the cause of your forehead acne. As we’ve already mentioned above, there are a lot of sebaceous glands on the forehead. Excessive secretion of skin oil combined with a lack of cleansing and exfoliation of dead cells result in clogged pores and the formation of comedones and pimples.
Forehead pimples are typical for oily and combination skin. If your skin belongs to one of these types, you’d better take proper care of it to prevent adult acne. For example, you should always cleanse your skin thoroughly, exfoliate it on a regular basis, and make sure that your skin is hydrated at all times.
The thing is, cleansing products for oily and combination skin are often formulated with drying ingredients designed to prevent oily shine. However, the drier your skin gets, the more oil it produces to protect itself from further dehydration and the faster oily shine reappears. You get trapped in a vicious circle: the more you dry your skin, the more sebum it excretes, which results in clogged pores and pimples.
At the same time, drying cleansers make the skin lose moisture, resulting in it being oily and dehydrated at the same time. Dehydration makes the skin lose its firmness, elasticity and healthy complexion, slows down skin regeneration and renewal, and may result in premature wrinkles. And forehead acne certainly doesn’t improve the situation, so it’s better to prevent the problem by moisturising your skin religiously, even if it seems that gets enough moisture.
It is also important not to over-cleanse your skin. Even with forehead acne, washing your face twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, should be enough. Opt for non-aggressive facial cleansers that contain no abrasives. We recommend that you buy two different cleansers: an especially gentle one for washing your face in the morning and a deep cleansing (but still non-aggressive) one for washing your face before bed.
Be sure to use a toner after washing your face. The main task of a facial toner is to restore the pH balance of your skin that has been upset by surfactants contained in any face wash. To cope with forehead pimples, opt for a toner with antibacterial ingredients. However, you should avoid products formulated with alcohol since this ingredient has a drying effect on the skin.
Follow up the toner with a moisturiser of your choice. You can use a moisturising cream, lotion, or gel, depending on your skin’s needs and the season. Make sure that your moisturiser is free of comedogenic ingredients, otherwise your forehead acne may get worse. For example, some vegetable oils are considered comedogenic. They include coconut oil, linseed oil, palm oil, wheat germ oil, and cocoa butter. Non-comedogenic oils that are safe for oily skin include shea butter, hemp seed oil, safflower oil, mango seed butter, and argan oil.
You also need to exfoliate your skin once or twice a week. However, if your pimples are inflamed, exfoliation is a no-no. First you need to eliminate inflammation and allow the skin to recover, and only then you can exfoliate the skin using products that are specifically designed for your skin type.
If you take good care for the skin on your forehead (and the entire face), you will notice the first positive changes in about a month, and in 6-12 weeks, you forehead should be completely clear. But what if you don’t have so much time? Is it possible to get rid of forehead acne overnight?
The answer is “yes”, but only if you have just a couple of pimples. There are various spot treatments that relieve inflammation and make pimples less visible in a matter of hours. All you need to do is apply a drop of product to each pimple individually and leave it on your skin for the amount of time specified in the product directions, which should make your pimples less visible.
Common anti-inflammatory ingredients that can be found in such products include tea tree and lavender essential oils, chamomile extract, green tea extract, aloe vera leaf juice or gel, propolis, salicylic acid, retinol, and zinc. Since some of them have a drying effect on the skin, you should not use spot treatments if you have extensive breakouts; instead of helping, they might make things worse.
In our online shop Organic Store, you can find a wide range of products for oily and combination skin that will help you to combat forehead acne and prevent its recurrence. At Organic Store, we offer reasonable prices, secure and convenient payment methods, and international delivery to most parts of the world to make your online shopping experience as comfortable as possible.
