Teenage Skin

Most teenagers have experienced a pimple and know how annoying it can be. In this article I will try to explain why so many teenagers suffer from pimples. I will answer some of the most frequently asked questions so you can get a better idea of how to get rid of your pimples.

This article was written in an internship at Raz Skincare, therefore the products I recommend are based on their universe. I will of course also try to describe the active ingredients found in the Raz Skincare products I recommend, so you know what to ask for where you buy your skin care products.

Who am I?

My name is Kaisa, I am an intern at Raz Skincare, and the niece of Rasmus Steen-Gørup, the genius behind Raz Skincare. I have suffered from acne since I was 12, I am now 14 and my skin is finally starting to look better. I wrote this article to help teenagers make their acne go away and motivate them to start using skin care products, not everyone has a skin expert uncle to help. I hope that you will gain a better insight into what you should do and avoid doing, so that you can get your acne back to life as soon as possible.

What is acne and why do so many teenagers suffer from it?

Acne is a skin disease caused by the bacterium Cutibacterium acnes. It is the most common skin disease, and can appear in many different forms, on different parts of the body. It is most often teenagers who suffer from acne, and they are often hit hardest at the age of 17-19.

Pimples or acne, what's the difference?

Many people think that there is a difference between acne and pimples, but dermatologically speaking, acne and pimples are actually the same. Pimples have the Latin name Akne Vulgaris, which means common acne, or common pimple. So a pimple can in principle also just be called an acne. What creates the confusion is probably, at least in my experience, that some dermatologists like to use the word acne as a term for a violent outbreak of pimples that cannot be treated only by skin care products. But at the end of the day, pimples and acne are the same thing, just under different names.

How does acne occur?

If you look closely in the mirror, you can see that your face is covered with small fine hairs. These hairs grow in the hair follicles in the pores. In the pores there are also sebaceous glands. In the sebaceous glands, an oily substance called sebum is produced, which aims to lubricate and soften the hair and skin. Acne or pimples are inflammation of the hair follicles/sebaceous glands. The inflammation occurs when excess sebum or dead skin cells cover the exit to the skin's surface, so that the sebum produced in the sebaceous gland cannot get out. It creates good living conditions for the bacterium Cutibacterium acnes, which causes the infection/acne. They can further develop into pimples filled with pus, i.e. the thick yellowish liquid that comes out when you squeeze a pimple.

Why do teenagers especially suffer from acne?

Many teenagers suffer from acne. In fact, 80% of teenagers are affected by acne, so it's completely normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. Acne often starts early in puberty and is worst at the age of 17-19. On average, most teenagers suffer from acne for 8-12 years and the acne most often disappears around the age of 25. The reason so many teenagers have acne is that it is during the teenage years that many new hormones are released. Among other things, the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which is responsible for an overproduction of sebum. The overproduction of sebum can form a shiny film over the skin. In some, so much is produced that the hair follicles are stopped, and this provides good growth conditions for the bacterium that forms pimples (Cutibacterium acnes). Therefore, it is especially teenagers who suffer from acne.

What is cystic acne?

Cystic acne is a more severe type of acne. You experience cysts or nodules in the skin where inflammation occurs (swelling and fluid collection). These cysts can look like bumps and can be very painful. The inflammation presses and stretches the skin. If you suspect you have cystic acne, it is a good idea to see a dermatologist who can help you.

Is it normal to experience acne elsewhere on the body than the face?

It is completely normal to experience acne in several places on the body. You most often experience acne on the face, back, neck and/or chest, but you can get pimples almost anywhere on the body, so don't be surprised if you come across a pimple on the legs, arms or anywhere else on the body. Regardless of where the acne occurs on the body, it occurs for the same reason as acne on the face, namely a clogged pore. So you don't need to be ashamed if you have pimples on anything other than your face, because it's completely normal.

Can unclean skin be infected?

No, unclean skin is not contagious. You should not be afraid to give your friend a hug if you or your friend has impure skin, because pimples are not contagious. Even if you rubbed your faces together, it probably wouldn't be a big deal. So you don't have to be afraid of infecting someone with your acne, or getting infected with acne.

What are blackheads?

Blackheads are a bit like a milder form of acne. It is also known as sebaceous pimples or comedones and it is clogged sebaceous glands. Although blackheads are a form of acne in dermatology, it must be stated that when we talk about blackheads, we are not talking about inflammation. There are two types of blackheads: blackheads and whiteheads. Blackheads are the black, open blackheads that look like black dots on the skin. Blackheads are made of the same material as whiteheads, but because blackheads are open, oxygen causes them to be colored dark. Whiteheads are small white bumps that are enclosed under a thin layer of skin. Blackheads, like pimples, often occur in teenagers because of the hormone called dihydrotestosterone, which causes too much sebum to be produced. Dihydrotestosterone is mainly released during puberty, which is why so many teenagers suffer from blackheads.

5 things you must never do if you have acne

Never put toothpaste on your pimples . For some reason, it is very popular to put toothpaste on one's pimples, as it is supposed to dry out your pimples. The problem is that toothpaste does nothing but make your skin worse, as it only dries the skin around your pimples. Let me try to explain it another way. Dental Bacteria Caries is the bacteria that gives you cavities in your teeth, and it is the bacteria that toothpaste fights. Cutibacterium acnes is the bacteria that causes acne, and toothpaste does not work against that bacteria. So we can conclude that toothpaste does not belong on your skin, but on your teeth

Never squeeze the immature pimples. So it is only the large yellow ripe pimples that you must squeeze. If you squeeze the smaller red pimples, you will only damage your skin. There are still layers of skin over these pimples, so if you squeeze them, you destroy healthy skin and then you can form scars, which is not very fun in the long run. If you squeeze the immature pimples, you can also risk popping the pimple inwards, which can cause abscesses or infections, or almost certainly large scars, so don't pop the immature pimples, because in the end nothing good will come of it that.

Never clean your skin with a cleanser that is too harsh. Although it's important to cleanse your skin every day, you can still over-cleanse your skin, which will only make your acne worse. If you over cleanse your skin, you will strip your skin of all its moisture, which will only stimulate the sebaceous glands in your pores to produce even more sebum, and you will end up with even more pimples as a result. Overcleansing your skin can, for example, mean cleaning your skin too many times. It is not necessary that you clean your skin 5 times a day, just clean your skin morning and night. You will also overcleanse your skin if the cleanser you use is too harsh. It could, for example, contain foaming agent, alcohol or soap, so it is therefore important that you use a mild cleanser so that you do not over-cleanse the skin.

Never follow DIY skin care videos. Often the people who made these videos are not trained skin experts and have no idea what they are doing. Therefore, they often just end up making videos that hurt their fans and aggravate their skin or have no effect. Besides that, it may well be that a YouTuber says that, for example, strawberries are good for the skin, and it may well be that they are, but the difference between strawberries in a face mask you buy and one you make is just that in it you buy, some experts in a laboratory have extracted extracts from strawberries that are good for the skin. In a mask you make yourself, it is often just blended strawberries, and it does not have the same effect on the skin.

Never forget to cleanse your skin. Although you must not clean your skin too hard, it is still important that you clean your skin, among other things to stop the clogging of sebum and dead skin cells and so that you can remove the bacteria that causes your acne (Cutibacterialum acnes). Don't be afraid to over cleanse your skin, just make sure you cleanse your skin every day, I suggest once in the morning and once in the evening.

5 things you should always do if you have acne

Dust off your phone once in a while. Your phone is covered in bacteria. For example, when you put it on a table, the bacteria from the table are transferred to your phone. Just consider the amount of bacteria you expose your skin to when you talk on the phone, or scratch your face after touching your phone. That's why it's important that you clean your phone every now and then to remove any bacteria that might be on it.

Remember to clean the things that come into contact with your skin. It is important that, just like with your phone, you also clean the rest of the things that come into contact with your skin. This means pillowcases, make-up brushes or anything else that comes into contact with your face. This is again to make sure you don't transfer bacteria to your face that can cause acne.

Wash hands before going to bed. Most people have no control over whether they touch their face when they sleep, so it is very important that you wash your hands before going to bed. You touch so many things during the day, and even if you wash your hands several times a day, it is therefore also important that you wash your hands before going to bed, to be sure that you do not expose your skin to bacteria.

Use anti-acne products. This tip may seem a bit obvious, but it's still a mistake many make, so I still think it's important that we talk about it. Skin expert Raz (Rasmus Steen-Gørup) said that he sometimes meets people who don't understand why their acne doesn't go away. Then he has to explain to them that they are forced to find products aimed at acne, because it doesn't help if you use an anti-wrinkle cream if you want your acne to disappear. It seems so obvious, yet it is something many people forget to keep an eye on. Therefore, you should always check whether the products you use are aimed at the problem you are trying to solve, because otherwise it may not matter.

Keep your fingers off your face. Just as you should be careful not to let your skin come into contact with dirty makeup brushes, pillowcases and phones, you should also avoid touching your face. I know it's hard and I often touch my face too. But the less you touch your face, the less pimples you get. You don't want all the bacteria and other dirt you have on your fingers on your face, so keep your fingers away.

How to prevent and treat acne?

Firstly, I would like to clarify that if you experience severe acne or that your acne bothers you, it is always a good idea to see a doctor. In addition to that, it is also important to understand that acne does not just disappear overnight, and it will often take time to get over your acne. For some it takes longer than others and you have to be patient with your skin.

Skin care routine

Whether you have acne or not, it's always a good idea to get a skin care routine. It doesn't have to be very long or complicated. Personally, I have two different routines. One more in the morning and one more in the evening. For it in the morning, I would first recommend a mild cleanser/cleanser so that you can clean the acne bacteria Cutibacterium acnes, the dead skin cells, excess sebum or whatever is or could be causing your acne. Make sure your cleanser does not contain foaming agent or soap and that it is rich in vitamins and minerals. You can possibly ask for a cleanser without soap or foaming agent where you normally buy your skin care products. A cleanser that I would recommend is the Raz Skincare cleansing mask, as it is super mild and full of minerals and vitamins, which make your skin smoother, and help with redness and inflammation where acne has been. After that, it is important that you restore the moisture in your skin after you have cleaned it, so that you do not stimulate your skin to produce even more sebum. The product I would use to restore moisture to your skin is Raz Skincare's Face Cream Rich with SPF 30. It is a rich and protective face cream that also has the sun protection you need, meaning you don't need a sunscreen. The reason why sun protection is important is because the sun's rays can cause sun damage, skin cancer, scars and/or pigment defects. After that, I would definitely also recommend a product to eliminate the bacteria Cutibacterium acnes from the outside, and reduce the production of sebum in your sebaceous glands. The serum Mdh from Raz Skincare does just that, and is therefore super good against acne. A tip would be that if you have a large pimple, you can apply a small dab of Mdh after school to make sure it disappears. Feel free to put a dab of Mdh on the pimple several times a day.

For your routine in the evening, I would again start by cleansing with a mild cleanser (e.g. Raz Skincare cleansing mask), and then use a product that contains retinoid, which is an improved version of retinol (vitamin A), as the retinoid penetrates and dissolves the blockage in your pores. However, you must ensure that the product you buy has a higher content of retinoid than 3.8%, because if the content is lower than that, the retinoid will not have much of an effect. A product that meets all those requirements is

A-retinoid by Raz Skincare. Last but not least, I would recommend a rich moisturizing ointment. You may wonder why a greasy ointment is important for oily skin. You would think that an oily ointment would oil the skin even more, but in reality oily skin is often due to a lack of moisture in the skin, which leads to your sebaceous glands starting an overproduction of sebum. Therefore, a greasy ointment will help ensure that your skin gets the amount of fat and moisture it needs. It will cause your sebaceous glands to stop overproducing sebum and your skin will become less oily. One product I would recommend there is Raz Skincare repair. I would use it as it overfeeds the skin with good fats and then locks in the A-retinoid. You can also use the repair during the day, but as it is quite greasy, you can get the feeling that you look like a glazed Christmas ham, so I suggest using the repair at night and the Face Cream Rich during the day, as it also contains sun protection. You don't need a sunscreen at night as there is no sun to damage your skin

If you were a little confused by the long text, here is a list of which products you should use in which order:

Morning

Cleanse (I suggest Raz Skincare Cleansing mask)

Moisturizer (I suggest Raz Skincare Face Cream Rich SPF 30)

Antibacterial product (I suggest Raz Skincare Mdh)

Sunscreen (only necessary if your moisturizer does not contain sun protection)

Evening

Cleanse (I suggest Raz Skincare Cleansing mask)

Product with Retinoid (I suggest Raz Skincare A Retinoid)

Bold ointment (I suggest Raz Skincare Repair)

Can your diet affect your skin and should you avoid dairy products?

A healthy diet has lots of positive effects on your body, but it is only in some cases that a healthy diet has a big effect against acne. It is therefore only if your acne is caused by irritated intestines or the like that you can eat healthy against acne. Often with teenagers this is not the case. However, it will not hurt to try a healthier diet.

Although I have just spent time explaining that diet often has no effect on your acne, dairy products are an exception. A study has shown that approx. 10% of all with acne cannot tolerate consuming more than 500ml of milk in their diet. This means that if you have acne, there is a chance that your acne will be aggravated by dairy products, so if you suffer from acne, you can always try to cut dairy products out of your diet.

Can you squeeze your pimples?

I asked the skin expert Raz if it was okay to pop your pimples. He replied that it was true that pressing one's pimples could cause scars, but this happened most often to adults. He said that you should squeeze your pimples if they are ripe, i.e. if they were large and had a yellowish top. He explained that when the pimples are mature, there will only be a layer of dead skin cells over the pimple, whereas with the red immature pimples would still have layers of living skin over them, and therefore it can result in scarring. So it can also happen if you press the mature pimples too hard. He also came up with a guide on how to squeeze a pimple. “I would take a needle that I would just heat with a lighter. Then I would put some alcohol between two cotton pads and wipe the needle in it so that you are sure not to transfer bacteria to the pimple. Then I would insert the needle right from the side of the pimple, and then press gently with my little fingers". He also explained that it would not hurt to stick the needle through, as it is only dead skin cells on the pimple, so you will not be able to feel anything.

Can you remove a pimple overnight?

Both yes and no. If it's a tiny pimple on the way, with the help of your skin care routine you can prevent it from growing or maybe even make it disappear overnight. But if it's a big pimple, there's not too much you can do. I would avoid trying to remove it with a quick DIY as they often do more harm to the skin than good. You can possibly apply a small dab of RAZspa Mdh a few times a day, and if it is ripe, you can also gently squeeze it using the guide I wrote earlier.

How do you get rid of blackheads?

It should be said that you get rid of your blackheads in much the same way as you get rid of your acne, but I will still explain what you have to do. Before I tell you how to get rid of blackheads, I want to start by telling you what you should avoid doing, so as not to make the problem worse. First, be careful not to use too strong a facial cleanser. When you use too harsh a cleanser on your face, you strip your skin of all its moisture. This means that your skin will be completely dry. When your skin becomes dry, the sebaceous glands start producing even more sebum, meaning the problem only gets worse. Therefore, you only worsen the situation when you use a facial cleanser that is too harsh. You should also be careful not to use clogging products. For example, make-up, some sunscreens and hair products can be clogging, especially if you don't cleanse your face but leave the products on overnight.

Now that we have clarified what you should not do, I will make some suggestions for what you can do. Although I have just explained that you must be careful not to use a cleanser that is too harsh, it is still important that you clean your face every day. Personally, I clean my face twice a day with a mild cleanser. The first time when I wake up in the morning and the second time in the evening before I go to bed. The next thing you need to do is make sure you use a moisturizing cream after cleansing your face. You must ensure that your skin does not become dry after you have cleansed it. Therefore, a moisturizer is very good at regulating sebum production, so that your skin does not start producing too much sebum.