Scrubbing Smarter: How to Use a Face Scrub for Acne Without Causing Irritation

People across the world with diverse skin types often face frequent breakouts on their skin. Acne vulgaris is one of the top 10 prevalent diseases in the world.  It is essential to take proper care of your skin to prevent the occurrence of any type of acne.

Understanding Acne

Acne are the tiny lumps or breakouts that come onto the surface of the skin. Many times they are stubbornly annoying to remove or painful to manage. One of the major causes of acne is  due to excess sebum accumulation and clogging of pores in the skin. It may also be due to microbial skin infection.

It is a matter of genuine concern among people who suffer from acne that how are they supposed to exfoliate their skin without any possible irritation because many a times vigorous scrubbing or harsh exfoliants damage the natural skin protection barrier and often lead to irritation, redness, burning sensation, itchiness or post exfoliation breakouts. Therefore, in order to scrub smarter you need to know your skin, the products which suit your skin the best and the dos and don’ts while using those products.

Why using a face scrub may lead to irritation?

Irritation could be felt in many ways such as redness, itching, burning sensation, pain or bleeding after exfoliation due to popped breakouts or active inflammatory acne while scrubbing the skin. There could be many possible reasons behind irritation post exfoliation. Some of them are as follows:

Vigorous rubbing

Intense rubbing and putting heavy pressure while rubbing your skin using exfoliants may harm the delicate natural skin barrier. Gentle yet effective massage should be given to your skin.

Exfoliating for too long

Exfoliation should be a relaxing massage for 1-2 minutes and not a tiring war of scrubbing against dirt. Exfoliating for longer could strip off the natural oils from the skin.

Large grainy exfoliants

Exfoliants which may be large, grainy, jaggy or with uneven edges could damage the protection barrier of the skin.

Harsh chemical irritants

There is a possibility of the presence of certain harsh chemical ingredients which may induce redness and irritation when exposed to your sensitive skin while exfoliating. Therefore, it’s generally advised to read the label carefully for the composition. You must also do a patch test before use in order to prevent any undesirable after effects.

Disturbing the skin barrier

Using cleansers and face scrubs for acne too often without combining with the use of moisturizers would leave your skin dry, irritated and may even make it more vulnerable to recurring acne, microtears or aggravation of active acne on the skin.

How to avoid irritation post exfoliation?

Know your skin

Consult a dermatologist for an in-depth analysis of your skin type and they’ll recommend to you the skin care regime which’ll be best suited for your precious skin.

Follow the smarter way to use face scrub for acne

Look out for formulations that are soothing and calming

Irritation and inflammation are generally very common after effects of intense exfoliation as the skin becomes more prone to rebound oil production and microtears on the delicate skin. You should try to opt for soothing and calming ingredients in your formulation such as aloe vera and cucumber. They not only calm the irritated skin but also provide hydration.

Opt for anti-inflammatory actives

Neem is a common anti-inflammatory active ingredient which is also effective against Cutibacterium acnes. Choose a face scrub for pimples with anti-inflammatory properties. This prevents the exposure of the skin to any microbial  infection. Some other examples are aloe vera, turmeric, tea tree oil, niacinamide etc.

Check the exfoliant

The exfoliant used in the formulation should be gentle and effective on skin. It should be smooth, tiny, non-jaggy particles. It must not aggravate any active acne on the skin but instead provide a deep cleansing effect without harming the skin’s natural protective barrier. Nowadays, newer formulations have microsphere technology based tiny exfoliants which pop up on the skin, exfoliate effectively and then get dissolved with the water, washing away all the dirt and impurities from the skin.

Upgrade your skin care ritual

Following the right skincare routine would effectively reduce the tendency of irritation on the skin while exfoliating. Here are some key points to consider while scrubbing for people with acne :

1. Scrub your face once or twice a week. Scrubbing too often would damage the skin and may lead to increased sensitivity.
2. Do not apply a face scrub on bare or dry skin. Firstly, wash your skin with lukewarm water.
3. Put a small amount of face scrub onto your face and gently massage for 1-2 minutes. Do not rush the massage or rub aggressively. Let it be a relaxing experience for your sensitive skin.
4. Wash your face again to rinse off the residue and clean nicely. Pat your skin dry with a soft towel.

You should give your skin some time to rest and heal back its natural protective barrier of the skin and avoid getting out in the sun with a bare face just after exfoliation. You should use a hydrating moisturizer or a broad spectrum sunscreen after deep cleansing.

Key Takeaways

Irritation is a common concern of a lot of people with acne prone skin while deciding their products for the skin care. Considerable attention is required to understand the root cause of the irritation. In order to optimize the skin care regime and following the above mentioned recommendations would be a lifesaver for those who are looking out for formulations designed for their skin.