It’s happened to us all. You wake up on the morning of a big event only to find a big, red, angry pimple staring back at you in the mirror. While it may seem like this acne blemish popped up out of nowhere, truth be told, it’s been a few weeks in the making.
Inflammatory acne is the most common type of acne, and it’s also the most frustrating type. It swells the skin, makes it feel tender and painful, and can be tricky to cover up even with the best concealers. And if you think picking and popping it will make it magically shrink and go away, well, we hate to be the ones to tell you it won’t. You’re far better off taking a hands-off approach and letting a spot treatment work its magic.
Several factors can cause inflammatory acne to the surface of the skin. Even though you want those pimples gone yesterday, the secret to clearing up inflammatory acne once and for is taking a holistic approach to skin care, a lot of patience and using the proper skincare products day in and day out—even when the skin starts to clear. So, devising a complete skincare approach is always best, no matter what’s making your skin break out.
Table of Contents:
- What is Inflammatory Acne?
- What Causes Inflammatory Acne?
- The Importance of Skincare for Inflammatory Acne
- Choosing the Right Skincare Products
- Inflammatory Acne Treatments and Skincare Routine
- Easy-to-Follow Lifestyle Tips and Skincare Habits
- When to Consult a Dermatologist
- The Bottom Line
What is Inflammatory Acne?
Inflammatory acne is deeply rooted in inflammation (in fact, all types of acne are) and presents bacteria and presents itself as red, angry, swollen, and sensitive-to-the-touch pimples. Sometimes, inflammatory acne can look like a puffy little blemish, while other times, it is more cystic, nodular or even hidden under the skin. But no matter what an inflammatory acne lesion looks like to the naked eye, it is always accompanied by some degree of inflammation, excessive sebum production, and bacteria occurring within the pore.
No matter the type of acne, all acne, including inflammatory acne, which can occur anywhere on the face and body, particularly the chest, shoulders, back, and butt, arises when a mix of acne-causing bacteria meets a buildup of dead skin cells and sebum, creating a sticky creation that clogs the lining of the pores. The body responds by creating inflammation to heal the skin and quell what’s occurring within the pore. The more inflammation called to the area, the more painful, red, swollen and tender the blemish will be as the immune system responds to the breakout.
Although most people associate inflammatory acne with large red, angry pimples, inflammatory acne can manifest in other breakouts. The most common types of inflammatory acne include:
- Papules: These solid red bumps have small pustules of pus at the center of the acne blemish. Papules are the standard type of pimple most of us think of when thinking of acne.
- Pustules: A (usually) white, pus-filled head at the top of an acne blemish. Different from a whitehead, a pustule is surrounded by reddened skin.
- Cysts: Cystic acne is very inflamed, and the acne lesions are usually larger and deep within the skin. There are no ‘heads’ with cystic acne, and the blemishes are generally soft to the touch and typically painful.
- Nodules: Harder than a cyst, acne nodules feel like a small pebble under the skin. Nodules are either red or flesh-toned and are usually painful.
Related Article: Understanding Acne: A Guide To The Different Types And How To Treat Them
What Causes Inflammatory Acne?
Several different factors contribute to the formation of inflammatory acne. For some people, genetics may be the driving force, while fluctuating hormone levels can lead to an abundance of sebum production, a pro-inflammatory and high glycemic diet that causes blood sugar spikes, and lifestyle choices (think too much stress and poor hydration levels) may instigate inflammatory acne in others. Some hair and makeup products, particularly comedogenic ones, which clog the pores, can also contribute to inflammatory acne, as can certain medications like specific types of steroids.
Even data that suggests that certain types of food, particularly dairy, can increase the incidence of inflammatory acne.
The Importance of Skincare for Inflammatory Acne
Inflammatory acne requires a targeted and precise skincare routine to prevent, treat and control breakouts. By following the proper protocol and utilizing the right ingredients, it is possible to eliminate recurring painful acne breakouts. Keeping the skin clean and daily cleansing are good places to start, but to nip inflammatory acne in the bud, the skin needs more than that.
Consistently using the right acne skincare products to help nourish and hydrate the skin while helping to control the formation of acne can reduce the incidence of inflammatory acne. But treating it requires a few skincare products that will control oil, prevent acne formation, limit inflammation and rid the skin of pore-clogging dead skin cells. Non-comedogenic skincare and makeup (always remove it before bed) products are best since they target multiple causes of inflammatory acne without clogging the pores.
Choosing the Right Skincare Products
Loading the skin with harsh, stripping skincare products can worsen inflammatory acne. That’s why gentle, non-irritating skincare products, particularly cleansers, are a must for daily use. For some, a quick double cleanse is the key to helping de-grease the skin, as long as it is gentle, which is perfectly acceptable if non-barrier-damaging cleansers are used. Ingredients like anti-inflammatory salicylic acid, which helps fight congestion, and soothing chamomile and panthenol are instrumental to consider in the fight against inflammatory acne.
A good spot treatment also deserves a home in an inflammatory acne routine. Niacinamide gives the skin a calming and brightening effect while helping to control oil production. Other ingredients with acne fighting capabilities include zinc and sulfur, whereas benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria and breaks up dead skin cells in the pores.
Sticking with oil-free and non-comedogenic skincare products is also critical, which will help prevent the pores from becoming clogged.
Inflammatory Acne Treatments and Skincare Routine
Keeping inflammatory acne at bay takes dedication to following a consistent skincare routine both morning and night. Not sure where to start and what to use? No worries, we have you covered.
- Always start by cleansing the skin. Use a facial cleanser compatible with acne-prone skin and contains acne-fighting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Make sure to wash the skin morning and night.
- Next, apply acne treatments, be it a spot treatment, a serum or a cream used all over.
- Follow up with a non-comedogenic moisturizer to rehydrate the skin, especially since some acne products can leave the skin dry and flaky.
- Top it off with an oil-free sunscreen to help limit the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and scarring.
At night, you’ll want to repeat the same steps (excluding sunscreen) and apply retinol to the skin.
Inflammatory acne doesn’t respond overnight or after one day of treating it with the right skincare products. You’ll need to follow your skincare routine consistently without fail to limit breakouts over time and improve the skin’s health. And even if you don’t see instant results, the products are still working. Often, acne products take a bit to show the results—anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, if not longer—which is why patience is vital.
Cleansing and Exfoliation
One of the best things you can do for skin that experiences inflammatory acne is to cleanse it. The purpose of a good morning and nighttime cleansing routine isn’t to dry out the skin or strip it of much-needed oils, but rather to lift away dirt, oil and makeup so that the skin is free of any potential pore-clogging debris. Without using a routine cleanser made for acneic skin—they usually contain ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to help clear up breakouts—the products you apply next in your routine will be combined with whatever is hanging around the skin’s surface. That’s why it’s always best to cleanse with a gentle gel-based cleanser twice daily and cleanse the skin after working out.
Once the skin is clean, you can exfoliate it, which is the best way to unclog the pores. Exfoliators shouldn’t be used during every face wash session, but typically, twice a week suffices. The skin is less likely to break out with fewer dead skin cells on the surface. Still, chemical exfoliators that contain glycolic and salicylic acid are recommended for inflammatory acne-prone skin, which gives a smoothing effect to the skin, too.