Four incredible ingredients that should be in your skin-clearing routine

Let’s face it. We’ve all been tempted to pinch, squeeze, zap, dry out and pick breakouts when they appear. Appearing thanks to a multitude of contributors, acne and breakouts all have one thing in common – we want them gone and we want them gone, fast.

Whilst you may think “the more products, the better” when trying to clear acne, it’s actually not the case! Acne is a delicate skin concern to treat and it makes our skin equally as delicate when we’re treating it. In a world where we’ve put everything from toothpaste to drying alcohol on breakouts, it’s time to put your trust in proven skin clearing ingredients that don’t strip your skin of all its good things in the process.

Experiment with these ingredients alongside the use of your Silvi pillowcase, and notice the positive impact they have on your skin.

 

Salicylic Acid

One of the biggest breakout no-no’s we see is people over exfoliating their skin in hopes that it’ll take the pesky breakouts with them. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple and often, those exfoliants are physical scrubs that spread the acne bacteria across the skin and make matters worse. Yikes.

When it comes to exfoliation and breakouts, it’s time to pop the scrubs down and say hello to chemical exfoliants. Despite the word ‘chemical’ in its title, a chemical exfoliant isn’t always as extreme as its name suggests. The must-have when combatting breakouts is Salicylic Acid, a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that is not only a powerhouse at reducing congestion but offers calming benefits in the process.

Unlike its counterpart, alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that works on the skin’s surface, Salicylic Acid can travel into the epidermis where many of our acne troubles originate. Its lightweight molecular structure allows it to separate the “glue” that’s keeping congestion in your pores, and deeply cleans them out. During this chemical exfoliation process, Salicylic Acid naturally takes any dirt, debris, and build-up with it when it’s cleaning out the pores. It’s safe to say your skin experiences a real treat from this superstar ingredient!

Salicylic Acid is recommended as the go-to exfoliant for those prone to breakouts even on those clear skin days. This is because it’s an anti-bacterial ingredient so when switching from a traditional scrub to a BHA like this, you can maintain your clean and calm pores. Sounds like a good deal to us!

 

Niacinamide

Anyone that has experienced acne knows that it’s not just the breakout itself giving us grief but the painful inflammation and unsightly redness that comes with it. There are an abundance of ingredients out there raving about their ability to calm and clear the skin, but one that truly lives up to its hype is Niacinamide or Vitamin B3.

The Vitamin B group are a collection of powerful antioxidants. Niacinamide, the star of the Vitamin B show, communicates with your cells and supports them to act younger than they actually are, meaning they behave more like healthy and happy cells! This means that the skin can experience the relief of soothed, calmer behaving skin. Pretty cool, right?!

What makes this ingredient so impressive is that it provides additional benefits beyond its ability to calm the skin. It’s also celebrated for strengthening the skin’s barrier which is the first to be compromised when we pack on skin-clearing, and ultimately intensely drying, products. It does this by kickstarting our production of moisture retaining ceramides. This process not only strengthens the canvas we’re working with, but also counteracts skin dryness, dullness and overall tone.

 

Retinol

Retinol is a potent derivative of Vitamin A, a protective antioxidant and powerful cell-communicating active. Its role is to stimulate cell turnover, bringing healthier cells to the skin’s surface sooner and removing the dead, useless ones.

Many forms of acne are caused by dead skin cells and debris clogging the pores, causing unwanted build-up and congestion. The reason why Retinol is a go-to ingredient for breakouts, is that its speedy renewal process can directly support the unclogging of pores. Retinol dives deep into these congested areas and not only cleans them out but helps to maintain the cleanliness ongoing.

The frequent turnover of dead skin cells keeps them regularly moving off your face and stops them from ending up in your pores. This process also means Retinol is fantastic for reducing the appearance of any scarring that has remained as a result of past acne.

When introducing a potent ingredient like Retinol, it’s important to start slowly and tread lightly. Build up your skin’s tolerance to the ingredient by applying every few days, increasing the frequency as the weeks go on. This ingredient will feature as part of your evening routine and will need to be supported with daily use of sunscreen to protect your refreshed complexion.

 

Jojoba Oil

Now you might be thinking, “an oil with MY skin?” right now but trust us - this isn’t the same kind of oil. If you’ve dealt with acne for some time now, you’re probably used to trying to reduce oil rather than add more to your skin and we get it. Whilst the likes of coconut oil and shea butter should be actively avoided during a breakout, there’s one oil that’s going to speed up the healing process – Jojoba Oil.

What makes Jojoba Oil so special is that it’s as close to the skin’s natural oil structure as you can get. It is celebrated for its ability to deeply hydrate the skin, which is an absolute win for acne-sufferers. What many don’t realise is that for oily skin types, a lack of hydration is a contributing factor to acne and breakouts.

Dehydrated skin is so thirsty that it produces more and more oil to make up for the lack of moisture. When it has nowhere to go, it lands on the skin and finds its home in congested, clogged pores and eventually, turns into a breakout. Jojoba oil comes to the rescue by being able to mimic this natural sebum and hydrate the skin - whilst sealing in moisture. As a result, the skin becomes hydrated and slows down oil production which results in fewer breakouts!

With the added benefit of being a good source of Vitamin E and Vitamin B, Jojoba Oil offers anti-inflammatory relief to breakout redness and discomfort whilst it’s working its magic below the surface.

Sometimes this golden elixir is mixed with other oils that aren’t designed to support breakouts so when looking to add Jojoba Oil to your routine, look for it in its purest form.