In the clear: Nicole Glennon's guide to dealing with adult acne

Throughout my teenage years, right through to college and the first few months in my post-graduation job, I have suffered with the condition to varying degrees. 

Most recently, my entire jawline flared up in late 2020, coinciding with the use of face masks. And, according to a study in the December 2021 issue of the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, I probably wasn’t alone. 

They found that almost half (45%) of physicians who had previously experienced acne, experienced a worsening of the skin condition during the pandemic.

Over the years, I have, at various stages; gone on the contraceptive pill, attempted to go some version of dairy-free and/or vegan, and mostly, just wasted a lot of money, in an attempt to get control over my acne. 

Between supplements, facials, medical-grade skincare, GP and dermatologist visits, we’re easily talking thousands, not hundreds, of euros here.

So, in a bid to save you from the same fate, here’s what’s actually worked for me over the years — with the caveat that it’s always advisable to discuss your acne plan with your own GP/dermatologist.

And, sometimes, you can take all the supplements in the world, be on top of your skincare routine and your diet, and still find yourself with painful, raw acne. 

This isn’t a failing on your part, and like most things in life, it will pass. Trust me on that.

Skincare: Environ’s Focus Care Clarity+ and La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar

Caring for skin with active acne or acne-prone skin takes a multi-prong approach, one key tenet of which is what you subject your skin to on a daily basis.

On the more budget-friendly side of the scale, La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar was my go-to during my teen years and I have returned to it many times since.

The Purifying Cleansing Gel (€16, 200ml) was a staple, as was the Effaclar Duo+ Blemish Treatment (€21), which I applied sparingly to spots.

Recently, I’ve invested in the Environ Focus Care Clarity+ range and have been seeing good results.

The Sebu-Wash Gel Cleanser is now my cleanser of choice (€42, 150ml), and I also use the Sebu-Ace oil (€51) and Sebu-LAC lotion (€46).

There is no getting over the significant price of this range, which will be well out of reach for many, but if it’s something you can afford and your skin is something that gets you down on a daily basis, I have found it to be worth the investment.

Chloe Donovan, a skin and laser aesthetician in Dublin’s South William Clinic (southwilliamspa.com) who recommended the range for my skin, tells me that the Sebu-Wash is a salicylic acid-based anti-inflammatory cleanser which dissolves the debris that clogs the pores, preventing and treating breakouts.

“Overusing some salicylic acid products can be drying, but this cleanser also has hydrating, calming ingredients that soothe the skin and prevent dehydration,” she explains.

As for why the lotion/oil combo works so well, Donovan says the Sebu-LAC lotion has lactic acid, which “breaks down the water that binds together dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, to prevent build-up clogging the pores”.

The Sebu-Ace oil also contains vitamin A, which speeds up the skin’s natural exfoliating process.

Supplement: Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax

I first started taking Skin Accumax in my teen years on the recommendation of a local beautician who had a big interest in skin, and have since been recommended it by a host of skin professionals, including the Irish Examiner’s own Jennifer Rock (theskinnerd.com). 

A patented supplement, the pill contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and diindolylmethane (an active nutrient compound identified in broccoli). The advice is to take four capsules a day for a minimum of 14 weeks, after which you can start reducing down to one or two a day.

The reason I know these work is because, at €119 for a 180-capsule box (a 45-day supply if you’re taking four a day, or three-month supply if you’re on two a day), I have regularly gone months or years without the treatment due to my inability and/or hesitance to spend over €100 on a box of supplements – and my skin has suffered for it. 

Just recently, I ran out of the supplement and delayed re-purchasing. I noticed the difference in my skin within weeks.

Rock, a dermal facialist and skin tutor, says she has seen “a huge difference” with people who are consistent with the supplements. “The reality in skincare is that it is not always solely topical formulas that can alleviate acne,” she explains.

Like most things, healing starts from the inside out, so this is the one element of my skincare arsenal that will never change.

Treatment: HydraFacial

If you spend any time on SkinTok, you will probably have come across a treatment called HydraFacial.

I was lucky enough to be invited to try the treatment free of charge earlier this year for a review, and since then, I’ve gone back twice to spend my own hard-earned cash on it. So, why am I willing to scrape over €100 together for a facial in a cost-of-living crisis? Because it really works.

Over the years, I’ve tried facials here and there, and while lots of them felt nice during the treatment and left my skin with the tell-tale afterglow, I honestly can’t say I could see the difference in the days and weeks after. 

With the HydraFacial, I really did feel that my skin looked and felt in better shape for days if not weeks following the treatment.

Dr Emma Cunningham (dr-emma.co.uk), who is one of the aesthetic practitioners I have visited for a HydraFacial, says the reason I likely see such great results from the treatment — as someone who suffers from active acne and post-inflammatory erythema (the residual red spots left behind by breakouts) — is down to the “go hard or go home” approach of the treatment which includes exfoliation, extraction, rehydration, and more.

“The exfoliation removes dead skin cells and other impurities,” Dr Cunningham explains, while the extraction helps “alleviate blocked pores, and get rid of blackheads, whiteheads, and any closed comedones.”

At this stage, a moisturiser is followed by an infusion of antioxidants and peptides, which Dr Cunningham explains rehydrates the skin “for overall skin quality.” 

The full treatment is rounded out with LED light therapy. For acne, blue light is used to target bacteria.

Another positive about the Hydrafacial is that it can be administrated in any area — Dr Emma often has clients who get treatments in the back, chest, and/or bum. 

“It works as a good adjunct to any acne treatment plan,” Dr Cunningham says, who recommends getting the treatment every six weeks.