Seek acne treatments made with these clarifying components
Posted on November 11, 2020 Written by: 100% PURE ®
Fighting acne can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re dealing with painful cystic or hormonal acne. When it goes on for months or even years, it’s a massive victory when you finally get it under control.
However, once the live blemishes are gone you’re left with a new issue: acne scars.
While acne scars aren’t as painful or as problematic as acne itself, their appearance can be quite pronounced. Many find the struggle of hiding acne scars just as tough as banishing acne itself.
Luckily, it’s not impossible to fade acne scars; all it really takes are the right ingredients! But first, let’s take a look at what causes acne scars in the first place.
Typically, acne scars are caused by pores that have become engorged with excess sebum and bacteria, which leads to inflamed blemishes. These blemishes can start to swell, causing the follicle wall to break.
When these blemishes are shallow, they can heal quickly. If they’re deep, however, there is a higher risk of bacteria spreading. This can unfortunately lead to even deeper blemishes.
Even the deep blemishes will eventually heal, as your skin forms new collagen fibers. Collagen is a protein molecule, considered ‘the building block’ of your skin. But these new fibers don’t always blend so seamlessly into the rest of your skin – leading to the appearance of scars.
Sometimes, your body can produce too little or too much collagen. When your body doesn’t produce enough collagen, they create depressed acne scars on the face. When the body creates too much, these become raised acne scars.
As this tissue rebuilds itself, excess melanin can also be a byproduct of the healing process. Melanin is the key pigment in our skin that can intensify within the scar tissue, causing a darker appearance in contrast to our regular complexion.
Luckily, there are treatments that can help fade acne scars. While ingredients like hydroquinone may be effective at lightening scars, it doesn’t come without a few serious side effects. Since hydroquinone is often made with toxic benzene, it can be extremely sensitizing. It can cause irritation, redness, and dermatitis. In other words, it’s best to look for acne treatments made with powerful natural ingredients instead.
Here are the top natural ingredients that can fade acne scars:
#1: Turmeric
Turmeric is a key ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine: one of the oldest holistic systems of medicine in the world. In the modern era, turmeric has garnered respect as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredient. This is all thanks to its key component: curcumin.
A few studies have shown that curcumin may help with one of the most common forms of acne-causing bacteria: Propionibacterium acnes.
When it comes to fading face acne scars, turmeric appears to work especially well. We’ve incorporated turmeric into our new Tea Tree Concentrated Spot Treatment, which targets both active and healing blemishes to help fade acne scars.
#2: Azelaic Acid
When it comes to acne scarring, a big factor is the extreme darkening caused by melanin. This hyperpigmentation can be tackled with azelaic acid: a naturally occurring component of grains like barley and rye. It helps to encourage cell turnover, which is key in diminishing the appearance of severe face acne scarring.
#3: Neem
Neem is another fantastic ingredient for fading hyperpigmentation. This is thanks to the components azadirachtin and nimbolide, which not only help reduce the appearance of face acne scars but also combat damaging free radicals.
We don’t recommend using pure neem oil in home remedy treatments, as it can be quite irritating in concentrated forms. Plus, if we’re being totally honest: the smell isn’t for everyone.
Instead, try it in a product that’s been carefully formulated with other herbal ingredients. Our Tea Tree Balancing Moisturizer is a lightweight acne moisturizer that uses a combination of neem, turmeric, and azelaic acid to fade acne scars.
#4: Vitamin E
Vitamin E is rich in antioxidants, which destroy the free radicals that can contribute to breakouts. Reducing the severity of blemishes can ultimately help fade acne scars in the long run.
For a stable, reliable treatment that you can use at night to fade acne scars, we recommend our Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants Potent Serum. This formula harnesses the synergy of stabilized vitamins to balance skin tone and smooth acne scars. Retinol helps to remove debris from the pores, while vitamin C packs a skin brightening punch.
#5: Lactic Acid
You may be most familiar with the term ‘lactic acid’ from working out, as it relates to sore muscles. But did you know that it also has significant potential for helping fade acne scars?
Lactic acid is highly effective for sloughing away dead skin cells, which in turn encourages the development of new, brighter looking layers of skin. It can also smooth rough or uneven scar tissue, and decrease the appearance of pores. Fun fact: we source our lactic acid from beets!
#6: Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a favorite ingredient for helping fade acne scars. First, multiple studies have shown that this vitamin is capable of increasing collagen synthesis for healthier skin. Second, it helps to brighten and enliven the skin – a great asset for fading acne scars.
If you need something that’ll help treat those extra stubborn face acne scars, we recommend our Vitamin C Mask. The 50% concentration of vitamin C is bolstered by turmeric and lactic acid, two other scar lightening ingredients we love. A supporting cast includes papaya enzymes, kojic acid (found in sake), and antioxidant-rich camu camu.
#7: Grapeseed Oil
If you’re prone to face acne scars, or simply want to reduce the appearance of acne breakouts, grapeseed oil can be an excellent first line of defense. Grapeseed oil is high in linoleic acid, which can help reduce excess sebum in the skin – thereby reducing the risk of deep blemishes.
If you’re looking for a treatment that will help fade acne scars without dehydrating your skin, we start with the Intensive Nourishing Facial Oil. Grapeseed oil is the first ingredient, followed closely by vitamin E. This facial oil is even safe for oily and acne-prone skin types, thanks to low comedogenic ratings of the ingredients included.
#8: Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is part of a class of beta-hydroxy acids, or BHAs. This class of acids is among the most popular for clearing the skin and purifying pores.
As a naturally-occurring compound found in willow bark, salicylic acid can fade both blemishes and acne scars. It does this by clearing away debris in the pores, while reducing redness and swelling in the area.
Salicylic acid is especially beneficial for acne-prone skin, but it’s also suitable for use on acne scars. If you’re in need of something that’ll really work to clear the complexion, try our Tea Tree Deep Detox Mask. This potent paste also includes azelaic acid, turmeric, lactic acid, and neem.
- Tags: Ingredients, Skin Care, skincare
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The information in this article is for educational use, and not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be used as such.
