What causes Adult Acne and how to prevent it

I woke up this morning with a huge pimple just below my right nostril! Yicks! I am already in my 30s and this pimple is one of the biggest I have ever seen in my life! I have no idea why I still get pimples at this age. The only consolation is that pimple is 青春豆 in Chinese and that translates literally to youthful dots.  Hopefully, that means I am still youthful. It was a good thing that I am not meeting anybody new or important these few days. 

Anyway, this starts my search on what causes adult acne and hopefully, prevent it in the future. Below are the results of my search. 

While there are many causes for adult acne, below are possible causes for my acne.

Cause 1: Acne usually begins with blackheads

A few days ago, there was a dark dot (.e. blackhead) at the same acne spot. It was the result of oil and dead cells getting trapped. Mixed it with bacteria and viola! In a few days time, a small red pimple developed because the blackhead became inflamed. That was most likely caused by dirty hands. I got to remember to keep my hands away from my face. And when pimple becomes infected, it developed a whitehead.  That explains that volcano looking thing on my face. 

Since blackheads are the root cause of acne, a San Francisco dermatoligist Seth Mararasso in Instyle recommends exfoliating gently with alpha-hydroxy acids (i.e. AHA) such as Lancome Pure Focus Deep Pore Refining Scrub. Alternatively, he also recommends a salicyclic acid cleanser like Bliss Clog Dissolving Cleansing Milk. He feels people tend to scrub too hard using grainy scrubs and cause inflammation instead. Looks like he hit the nail right on the head for this inflamed volcano on my face. I was using a H2O's facial scrub (a physical scrub) as my daily morning face cleanser and Purity made simple in the evening. Guess neither cleanser contains AHA or salicyclic acid. Will be checking out the Bliss Clog Dissolving Cleansing Milk. 

Cause 2: Unsuitable cosmetics and skincare products

Another possible cause may be the new make up set that I tried last week. To prevent future breakouts, I should use oil-free, non-comedogenic products. Reducing the amount of pore blockages would definitely improve the chances of not getting acne. 

Cause 3: Dirty Make up Brushes and Sponges

Dirty make up brushes and sponges are bacteria magnet. These definitely contribute to the formation of adult acne. I have not been washing my make up applicators as often as I should. Most makeup sites recommend washing all make up brushes with antimicrobial soap at least once a week and spraying them with isoprobyl (rubbing) alcohol after every application. Since I am super lazy, I should probably use disposable applicators whenever possible and throw them after each use. I am definitely going to make a weekly date with all my make up applicators.

Cause 4: Stress and hormone imbalances are guilty too

Like all other health issues, stress and hormone imbalances can cause adult acne. Usually I do get more tiny zits around the time of the month and of course, those zits tend to appear at the most untimely moments like before an interview or before an important meeting. Despite knowing that this is a possible cause, it is the hardest for me to prevent since I can't help feeling anxious before an important event. Doing yoga, sports, breathing exercises, listening to soothing music can help me relax my body and hopefully relax my mind. 

Hopefully, by being more aware of the causes and ways to prevent adult acne, this will be one of the last acne I get on my face. 

Updates:

If you already have acnes and are looking for effective treatments, I highly recommend the following:

1. Etude House AC Clinic Intense Spot (Pimple/Acne Treatment)
2. Dr Wu Intensive Acnecur Spot Treatment with BHA