Avoiding Sunburn While Avoiding Pimples: Using Sunscreen When You Have Facial Acne

With Australia's dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world (second only to New Zealand, in fact), protecting your skin from the sun becomes a year-round effort. Some types of skin might experience extra difficulties without adequate sun protection during the summer months. If you have facial acne, you might find sunscreen to cause a few unwelcome issues during the hottest part of the year. But why is this so? And how can you protect your skin without aggravating your acne?

Clogged Pores

Your sweat production will obviously increase in proportion to the outside temperature. Your skin may also produce excessive sebum (an oily secretion of the sebaceous gland), and your already elevated sebum production can be what is clogging your pores and contributing to your facial acne. When combined with a potentially greasy sunscreen that can result in additional clogging of your pores, it's little wonder that your facial acne will flare up during the summer months. This might even lead to the temptation to forego sunscreen.

Avoiding Sunscreen

Going without sunscreen is not an option. Although you might believe that ultraviolet light will be beneficial for treating acne, the potential damage to your skin far outweighs any short term aesthetic results. This result can be considered to be largely aesthetic since the tanning of your skin can make your acne appear less obvious without much reducing it. There's also the matter of those who might be using an acne product containing retinoic acid, which actually increases your skin's sensitivity to sunlight. In short, do not avoid sunscreen, regardless of the intensity of your facial acne.

Facial Sunscreen

The trick is to use a sunscreen intended to be solely used on the face. This is likely to be lighter in texture, making it less likely to clog your pores. You don't want to sacrifice its effectiveness though, so make sure that it still has an adequate SPF. A Cancer Council sunscreen is a good bet. You will find that you will need to reapply a facial sunscreen with more frequency than an all-over, waterproof sunscreen, but this is a small amount of effort for considerable benefits since your face can be protected without aggravating your acne.

Protecting your skin without making your acne worse can require just a little more effort, but this effort is largely related to finding the best sunscreen for your face. To learn more about Cancer Council sunscreen, consult skin care professionals in your area.


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