Acne is a skin condition that happens when your hair follicles (the tiny tubes your hair grows out of) get clogged with a mix of sebum (your skin's natural oil), dead skin cells, and bacteria. The result is the breakouts most of us know all too well: whiteheads, blackheads, spots, and in more severe cases, cysts.

Acne can show up at any age, not just in your teens. There are different types: common acne (the everyday kind), hormonal acne (often on the chin and jawline), cystic acne (deep, painful, often needs a dermatologist), and fungal acne (small uniform bumps caused by yeast overgrowth, which requires different treatment).

The good news: most everyday acne responds well to a consistent skincare routine with the right ingredients. The harder truth: severe or cystic acne usually needs medical support alongside skincare.

Acne is caused by a combination of factors that lead to clogged pores and inflammation. The four big drivers:

1. Excess sebum production. Your skin's natural oil is healthy, but too much of it (often driven by hormones, genetics, or stress) gets trapped in pores.
2. Dead skin cell buildup. When dead skin cells don't shed properly, they mix with sebum and clog pores from the inside.
3. Bacteria. C. acnes (formerly P. acnes) lives naturally on your skin, but when trapped in a clogged pore, it multiplies and causes inflammation.
4. Inflammation. Once a pore is clogged and bacteria builds up, your skin's immune response causes the redness, swelling, and pain you see in a breakout.

Other contributing factors: hormonal changes (puberty, periods, pregnancy, menopause), high-glycaemic foods and dairy in some people, stress (which raises cortisol and sebum), inadequate cleansing, comedogenic products, and a damaged skin barrier.

Knowing your trigger helps you target your routine. For hormonal acne (chin and jawline timed with your cycle), focus on internal support and gentle topicals. For breakouts caused by clogged pores, BHA exfoliation and double cleansing help.

Tackling acne effectively means treating both the active breakouts and the underlying causes. The four-step approach we recommend to our community:

1. Cleanse thoroughly twice a day, ideally double-cleansing in the evening so SPF and excess sebum don't sit on your pores overnight.
2. Use an exfoliating BHA or salicylic acid product 2 to 3 times a week. BHA penetrates into oily pores and clears them out from the inside.
3. Add anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredients: niacinamide for sebum regulation, centella for soothing, heartleaf for blemish-prone skin, tea tree as a spot treatment.
4. Apply pimple patches on active breakouts. They protect the spot, absorb fluid, and stop you picking.

Avoid over-stripping your skin barrier with harsh products, as this often makes acne worse. Cult favourites in our community: ANUA Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, COSRX Low-pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, SOME BY MI AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner, and COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch.

If your acne is severe or cystic, please also see a dermatologist. Skincare alone often can't tackle deep hormonal acne.

Acne scars naturally fade away after a few months as the natural skin cell turnover occurs. As we age, this turnover slows down, causing the marks to fade away less quickly. You can speed up this process with ingredients such as AHA, BHA, or Retinol, or fade the pigment that causes the acne mark to be visible with brightening agents such as Vitamin C or Niacinamide. If your acne marks have not disappeared after a year, please consult a dermatologist.

Cystic acne is the most severe form of acne and the type that often needs medical intervention beyond skincare. Cysts are deep, painful, pus-filled lumps under the skin that don't come to a 'head' the way regular spots do. They can last for weeks, leave scars, and feel like a hard knot rather than a bump.

What causes it: a combination of trapped sebum, bacteria, dead skin cells, and intense inflammation that goes deep into the dermis (the lower layers of skin). It's often hormonally driven, which is why it tends to appear on the chin, jawline, and lower face, and is more common in adults than teens.

Skincare alone usually can't clear cystic acne. The good news is that gentle skincare can support your skin while you address it medically. Avoid harsh actives, drying treatments, and picking. Focus on barrier repair (centella, panthenol, ceramides), spot soothing (pimple patches), and a non-comedogenic routine.

For real treatment, see a dermatologist. Cystic acne usually needs prescription support (topical retinoids, antibiotics, or hormonal treatments like spironolactone or the combined pill).

Hormonal acne is breakouts driven by fluctuations in your hormones, particularly androgens (like testosterone) and oestrogen. When these hormones shift, they can increase sebum production and inflammation, which leads to acne.

The classic signs of hormonal acne:

1. Breakouts on the chin, jawline, and lower cheeks (rather than the forehead or upper cheeks)
2. Cyclical pattern that lines up with your menstrual cycle (often the week before your period)
3. Deep, painful, sometimes cystic lumps rather than surface whiteheads
4. Adult onset (or persistence into adulthood) rather than just being a teen issue

What helps: gentle consistent skincare with anti-inflammatory ingredients (centella, niacinamide, heartleaf), BHA exfoliation to keep pores clear, and SPF to prevent post-acne marks. Avoid stripping your barrier with too many actives, which often makes hormonal acne worse.

What helps more: hormonal acne often needs internal support. A GP or dermatologist may suggest hormonal contraception, spironolactone, or topical prescription treatments. Lifestyle factors (sleep, stress, sugar, dairy) can also play a role for some people.

Cult favourites in our community for hormonal acne support: ANUA Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch for individual spots, and Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum for inflammation.