Acne after 30 – Causes and Cures

by: Dr. Craig A. Maxwell

It isn’t fair. You should have left those acne breakouts behind when you tossed the cap at your high school graduation or at the very least when you hit the big “3-0”. But they’re still there. If you have acne after 30, chances are there are some underlying causes that go beyond normal hormone fluctuations. Breaking out can be your body’s outward way of telling you something isn’t quite right on the inside. What can cause acne? Read on.

What Can Cause Acne?

Acne is caused by more than just stress. If you’re breaking out often no matter how clean you keep your skin, there is most likely an underlying cause that needs to be addressed.

The most common causes of acne are:

• Stress – Stress makes your oil glands work overtime, which can lead to chronically blocked pores.

• Hormones – Hormonal changes during your menstrual cycle can cause you to have acne during that time of the month.

• Cosmetics – That foundation you use to cover up your breakouts could be contributing to your adult acne because most store-bought make-up contains harmful additives and preservatives!

• Hair Care Products – If you’re seeing acne around your hairline, the gels and mousses you use could be causing you to break out.

• Birth Control Pills – Birth controls containing androgens can lead to breakouts.

• Steroid Medications – Regular use of steroid medications such as Prednisone can cause steroid acne.

• Cell Phones – If your breakouts are generally limited to one side of your face, chances are, your cell phone is to blame. Cell phones gather dirt and bacteria throughout the day and pass it on to your skin as you speak.

• Chronically Dry Skin – You may think people with dry skin never break out, but the truth is, dry skin is often cracked, which can let in the bacteria that causes acne breakouts.

Food and Skin – Another Reason You’re Breaking Out

Whether it is pimples and zits, chronically dry skin, or crow’s feet, what you eat has a lot to do with your skin’s health. If you eat a large amount of fast food, microwavable meals, and canned foods, your body isn’t getting the balanced nutrition and nourishment it needs to be well.

Unhealthy eating habits cause serious amounts of chemical and preservative toxins to build up in your system. This can lead to chronic constipation and breakouts. Your skin is the largest organ of your body. If you are unable to eliminate toxins the conventional way, those toxins will be released through your pores, which can lead to breakouts.

The best way to prevent breakouts is to eat a whole-food diet. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals help boost your immune system, improve your circulation, and keep your skin glowing and breakout-free. Think leafy green vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, organic meat and poultry, and plenty of wild-caught fish. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids keep your skin smooth and supple while antioxidant-rich foods such as berries help keep skin clear and pimple-free.

Also, food allergies can contribute to acne breakouts. People with gluten intolerance are especially prone to zits and pimples. This is because no matter how healthy they eat, their bodies are unable to properly absorb nutrients from food. If, in addition to adult acne, you experience intestinal cramping, diarrhea, muscle pain, fatigue, dry skin, and brain fog, you could have gluten intolerance. The best way to test for gluten intolerance is to remove gluten from your diet for at least one month to see if symptoms improve.

What to Do if You Have Acne

If you’re skin is acne-prone, it’s especially important to keep it exfoliated and clean. Use baking soda and water to make a paste and gently massage the mixture into your skin. Rinse with warm water followed by cold to tighten pores.

Also, avoid touching your face. Many people are not aware how many times their hands touch their chin, cheek or foreheads on a daily basis. Oil and dirt from your fingers gets transferred onto your skin, causing breakouts.

Furthermore, get a hands-free headset for your cell phone if you’re on the phone for long periods of time. This can help cut down on acne breakouts as well.

How to Reduce Pimples Naturally

• Hydration

Just as important as eating a nutrient-rich diet is drinking plenty of water. If you’re a soda drinker, you’re still chronically dehydrated because the distilled water in soda pulls nutrients and moisture directly from your body. Dehydration leads to dry skin, which can cause cracks and peels where bacteria can get in to form pimples. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking 6-8 glasses of pure water each day.

• Supplements

• Diamond Nutritional’s Foundation Vitamins

You may already be taking a dietary supplement to fill in the nutritional gaps your diet leaves behind. The sad fact is most commercial vitamin brands are nothing more than a concoction of man-made synthetic “vitamins” that do nothing to improve your health. Your body can’t even absorb them! What’s worse is many contain harmful chemicals and additives that make skin and other health problems worse.

Diamond Nutritional’s Foundation Vitamins is a whole-food dietary supplement, designed to give you the complete nutrition your body needs to look and feel its best.

Foundation’s health-promoting ingredients include:

• Vitamin A – 7,500 IU
• Vitamin C – 500 mg
• Vitamin D3 – 500 IU
• Vitamin E – 100 IU
• Vitamin K – 50 mcg
• Thiamine – 25 mg
• Riboflavin – 25 mg
• Niacin – 25 mg
• Vitamin B6 – 38 mg
• Folic Acid – 400 mcg
• Vitamin B12 – 500 mcg
• Biotin – 200 mcg
• Panthothenic Acid – 150 mg
• Calcium – 100 mg
• Iodine – 113 mcg
• Magnesium – 200 mg
• Zinc – 10 mg
• Selenium – 100 mcg
• Copper – 1 mg
• Manganese – 2.5 mg
• Chromium – 200 mcg
• Molybdenum – 25 mcg
• Potassium – 50 mg
• Choline Bitartrate USP – 50 mg
• Inositol – 50 mg
• Mixed Tocopherols – 50 mg
• Lipoic Acid – 25 mg
• N-Acetyl-Cysteine USP – 25 mg
• Rutin – 25 mg
• Lutein – 3 mg
• Boron – 1.5 mg
• Lycopene – 1 mg
• Vanadyl Sulfate Hydrate – 1 mg

• Diamond Nutritional’s Skin, Hair, and Nails Formula

For acne-prone, dry or maturing skin, I recommend my Diamond Nutritional’s Skin, Hair, and Nails Formula. It contains a synergistic blend of ingredients designed to nourish your skin from the inside out, while also strengthening your hair and nails.

These ingredients include:

• MSM – Excess toxins in the skin and hair are a common cause of acne breakouts. MSM removes these toxins and helps keep skin glowing and zit-free.

• Horsetail Grass – Acne sufferers often notice brittle hair and nails due to nutritional deficiencies. Horsetail grass contains silica, an essential nutrient that helps repair hair and nail damage while improving overall strength.

• Stinging Nettle Leaf – Chronic inflammation is another common cause of zits and pimples. Stinging nettle relieves this inflammation and keeps skin clear.

• Fo-Ti Root –A long-kept Eastern beauty secret, Fo-Ti root smoothes skin, heals acne, and helps repair broken and brittle nails.

• PABA – This B-complex vitamin helps the body better cope with everyday stressors so they don’t show up on your skin!

• Biotin – Strengthens hair and nails.

• Selenium – This trace mineral helps improve overall skin, nail, and hair health.

• Betaine HCL – Slow digestion can be another contributing factor to acne breakouts. This natural digestive aid helps improve natural elimination, which can reduce acne flare-ups.

• Diamond Nutritional’s Balanced Omega Formula

You may think adding any type of oil to your diet will only lead to more breakouts but, in fact, the opposite is true. Your skin needs a healthy balance of omega-3 fatty acids from healthy sources to stay moisturized and acne-free. Not only does a good omega-3 supplement boost the moisture content of your skin, it also helps fight the inflammation that causes acne flare-ups.

Are you already taking a fish oil supplement? If so, how does it measure up up? To avoid chronic acne and other inflammatory skin conditions, you need a potent combination of EPA and DHA. Fact is, most products will say 1,000 mg. or 1,200 mg. on the front label but on the back, the EPA and DHA may only add up to 300 mg. or so. The rest are fillers.

Most folks need 1,000-4,000 mg. of combined EPA/DHA depending on what they are treating. So if you take 1-4 capsules of your favorite store-bought omega-3 1,000 mg. capsules, you’re only getting 300-1,200 mg. of DHA/EPA. Store-bought omega-3 fatty acid supplements are so diluted, you’d have to take double or triple the recommended dosage, which means you’re not getting nearly as much nutrition for your dollar!

Furthermore, most commercial omega-3 supplements are not molecularly distilled to remove heavy metals and impurities, such as concentrated fish proteins that may cause burping or indigestion. Ours are. Balanced Omega Formula is molecularly distilled for complete nutrition with no repeat.

• Natural Skincare Products

When it comes to acne-prone skin, you need skincare products designed for your adult skin. Adult acne is different from the acne a teenager gets and, since your skin is thinner and more sensitive, over-the-counter acne products aimed at the high-school generation could dry out your skin and lead to even more bothersome breakouts.

For my patients with chronic acne trouble, I recommend our Pumpkin Clarifying Mask. The pumpkin enzyme is loaded with “proteases” that flush clogged pores of debris so your skin can breathe again. It also contains “China Clay” to absorb surface oils and give your skin a smooth, matte finish. This product is even safe for the most sensitive skin types and also works well on combination skin.

Our Acne Spot Treatment is a safe, chemical-free way to treat that angry red zit before it ruins your next party or business meeting. Its active ingredient is salicylic acid, derived from birch trees to gently exfoliate dead skin, reduce inflammation, and decrease bacteria build-up. It also contains soothing camphor for instant cooling relief.

Adult acne is annoying and embarrassing. Now that you know what can cause acne, you can take some natural steps to cut down on your breakouts and show off that clear, beautiful skin!