It is often frustrating to encounter skin problems. As no individuals are ever the same as the next, so are the very personal skin problems. From lifestyle to food consumption diet to skin care regime. Here are a number of myths and the science explanations regarding adult skin imperfections.

You will grow out your pimples.

Breaking the myth: According to dermatologist Lisa Kellett of DLK in Toronto, acne is often hormonal. Teenage acne is stimulated by an imbalance among estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. It causes sebum, an oily substance, to be released into the skin. Hormonal shifts occur for some women during their late 20’s, early 30’s, and in the late 40’s and or 50’s. Other daily factor such as stress, or change in daily style, will also cause a shift in hormones. The imbalances also increase an enzyme called collagenase, which breaks down collagen in the skin, helping to make way for acne and wrinkles.

Solution: To counter the problems caused by cortisol and hormonal imbalance, Kellett suggested consider consuming omega-3s, 3000 milligrams a day. Zinc, vitamin C (1000 milligrams a day) and hyaluronic acid (40-80 milligrams a day) will also help to keep the hormonal balance in check.

If face is not clean, it will lead to breakouts.

Breaking the myth: In a way, it is true. First of all, clogged pores will trap dirt and it will lead to inflammation of the skin as the dirt expands the size of the pores. Bacteria is also a common culprit in adult acne.

Solutions: Keep to a routine of thoroughly cleaning the face everyday to prevent dirt and makeup pile-ups. Wash all makeup brushes once a week. Change pillowcases frequently. These are all good measures to promote dirt and bacteria free skin.

If sebum causes acne, then keep washing your face until the sebum dries up.

Breaking the myth: Sebum is caused by hormonal imbalance. However, sebum is also release when the face lacks moisture. Clogged pores intensify acne by trapping the sebum in the pores. It is important to use the right facial products. Avoid ointment-based occlusive creams. Instead, choose oil-free moisturizers that are hypoallergenic ( prevents irritation) and non-comedogenic ( do not clog pores). Dr. Marianne O’Donoghue, a dermatologist from the Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, people should consider choosing their skincare products accordingly to avoid over stripping moisture or over moisturizing skin.

Solutions:

Oily Skin Avoidance

Those with oily skin should avoid any product with the words “heavy moisturizer,” or that contain the ingredients lanolin, petrolatum or isopropyl myristate.

“They are in a lot of products and some women who use them get a condition where they’re dry and scaly in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin areas) and can end up with regular or acne rosacea,” O’Donoghue said. A product that is good for oily skin is Cetaphil, which is free of lanolins and non-comedogenic, meaning it does not clog pores or cause blemishes.

Use either no moisturizer or a type that is labeled non-comedogenic or oil-free, meaning it won’t give you blackheads, O’Donoghue said. Oily skin sufferers should use makeup that has SPF 15, and is also non-comedogenic and oil-free. And they should wash their skin with care.

“If you’re scrubbing your face five or six times a day, the face will counter and overproduce oil,” O’Donoghue said.

Those with oily skin should not use astringents at home, but can use them at lunch break or midway through working out to get rid of extra oil on the face.

Balancing Out Combination Skin

If you have combination skin that is dry in some places and oily in the T-zone, only moisturize cheeks, not the forehead and the nose. O’Donoghue also recommends using an antidandruff shampoo, which contains either zinc pyrthione or ketoconizole.

Those with dry skin should avoid astringents, or any products with alcohol, because they easily strip away moisture from the skin. Avoid products that contain propylene sodium lauryl sulfate, and do not use buff puffs or grainy exfoliators on dry skin.

“People with dry skin are the same as sensitive skin,” O’Donoghue said. “They need to be sure they cleanse with something non-irritating.

For Younger-Looking Skin

Anti-aging products which promise to diminish wrinkles and fine lines are all over the stores, but consumers should look for specific ingredients. The No. 1 product for preventing wrinkles and sun damage is sunscreen, O’Donoghue said. A broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects skin from both UVA and UVB rays with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher can prevent skin from looking older than it is.

Sunscreen should be used on the face and the body on a daily basis, to prevent the deep wrinkles and dark spots that can make a person look older than they are.

Products containing tretinoin ingredients are also effective in treating fine wrinkles, dark spots or rough skin on the face that are caused by the sun’s damaging rays. Retinoid creams are the best way to deliver tretinoin to the skin.

Alpha hydroxy acids — naturally occurring acids found in certain plants and fruits such as apples, grapes and citrus fruits — are the second choice after tretinoin, O’Donoghue said. They work by stimulating dead cells on the surface of the skin and inside the pores so they can slough off more easily.

The alpha hydroxy compounds can also encourage the production of better connective tissue under the skin, slowing water loss, and lessening fine lines and wrinkles.

Furfuryladenine, a plant-derived compound that retains water in the skin, is a promising product that is promoted as reversing the aging product. It is a nonirritating alternative for those who are unable to tolerate tretinoin products, O’Donoghue said.

Ingredients to Avoid

When buying moisturizers, there are specific ingredients to stay away from, O’Donoghue said. Avoid propylene glycol or sorbital, which are commonly used in moisturizers as humectants to hold moisture in the skin. The propylene glycol binds moisture to the skin, but also repels it, leaving the user no better off.

Another skin irritant is sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate, which are known as surfactants and are found in products such as shampoo, toothpaste and dish soap. They stay on hair and skin long after you think you have rinsed them off, stripping away the fatty acids, moisture and amino acids from your hair and skin, O’Donoghue said.