Solving The Acne Equation

Excess Oil + Bacteria = Acne

Understanding this very simple equation is the only way to permanently eliminate acne. I suffered from acne for much of my teenage years and tried countless varieties of treatments before I finally came to terms with the acne equation and cured my acne forever.

Millions of acne sufferers across the world who have been mislead by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries inspired me to write this article and perhaps in the process genuinely help educate sufferers.

Acne is a common skin condition during adolescence and can continue into later life if left untreated. Many people suffer from acne but see it clear up as they pass their teenage years and hormonal imbalances are harmonised. Some people however continue to suffer from acne irrespective of their age and despite whatever measures they take to treat the problem.



We are constantly bombarded with television adverts promoting cosmetic products for the treatment of acne. In addition the pharmaceutical industry is quick to provide an array of prescription medication as a serious alternative. Each year billions of pounds are spent by consumers desperate for a cure in an increasingly superficial and judgemental world. The truth is that neither path can lead to the permanent removal of acne without referring back to the acne equation.

So let's quickly look at the acne equation and try and solve it once and for all. You have to understand that we all have bacteria on our skin and these bacteria help fight of more serious pathogens and keep the skin clean by feeding on dirt and dead skin cells.

Similarly we all have oil on our skin which is produced by the sebaceous glands and helps maintain skin health and elasticity. You should therefore not seek to get rid of the good bacteria on your skin or stop oil production completely as both these processes are vital for healthy skin.

The traditional approach in dealing with acne by both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries has been to target surface bacteria on the skin. Let's get one thing straight right now; bacteria alone do not cause acne. The use of topical preparations such as Benzyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid to reduce surface bacteria is a futile attempt in the treatment of acne as one can never completely get rid of all bacteria and it would not be in ones interest to do so.

Here the pharmaceutical industry step in and try an offer and alternative in the form of oral antibiotics such as the Tetracycline group and topical antibiotics such as Clindamycin. In the same way as the cosmetic preparations, antibiotics will not eliminate bacteria completely and leave you with the added problem of resistance.

As stated before bacteria itself cannot cause acne but requires the right environment to thrive and this is where the second part of the equation is relevant. Excess oil produced by the sebaceous glands combined with dirt and dead skin cells leads to blocked pores. When the bacteria move inside the blocked pores causing infection, the body reacts by producing inflammation as a protective mechanism which we observe as acne. It is important to understand that without excess oil being present, no amount of bacteria could ever cause acne.

If we take away the excess oil from the equation and I say the word 'excess' as it is undesirable to shut down oil production completely. We can now solve the acne equation as we have eliminated the environment in which bacteria thrive.

Scrubs and cleansers only remove surface oil and again no amount of washing will ever completely reduce excess oil. Some people simply have more active sebaceous glands than others perhaps due to hereditary factors, we do not know for sure. What we do know is that is that we can effectively reduce oil production thereby breaking the vicious cycle and solving the acne equation.

If you have moderate to severe acne the best way to permanently reduce oil production and thereby acne breakouts is by using the oral preparation know as Isotretinoin brand name Roaccutane. Roaccutane successfully reduces the size of the sebaceous glands thus reducing overall oil output.

Anecdotal evidence shows that after completion of a course of Roaccutane, patients who continued to exhibit poor skin hygiene, nutrition and overall health never once got a further outbreak of acne. This in itself proves that external factors such as surface bacteria and diet are completely irrelevant in the causation of acne once the route problem has been removed.

Some medical health professionals and the skin care industry would like to have you believe that Roaccutane is plagued with side effects and is only reserved for the most serious of cases. These beliefs help fuel the sales of billions of pounds worth of ineffective cosmetic and prescription products to the ignorant masses. The fact is that despite the potential side effects, Roaccutane has been used to treat over 13 million sufferers over 25 years. Its efficacy data has stood the test of time and is unparallel to any other product on the market.

In conclusion, the acne equation as you can see is straight forward to understand and easy to solve. Misunderstanding the equation could mean literally years of misery and suffering which is associated with persistent acne.