Lora Longs To Learn About Skintactix and Acne: As a biophysicist working on her PhD, and as a female, I absolutely LOVE your site. It’s such a great way for women to cut through the hype and get some real answers, especially about the products that seem too good to be true.

I have a question about a website I found: www.skintactix.com. This site claims to have a very interesting combination of cleansers in their acne treatment products, and go on to talk very scientifically about how each works to not only kill the bacteria causing acne, but also to stop the process of inflammation at a molecular level. As someone who has struggled with acne since I was a teen, and also someone who is a bit of a dork, the thought intrigued me. Do you think that these ingredients can really stop inflammation, and if so, why don’t dermatologists use it?

The Left Brain Talks Types Of Acne:
Lora, thanks for your kind words about The Beauty Brains. Our mission is to educate women about beauty products and we`re thrilled that you we can be of help. Now on to your question:

First, you have to realize that there are two kinds of acne: noninflammatory and inflammatory. Second, you have to realize that for acne to occur, 3 conditions must be met:

1. Oil glands gone wild

Your sebaceous glands begin to produce an excessive amount of oil. This increase in oil production is typically, but not always, associated with a change in hormones. That’s why teenagers get so many zits, but it can strike adults as well. Either way, the result is that the ducts in your dermis are filled with more oily sebum than usual.

2. Chunky skin is gunky

Your skin cells don’t shed properly. Normally your skin cells flake off in very tiny pieces that don’t cause any problems. But sometimes they go haywire and start to grow to quickly so they don’t flake off properly. When that happens those chunks of cells can mechanically block the outward flow of sebum.

3. Bad bacterial blockage

This is caused the organism Propionibacterium acnes (aka P. acnes) which thrives in the lipid-rich sebum in your oil glands. This bacteria feeds off the oil and grows and grows and grows…

When the first two conditions are met the excess sebum and the dead keratin cells clog your oil duct by forming a follicular plug called a microcomedo. (That’s where the term comedogenic comes from, get it?) This tiny plug is the first sign of acne. As more and more gunk fills up the duct, the walls of the hair follicle become swollen and distended. What was a micro comedo now becomes a larger comedo, also known as a whitehead. As the plug continues to grow it starts to poke through the opening of the oil duct and becomes visible as a blackhead. (BTW, Blackheads look black because they contain melanin, the same pigment in your skin that’s responsible for your suntan.) Whiteheads and blackheads are technically known as noninflammatory acne.

In inflammatory acne the comedo becomes inflamed and turns into a raised, reddened pus engorged bump. What, you ask, makes the noninflammatory type turn inflammatory? The culprit is lipase, a chemical produced by excessive growth of the P. acnes bacteria. The lipase breaks down the oily triglycerides in your skin, releasing fatty acids. These acids irritate the skin and cause inflammation. (That process has to do with the release of hydrolytic enzymes that break down the follicular wall. But we’ll save that story for another post.) Suffice it to say that these acids can turn a simple blackhead into an oozing pus-filled volcano.

So, now that you understand the types of acne and what causes them, we’re ready to answer your question about Skintactix. Unfortunately, we’re out of time for today so you’ll have to return tomorrow to read Part Two. (Aww, I’m such a tease!)

Learn to Get Acne Free in Three Days - Click Here!