Many people researching the cause of acne will find something called “sebum” referenced over and over again. Sebum is just a technical word for skin oil. The oil is produced by sebaceous glands in the skin. When they become over stimulated, they can produce excess amounts of oil. That is typically when acne sufferers start having breakouts.

How Sebum Causes Acne

We automatically associated oily skin with acne, but how does excess sebum actually cause pimples?

Sebum encourages acne breakouts in two ways. First, it can clog your pores, creating an environment that is perfect for acne-causing bacteria to grow. This often happens when the oil mixes with dead skin cells. Once this happens, your pores can clog easily.

After the sebum and dead skin cells clog your pores, your skin’s oil encourages pimples in a second way: by feeding the bacteria that cause acne. Bacteria are living things that need to consume energy to survive. Sebum is the perfect food for the bacteria that cause acne. Once your pores become clogged, the acne bacteria will thrive because they have easy access to all the food they need.

Cleansing Sebum from your Pores

Unfortunately, plain old soap cannot help you cleanse your pores of sebum. Soap works really well when you are cleaning dirt off of your face, but it doesn’t have the right properties to break apart sebum.

Instead of soap, you will need specially formulated cleansers that are designed to break apart sebum and dead skin cells. These products typically contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. These two substances eliminate excess oil and kill bacteria on contact. When choosing products sold over the counter, look for treatments that contain mild concentrations of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. For benzoyl peroxide, you will typically want to choose a product that has between 2 and 3 percent of the active ingredient. Proactiv, for instance, makes several products that contain a 2.5 percent concentration of benzoyl peroxide, making them some of the best treatments.

Choosing acne treatment products with stronger combinations can lead to side effects, especially for people with sensitive skin.

Preventing Excess Sebum

Preventing excess sebum is one of the best ways to make sure oily skin doesn’t cause pimples. Choose products that will actually dry the oil. That way your face won’t look shiny. Using treatments for oily skin can cause excessively dry skin, which is a problem in itself. Trading oily skin for dry skin doesn’t really offer you any benefits. If you find that your skin gets too dry when you use oily skin treatments, then you should apply a non-comedogenic moisturizer. Non-comedogenic moisturizers don’t contain any oils or fats, so they won’t clog your pores. Using them can help you achieve the perfect balance, leaving your skin properly hydrated without causing acne or a shiny face. Sometimes it just works best to combine the qualities of two products. That way you can take control of your face by preventing excess sebum without drying out your skin.