Formulating Products for Acne Prone Skin

Hi Skincare Besties, 
Welcome to another blog series. Today I would be talking about the things you need to take into consideration when formulating products for acne prone skin

Many people have issues with blemishes, break outs, congested pores, and excessively oily and acne-prone skin. It is understandable that as a natural cosmetic formulator, you may be keen to create skincare products to tackle these common, everyday skin issues.

But as tempting as it may be to formulate to alleviate their effects and mitigate their visible signs, there are several critically-important things to know about the topic of blemish- to acne-prone skin. There is a lot of misleading information about what cosmetics can and cannot do for these skin concerns, especially acne.
The aim of this post is to clarify the role of cosmetics in targeting these skin issues so that as a natural cosmetic formulator you can take the best approach to devising safe, gentle and effective formulations for yourself, friends, family or customers.

Let’s start with what really is Acne?

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that occurs when the hair follicles under the skin become clogged. It is commonly referred to as Acne Vulgaris. It manifest on the face, neck, chest and back

Acne can occur both during adolescence and adulthood and is characterised by excess sebum production, sebum retention, and ultimately, inflammation. This inflammation can transform into a scar. Acne can play a huge part in someone’s daily life, and people who have acne can suffer from both its negative physical and psychological effects.

What is the cause of acne?

The mechanisms of acne are complex as they depend on multiple factors and can vary from person to person. 

However, the most commonly-accepted factors include increased sebum production due to androgen hormones, abnormal keratinisation, inflammation, and bacterial colonisation of hair follicles by Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), often caused by a disturbed skin barrier and imbalance of the skin’s microbiome. Another trigger for acne could also be lifestyle factors such as smoking, stress and diet

How can skincare products tackle acne?

It is vital to understand that skincare products, by their very definition, are topical preparations applied to the body or face to improve its appearance.The key word here is appearance. 
Skincare products  do not treat nor cure dermatological conditions nor claim any medical function. If they were to, they would need to undergo clinical trials and be rigorously assessed and controlled as medicines or pharmaceuticals.
Dermatology is a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders. Acne, along with conditions like eczema and dermatitis is a dermatological condition.

As a skincare formulator, your role is to improve the appearance of the skin through the topical application of these products. The ingredients you tend to work do have a huge role to play, such as mitigating the visible signs of oily skin, congested pores, and blemishes and in helping calm inflammation. What skincare products certainly cannot do is treat, eradicate or cure the causes or effects of acne or the inflammation it causes.

If you wish to formulate for blemish- or acne-prone skin,  there are plenty of ways to do so as you’ll now find out.

How to actually formulate products for acne prone skin

1) Formulate for the skin microbiome 

If you want to formulate for blemish-prone, acne-prone or oily skin, remember that less is more. Skincare shouldn’t interfere with your skin’s natural microbiome. However, certain ingredients can disturb the skin’s microbiome or impair the skin barrier such as harsh surfactants, emulsifiers, and essential oils. Another factor to pay attention to in formulating for the skin barrier is the pH level of your formulation.

Seek out milder alternatives for your formulations that demonstrate good skin compatibility and cause less irritation than, for example, ingredients such as traditional, sulphate-based surfactants. Remember also that it is not so much about individual ingredients, but rather about the synergy of these ingredients.

Excessive sebum may be removed by using mild, non-irritating surfactants, such as cocamidopropyl betaine, coco glucoside and decyl glucoside, in low concentrations. You may also formulate gels and solutions with antimicrobial ingredients and mild exfoliants (these exfoliate the epidermis and may prevent the formation of blemishes).

It is pertinent here to mention also the role of the beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) category of liquid exfoliants which are often used on blemish- and acne-prone skin.

Salicylic acid is a well-known BHA used to mitigate the effects of acne as well as pigmented skin. As lipid-soluble compounds, BHAs are more suited to oilier skins as they slough off the dead epidermal cells traveling through the skin’s sebum. They are best used at around 1-2 per cent concentration. In addition, BHAs also provide anti-inflammatory properties

2) Formulate with non comedogenic oils 

When formulating for problematic skin, select one or multiple oils to supply the skin with what it is missing. Topical applications of these oils can help to increase cell membrane fluidity, enhance the skin’s barrier function, decrease trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and improve moisturisation and anti-inflammatory activity. Oils high in linoleic acid such as cucumber oil, passion fruit oil, or evening primrose oil are particularly beneficial for blemished skin.

3) Formulate suitable hydrating products

There are plenty of options for formulating light, hydrating products adapted to the needs of blemish- or acne-prone or oily skin using gentle moisturising ingredients to help restore the skin’s barrier function.

Options include formulating light products like hydrating gels and using light oils and emollients if making emulsions. It is advisable not to formulate with more occlusive oils and butters when targeting oily skin, as they can feel heavy.

The three key hydrating ingredients to help restore and maintain your skin’s barrier are humectants, occlusives and emollients. I personally recommend you combine these three ingredient categories for best results.

4) Formulate with anti-inflammatory ingredients

Anti-inflammatory ingredients can help alleviate breakouts. There are plenty to choose from in the wonderful world of natural cosmetics. Certain cold-pressed plant oils and unrefined butters help soften and soothe the skin, such as argan oil, babassu oil, hemp oil, cocoa butter, cupuaçu butter, kombo butter, shea butter, and so much more. Borage oil, for example, is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

For a more high-performance formula, you can include plant extracts and actives. Adding certain essential oils can also be beneficial in acne formulations, as they can help reduce inflammation and reduce acne scars. Make sure you respect their dermal limits in your formulation, as certain essential oils contain allergens.

Would you like to get started with formulating products to tackle acne?

If Yes, you should definitely check out and register for our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation Course

If this post was helpful to you. Kindly share as well as drop a comment below. Thank you for reading ❤️

Xo 😘 

Coach Semy