Adult acne is not a story where you can dictate the pace to the skin. During this period, skin is especially sensitive to pressure: it reacts sharply to haste, an excess of cosmetic products, and attempts to take control of every inflammation.
Truly modern care for problem skin is built not on activating its depleted resources, but on protecting and restoring them. This is the position held by Anastasiia Haraieva — Facial specialist who specializes in the control and prevention of acne flare-ups and is a recognized ambassador of non-invasive methods. All of her work is dedicated to studying gentle skin recovery protocols and research in the field of aesthetic medicine. Anastasiia is actively engaged in scientific research, and her expertise has received international recognition among beauty experts. Anastasiia Haraieva is the author of her own post-acne skin recovery method, based on activating cellular metabolism and awakening the skin’s natural immunity.
Photo by Anastasiia Haraieva
In her view, American dermatology and cosmetology are actively rethinking their approach to adult inflammation. And since adult acne in 99.9% of cases is driven by chronic stress, poor nutrition, and sleep deprivation, it is entirely logical that the focus is shifting away from aggressive cosmetic manipulations toward working with the skin barrier, managing dynamics, and ensuring long-term stability of the skin’s condition.
Based on this, Anastasiia Haraieva formulates five fundamental recommendations for caring for skin affected by adult acne:
Remove the excess
Most women with acne inevitably have a bathroom shelf filled with products “just in case.” Acids, serums, spot treatments replace one another in hopes of speeding up results. However, the skin does not become calmer — it becomes more reactive.
“During acne, the skin more often suffers not from a lack of care, but from its excess,” explains Anastasiia Haraieva.
In professional circles, there is a term for this condition — overcare syndrome: inflammation maintained by excessive and uncoordinated care. The mechanism is straightforward: constant intervention disrupts the barrier, increases transepidermal water loss, and reduces the skin’s tolerance even to appropriate products. Therefore, the first step toward overcoming adult acne is not adding a new active ingredient to your shelf, but a conscious pause and a return to basic care.
Do not reduce acne to oily skin
The most persistent myth about adult acne is the belief that it is always associated with oily skin. In adulthood, this scenario does not work, says the expert.
“With adult acne, the main problem is not excess sebum, but skin dehydration. Increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) makes the skin vulnerable and slow to recover,” she notes.
Paradoxically, in this state the skin may look dense and inflamed while remaining functionally dehydrated. That is precisely why drying products in such cases only intensify the inflammatory background.
Choose gentle signals instead of pressure
With adult acne, the skin responds better not to stimulation, but to delicate regulatory signals. One such tool is photobiomodulation — light-based exposure that does not damage tissues and does not trigger an inflammatory cascade.
“Light in this context is not a way to speed up the process, but a correct signal for the skin that helps it activate its own recovery mechanisms,” explains Anastasiia, noting that such methods are used to stabilize the skin and reduce the risk of recurrent flare-ups, rather than to force results. This is a long-term strategy — not instant magic, but the gradual building of a healthy skin response step by step.
Photo by Anastasiia Haraieva
Rely on biomimetics
Skin affected by adult acne tolerates forced approaches very poorly — whether high concentrations of acids or intense stimuli. That is why professional care prioritizes biomimetic formulas that replicate the skin’s natural lipid and moisturizing structures.
“Biomimetics is an approach where we do not force the skin to work, but create conditions in which it does so on its own. Imagine care built from ingredients similar to the molecules already present in our skin. Ceramides, amino acids, peptides — the skin recognizes them as ‘its own,’ so it does not resist, but easily accepts and uses them for recovery. Essentially, biomimetic formulas do not fight the skin; they work with it as a team, gently supporting regeneration and the barrier,” explains Anastasiia Haraieva. However, she warns that such products do not promise an instant visual effect. They add to a sense of stability and comfort, without which recovery is impossible.
Fighting adult acne is a dynamic process
There is no “do it once and forget it” algorithm when working with adult acne. This condition develops over time and requires consistent, adaptive correction.
“Skin with adult acne is a living system that changes depending on the menstrual cycle, stress, sleep, diet, even the change of seasons,” explains Anastasiia. “Good care is not the one that works the same way all the time, but the one that knows how to adapt.”
She recommends keeping a simple observation journal: noting how the skin reacts to new products, lifestyle changes, and emotional states. This helps reveal patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Regular observation by a cosmetologist, attentive attention to the skin’s reactions, and consideration of sleep and stress levels should become as natural elements of care as daily cleansing or moisturizing. Do not neglect them under any circumstances. Your skin deserves to be heard by you!
