44 replies to this topic

[ObscureProtection]

There is a keratinization problem BECAUSE of sebum.

I find that hard to believe for the following reasons "The production of sebum itself may not be as important as the fact that sebum is "fed on" by Propionibacterium Acnes (P acne bacteria). The P acne bacteria then excretes certain highly inflammatory by-products which add to the process." and the only time Sebum no longer functions to protect the skin is when it can no longer expel to the skin's surface to do it's job. When Sebum is trapped behind a blocked pore it only feeds the multiplying Propionibacterium, and that's when Sebum defeats it's purpose: http://www.healthyskinbydesign.com/acne.cfm
Abnormal Keratinization is not due to Sebum. However, as Wynne says "The viscosity of the sebum plays a great role, too..." and that may hold ground but I'd have to read up on Sebum viscosity.

[ballaballa]

There is a keratinization problem BECAUSE of sebum. As you get older and into adolescence, sebum gets produced at a more constant pace. As more sebum is made and reaches the surface(even a little bit), it rehydrates dead skin cells not allowing them to flake off properly. This is what causes the more skin cells to build up clogging a pore.

And when the skin is stripped of its moisture by constant washing with detergents, it produces more oil. NOW WAIT. I'm not saying the skin will make extra oil. I am saying that when you take off more oil than you are supposed too, the pore is going to have to "fill up" all over again. When the skin is dried out like that, dead skin cells can get deeper in the pore. And when the glands are producing a lot of oil due to being stripped combines with the clogged pore, it can cause a pimple. The more dead skin cells, the worse the pimple.

LOL you should know better considering that you've been in this forum longer than others. Now give me some credible evidence/study that shows a pore will "fill up" because it's stripped by constant washing. lol I gotta see this.

It is common sense. Every pore or almost every pore has an oil gland. When you take away oil with soap/cleanser, the pore is "empty" or "almost empty" of its oil. Am i wrong? And since the oil glands are constantly producing, will it not "fill up" with oil again?

[ballaballa]

There is a keratinization problem BECAUSE of sebum. As you get older and into adolescence, sebum gets produced at a more constant pace. As more sebum is made and reaches the surface(even a little bit), it rehydrates dead skin cells not allowing them to flake off properly. This is what causes the more skin cells to build up clogging a pore.

That's wrong for a few reasons. 1: If that was true, everyone in the world would have acne, 2: oil doesn't hydrate skin cells, water does. 3: I have too little oil, very dry skin, and I have acne. 4: Plenty of people have oily skin with no acne, 5: the article says says Step 1, not Step 2.

Everyone in the world doesnt have acne because they know how to control it whether knowingly or not. Ask almost any clear person what they do for their skin and they'll tell you nothing or just wash it in the shower. They dont strip their skin of all its oil unlike people with acne who usually wash their faces many times with cleanser/soap. And some people may produce more oil than others but we all produce sebum.

You may be dry on the surface but you are still making sebum in your pores.

I may have used the wrong word in hydrate. But the premise is still the same. The sebum would act almost like a glue and keep dead skin cells from flaking off properly.

Some people with oily skin take special care of their skin. They will add in moisturizer and exfoliation. This can work. But not everyone has to do it. I have oily skin. But i take care of it by not stripping it of its oil. I wash my face with soap in the morning and wash my face with only water at night. Oil is very balanced, never shiney, and skin is smooth like i would get with exfoliation. There was a time when i thought i had dry skin. But it was from me over washing and over exfoliating.

Abnormal keretinization is what? The non-ability of the skin to slough off its own dead skin cells? It is not able to slough off because the sebum is keeping them on the surface of the skin. Dead skin cells may be able to flake off. But dead skin cells covered in sebum cannot.

[ballaballa]

There is a keratinization problem BECAUSE of sebum.

I find that hard to believe for the following reasons "The production of sebum itself may not be as important as the fact that sebum is "fed on" by Propionibacterium Acnes (P acne bacteria). The P acne bacteria then excretes certain highly inflammatory by-products which add to the process." and the only time Sebum no longer functions to protect the skin is when it can no longer expel to the skin's surface to do it's job. When Sebum is trapped behind a blocked pore it only feeds the multiplying Propionibacterium, and that's when Sebum defeats it's purpose: http://www.healthyskinbydesign.com/acne.cfm
Abnormal Keratinization is not due to Sebum. However, as Wynne says "The viscosity of the sebum plays a great role, too..." and that may hold ground but I'd have to read up on Sebum viscosity.

Everyone in the world has p acnes on their skin. Not only people with acne. So i really dont believe it has much to do with acne itself.

Can we agree that sebum is constantly producing? If there is a clogged pore, and sebum is constantly producing, Where will the sebum go? Nowhere. And that is what will cause a pimple. Sebum will continue producing, dead skin cells will stop it from going through the pore, and then you will get irritation and inflammation producing a pimple.

On that website, do you see how the pore gets big and wide? that is because sebum is producing but cannot escape because of the clogged pore.

[ObscureProtection]

I've stumbled on even more research suggesting that disproves the idea that Sebum is such a 'huge/main factor' in acne "Does Facial Sebum Excretion Really Affect the Development of Acne?":

In this study, we measured sebum secretion at five locations on the face to consider regional variations in sebum secretion. In addition, our study incorporates an acne grading system which increases the evaluation accuracy. However, our study has its limitations. The Sebumeter® was used as a measuring tool, and its measurement area is limited to skin contacting the unit's cassette probe. However, the areas in which lesions were counted were larger than this sebum measuring area, and thus there is a possibility of a disparity between the lesion count area and the sebum measuring area.

The absence of correlation between sebum secretion and lesion counts in most facial regions suggests that secreted facial sebum cannot be the only factor inciting the development of acne lesions. Increased sebum secretion is a major component in the pathogenesis of acne, but increased sebum secretion simply increases the likelihood of developing acne lesions, and does not constitute a direct and unique cause of lesion development. For example, the scalp secretes high levels of sebum, but comedogenesis is rarely observed even in patients with severe acne.[13] The present study shows that noninflammatory comedones on the chin, and inflammatory and total lesions in the U-zone, were significantly associated with local sebum secretion. However, their correlation coefficients did not show strong associations, which implies that other factors play an important role in the development of acne in these regions. Increased sebum secretion with follicular obstruction in the same follicle could incite comedogenesis, but increased sebum secretion without follicular obstruction cannot create comedones. Thus, repeated facial washing to remove seborrhoea from the skin surface would not be expected to improve clinical acne. A recent study with orally administered type I 5α-reductase inhibitor, which suppresses facial sebum secretion, showed that the suppression of facial sebum production does not improve acne lesions.[14] This study supports our results.

One more point is worth considering. We performed this study in women, and sebum secretion patterns differ in men and women. Thus there may be a different association between sebum secretion and acne lesion development in men. A further study including males should therefore be performed.

In conclusion, increased facial sebum secretion in women with acne was not found to be the primary cause of acne lesion development, or even of the formation of noninflammatory comedones or inflammatory acne lesions. Rather it is just an epiphenomenon or an aggravating condition in patients with acne. A future study on local androgen receptor variations in follicle openings, which may lead to follicular obstruction, may clarify the association between variations in regional sebum section and acne development.

This work was supported by Seoul National University Bundang Hospital research fund in 2004.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/515685

I've also been considering "viscosity" of Sebum for possible exacerbation of acne forming. According to acnesource.org:

Sebum is a complex and variable mixture of lipids including:

* Glycerides
* Free fatty acids
* Wax esters
* Squalene
* Cholesterol esters
* Cholesterol

Sebum has the following functions:

* It reduces water loss from the skin surface
* It protects the skin from infection by bacteria and fungi
* It contributes to body odor
* It is colonized by the bacteria Priopionibacterium acnes, which may have a role in immune regulation

For those of us who are more prone to acne by diet, taking a closer look into what foods affect Glyceride, Fatty acids, Wax esters, Squalene, Cholesterol esters, and Cholesterols may help the viscosity of Sebum. However, according to Healthy Skin By Design:

Normally, the cells shedding in the follicle are "flushed" to the surface via various lipid substances ex­creted in the follicle. In those individuals who are prone to developing acne, a pecu liar change occurs in the manner and pattern in which the dead cells line the follicle. For example, the cells being produced are thicker and sturdier and thus more resistant to the normal "flushing" process of the follicle. Secondly, the cells begin to stick together forming a "kernel" of dead cells. This microscopic kernel is referred to as a microcomedone.

The issue doesn't seem to be Sebum, but rather the formation of this "peculiar change..." in dead cells lining the follicle.

Here's my personal theory. Think about the pore as a fleshy pipe that has clumps of dead cells lining the inside where the dead cells are too clumpy and won't dislodge properly until the very last minute, becoming too large blocking the hole. The Sebum in this case, may have to change it's viscosity to properly "grab" these clumps to flush them out. However what if the clumps of cells are too large to dislodge out of the pore the Sebum would only be a pool party for P.Acne; who is now thriving in an anaerobic environment.

Has anybody else noticed that Acne seems to be a prevalent problem in Western societies? In third world countries where poor children and adults do not have the luxury of fast food or processed food, where are all the people with acne? According to McDougall Newsletter:

Incidence of acne in Western Countries
Adolescents: 79% to 95%
Older than 25: 40% to 54%
Middle aged: 3% to 12%
Incidence of acne in underdeveloped countries: often 0%
Cordain L. Acne vulgaris: a disease of Western civilization. Arch Dermatol. 2002 Dec;138(12):1584-90.

For those of you interested in how to change the keratin process, try looking at underdeveloped countries for an answer. McDougall writes a very interesting article, though old, it cites many sources. His article is titled "Acne Has Nothing to Do with Diet = Wrong!": http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/031100puacne.htm

Michael Russell offers us with some insight:

Acne vulgaris is a skin disease that affects between 79% and 95% of the population in America and Europe. Even adult men and women, between 40% and 54% of them, have some kind of acne. After the age of 45, 12% of women and 3% of men still suffer from this affliction.

In the United States there are about 50 million individuals affected by this skin disease. There it is not only present in adolescents, but in children and adults alike. Of those adults older than 25 years 54% of women and 40% of men complain about some kind of acne. About 10% of them battle until late middle age with this problem. These statistics are about the same as those found in studies carried out 20 years ago.

Statistics vary considerably when dealing with children between 10 and 12.Some studies put the number of children suffering from acne in this age group at 30%, whereas other researchers say that it is up to 60%. There is less discrepancy however when dealing with adolescents who are between 16 and 18 years old. Studies agree that the percentage there lies between 79% to 95%.

In Caucasian populations even a significant number of children between 4 and 7 years of age are in medical treatment because of acne. It is therefore clear that acne is a widespread disease in light-skinned societies, where it not only affects young children and adolescents, but a significant portion of people 25 years and older.

In African and Asian societies there are far less people, adolescents or adults alike, that have some kind of facial acne: only 2%. This is not so only because of hereditary factors. The generally more polluted environments in America and Europe play an important role in the far higher incidence of facial acne in Western societies.

Even though there are only a few studies that deal with acne in underdeveloped societies the results in this research show that acne is far more prevalent in industrialized nations. This is most likely due to dietary habits. People in the West are very fond of dairy products, of alcohol, coffee and tea, products rich in fat like margarine and cooking oils, cereals and sugar, all of which are detrimental to health when eaten in excess. People in Africa or South America, for example, eat far more fruit and vegetables, have a lower fat intake and eat more food with a higher percentage of carbohydrates.

Studies carried out in South Africa, for example, showed that the incidence of acne was far lower in the Bantu population than among whites. Both ethnic groups reside in the area of Pretoria. Only 16% of Bantu adolescents suffered from acne whereas 45% of the white teenagers were afflicted with it. Taking into consideration all age groups in this sample, only 2% of the natives had acne, compared to 10% of the whites. Among other tribes it was suggested that acne as a widespread problem only surfaced when those people left their rural villages and moved closer to urbanized areas or cities.

Since the early 1980s a lot of evidence has been gathered that demonstrates that native populations getting in contact with Western civilization usually suffer from an overall health perspective and this is definitely true in the case of skin diseases such as acne.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Acne-in-Underdev...s&id=234666

Perhaps the "peculiar change" in the lining of our pores have to do with diet. None the less I still want to find ways to deal with this peculiar change topically. So, my search for information continues...

Sources:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/515685
http://www.healthyskinbydesign.com/acne.cfm
http://www.acnesource.org/facts_what-causes-acne_oil.htm
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/031100puacne.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Acne-in-Underdev...s&id=234666

[The Great Reizo]

"Everyone in the world doesnt have acne because they know how to control it whether knowingly or not. Ask almost any clear person what they do for their skin and they'll tell you nothing or just wash it in the shower."



Um, okay the reason alot of people don't JUST wash with a normal cleanser in the shower IS BECAUSE of an acne problem...Not the other way around. When I first started breaking out I used nothing but a normal cleanser, and guess what? I still broke out. The idea of just washing and hoping a genetically predisposed condition will go away is ridiculous. The people who are "clear" are ONLY clear because they do not have defective pores. That's the only reason.

[temp123]

Personally, I think that the primary problem is keratinization due to lack of differentiation in the pores.

The differentiation is when the stem cells produce multiple different types of cells, and these then help the pores shed. It's similar to the process that forms a leaf. Imagine the leaf is growing in your pores, and then imagine what happens if the leaf doesn't have the pointy bits.

The research seems to point to low retinoid levels in the blood prior to acne starting; insufficient retinoids would mean that the cells don't dfferentiate and the walls of the pore thicken up.

The retinoid in the blood comes from the liver, and the retinoids ultimately come from diet.

What happens if you are slightly deficient in vitamin A in your diet over a long period?

Well, if you're greviously deficient you go blind, and various other things mess up. What happens if you are slightly deficient? Or what happens if you aren't deficient in beta carotene (provitamin A), but lack something else needed to convert that into retinoids?

I personally think what happens is that the pores gradually mess up (taking *months* to do so)... and then they block, and they get irritated, which pushes up the sebum levels; and everything comes to a grinding halt, then the bacteria go to town and you get spots.

Accutane undoes all that, it causes massive shedding in the pores, and triggers differentiation and so the pores run clear after that. Topical retinoids do something similar, but they're not quite as strong, and only give a temporary effect.

Anyway, that's my theory; the sebum mostly just makes things worse; and I suppose it's possible that the sebum is due to low vitamin A levels anyway, so the two tend to go hand-in-hand.

[benwolves]

Based on the Keratin thing. Does that ever even itself out? Or does it mean you will have acne for life?

Again based on Keratin what is the best way to treat acne? Exfoliate reguarly?

[benwolves]

Any1?

[ObscureProtection]

Based on the Keratin thing. Does that ever even itself out? Or does it mean you will have acne for life?

Again based on Keratin what is the best way to treat acne? Exfoliate reguarly?

I think abnormal keratinization may be a problem that affects a percentage of the global population genetically. I have no idea if it ever does even itself out, there are some people who outgrow their acne, there are some people who have adult onset acne, and there are some people who hardly ever have acne throughout their life, or people who have it all their life.

In the previous articles that I've referenced regarding over the counter solutions they suggest using Benzoyl Peroxide to kill existing Propionibacterium Acnes (which would help reduce inflammation). A combination of Salicylic Acid (Beta Hydroxy Acid) and Glycolic Acid (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) should be used to reverse or treat the abnormal keratinization. In my opinion though, the abnormal keratinization would be better prevented by diet, taking enough vitamins and eating healthier.

Combination therapy would be best. I've managed to get my acne under control using BP, Salicyclic Acid, Glycolic Acid, vitamins, omega 3 fish oil capsules, drinking lots of water, and cutting down my glycemic (sugar) intake. I've gotten a few tiny zits in the past month or so (from the holidays). However, I have been able to go a month to a month and a half without having a single zit. This is coming from someone who had moderate to severe acne breakout over the Summer of 2007 (deep cystic ones that ended about 4 months ago). I still have the post hyper pigmentation scars to prove it, though they are slowly fading away. My family is amazed I was able to get my acne under control. I have a sibling who has cystic acne as well and still been unable to control it till this day (mainly because my sibling doesn't take the time to read or research and truly understand the problem or even care anymore).

[medic]

I Knew it! I knew all that bs about excess sebum was wrong! I always noticed this buildup of flakiness on my skin, and I'm not at all oily. I don't think oil is the problem but rather an exacerbating factor that contributes to the plug.

That's why sulfur helps I guess, it increases cell turnover so skin cells don't have enough time to get stuck.

well the stuff about sebum isn't wrong, if there wasn't seebum there wouldn't be acne. but abnormal keritinization is the main issue, and that is what retinoids correct.

That's not true. Acne can be a sterile skin condition. Bacteria, which feed on the oil, make it worse, but are not a requirement in the acne process. The bacteria come in after the acne process has started and take advantage of the new skin conditions created by acne. If bacteria caused acne, people of all ages would have it, and it would be contagious, neither of which is true of acne.

But would there be any inflammation without the bacteria? Wouldn't we just have small, barely noticeable pimples without them?

[eric_in_va]

I Knew it! I knew all that bs about excess sebum was wrong! I always noticed this buildup of flakiness on my skin, and I'm not at all oily. I don't think oil is the problem but rather an exacerbating factor that contributes to the plug.

That's why sulfur helps I guess, it increases cell turnover so skin cells don't have enough time to get stuck.

well the stuff about sebum isn't wrong, if there wasn't seebum there wouldn't be acne. but abnormal keritinization is the main issue, and that is what retinoids correct.

That's not true. Acne can be a sterile skin condition. Bacteria, which feed on the oil, make it worse, but are not a requirement in the acne process. The bacteria come in after the acne process has started and take advantage of the new skin conditions created by acne. If bacteria caused acne, people of all ages would have it, and it would be contagious, neither of which is true of acne.

But would there be any inflammation without the bacteria? Wouldn't we just have small, barely noticeable pimples without them?

Anyone tried this product coming out of france called Teen Derm K?

http://www.isis-pharma.com/

It has a keratoregulating cream that features an ingredient called " 5-α-avocuta " which is derived from Alvocado Oil... patented by Expanscience

http://www.expanscience.fr/tampon.aspx?val=file&dow=73

5-α-avocuta inhibits the activity of 5 αlpha reductase, an enzyme which metabolises testosterone into DHT, a powerful androgren that stimulates the sebaceous glands. Its effectiveness has been verified in vitro and provides 49% inhibition from a level of 0.01%.


http://translate.google.com/translate?u=ht...en&ie=UTF-8

- Eric

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[superMachi]

YUP abnormal keratinization is the problem INDEED.

even if you don't get pimples..

you could still have oily skin problems and clogged pores and blackheads. OH boy.

Unfortunately most scientists know this problem and IT IS stressed to them.. but not to the general public....

who cares, no one knows how to really stop it for good anyways.

[sie]

YUP abnormal keratinization is the problem INDEED.

even if you don't get pimples..

you could still have oily skin problems and clogged pores and blackheads. OH boy.

Unfortunately most scientists know this problem and IT IS stressed to them.. but not to the general public....

who cares, no one knows how to really stop it for good anyways.

I am working on a theory, some of which has leaked out of my scattered brain onto the Nutrition forum (fructose, taurine thread). Search my posts and read them.

It isn't *abnormal* keratinization. er at least i don't believe so. Its just immature keratinocytes being forced to grow up too fast. (hyperproliferation in the absence of adequate differentiation) All those fresh young "sticky" keratinocytes are NOT getting differentiated into scaly cornified older versions and they are being proliferated to the top of the dermis super fast. So you get a clogged up mess in your pore. My theory (not mine, but science's theory) is that vitamin D and calcium and a few other things can slow the proliferation and induce the differentiation (vit A does some of this too but at quite a cost to ones health due to dosage requirements) whereas insulin etc does the reverse (creates the hyperprolif and nondifferentiation problem). Mix too much insulin with not enough sun exposure (typical modern person) and you get: acne.

[treefeet]

YUP abnormal keratinization is the problem INDEED.

even if you don't get pimples..

you could still have oily skin problems and clogged pores and blackheads. OH boy.

Unfortunately most scientists know this problem and IT IS stressed to them.. but not to the general public....

who cares, no one knows how to really stop it for good anyways.

I am working on a theory, some of which has leaked out of my scattered brain onto the Nutrition forum (fructose, taurine thread). Search my posts and read them.

It isn't *abnormal* keratinization. er at least i don't believe so. Its just immature keratinocytes being forced to grow up too fast. (hyperproliferation in the absence of adequate differentiation) All those fresh young "sticky" keratinocytes are NOT getting differentiated into scaly cornified older versions and they are being proliferated to the top of the dermis super fast. So you get a clogged up mess in your pore. My theory (not mine, but science's theory) is that vitamin D and calcium and a few other things can slow the proliferation and induce the differentiation (vit A does some of this too but at quite a cost to ones health due to dosage requirements) whereas insulin etc does the reverse (creates the hyperprolif and nondifferentiation problem). Mix too much insulin with not enough sun exposure (typical modern person) and you get: acne.

It isn't insulin that stimulates hyperproliferation but IGF-1.

[fraxelwaxel]

p. acnes bacteria are one of the many bacteria (like staph) that are all over every inch of your skin. they are constantly there no matter what.

the problem with acne pustules/papules is that the pore is blocked and sebum gets trapped. the p acnes bacteria then begins to "colonize" , which in turns provokes an immune response. your body sends white blood cells to eat the bacteria. the dead white blood cells are what forms the pus in a whitehead.

as for blackheads and sebaceous filaments (acne without inflammation) the pore is still becoming clogged, however it is open to the air so the bacteria do not have an anaerobic environment to colonize in. so there is no immune response either. just a plug of sebum and skin cells.

sebum is formed by the bursting of sebatocytes (oil producing cells) inside the sebaceous gland. it then oozes into the pore where it lubricates the hair and skin.

keratinization refers to the turnover of skin cells. the more keratinization the more dead skin cells you have on the surface of the skin, the inside of the pore, etc.

normalizing keratinization means less dead skin cells in the hair follicle, so less debris causing the sebum to be blocked from flowing (which causes a cyst if the blockage goes back to the sebaceous gland)

(or just causes a pustule if the blockage only reaches back to the pore).

it also means the sebum is less likely to stick together and become viscous (thick) causing a sebum plug (aka a blackhead). keeping the skin hydrated also helps this from happening.

your skin needs sebum. sebum waterproofs your skin and keeps it protected. without sebum your skin would dry out very quickly. it would also be sensitive to the slightest graze. the dead skin layer of the stratum corneum would flake off easily without sebum leaving the skin super sensitive to environmental irritants or mechanical injury.

for instance this is why people on accutane have such dry, brittle skin that is prone to getting eczema. their oil production has been slowed by as much as 90 percent. their skin loses elasticity and even cracks at the lips, corner of mouth, etc. YOU NEED SEBUM!

[sie]

YUP abnormal keratinization is the problem INDEED.

even if you don't get pimples..

you could still have oily skin problems and clogged pores and blackheads. OH boy.

Unfortunately most scientists know this problem and IT IS stressed to them.. but not to the general public....

who cares, no one knows how to really stop it for good anyways.

I am working on a theory, some of which has leaked out of my scattered brain onto the Nutrition forum (fructose, taurine thread). Search my posts and read them.

It isn't *abnormal* keratinization. er at least i don't believe so. Its just immature keratinocytes being forced to grow up too fast. (hyperproliferation in the absence of adequate differentiation) All those fresh young "sticky" keratinocytes are NOT getting differentiated into scaly cornified older versions and they are being proliferated to the top of the dermis super fast. So you get a clogged up mess in your pore. My theory (not mine, but science's theory) is that vitamin D and calcium and a few other things can slow the proliferation and induce the differentiation (vit A does some of this too but at quite a cost to ones health due to dosage requirements) whereas insulin etc does the reverse (creates the hyperprolif and nondifferentiation problem). Mix too much insulin with not enough sun exposure (typical modern person) and you get: acne.

It isn't insulin that stimulates hyperproliferation but IGF-1.

Yes, sort of. Thanks, but I guess I was just trying to simplify. Actually, IGF-1 stimulates proliferation and IGFBP-3 inhibits it. Therefore, it is too much IGF-1 and/or too little IGFBP-3 that can cause HYPERproliferation.

[find myself]

so what exactly MAKES it or can possibly make it normal? IS there anything? Topicals? Supplements? Some other treatments?

[bryan]

your skin needs sebum. sebum waterproofs your skin and keeps it protected. without sebum your skin would dry out very quickly. it would also be sensitive to the slightest graze. the dead skin layer of the stratum corneum would flake off easily without sebum leaving the skin super sensitive to environmental irritants or mechanical injury.

for instance this is why people on accutane have such dry, brittle skin that is prone to getting eczema. their oil production has been slowed by as much as 90 percent. their skin loses elasticity and even cracks at the lips, corner of mouth, etc. YOU NEED SEBUM!

LOL!! So how do children manage to get along without sebum?

.

[itsnever4ever]

i'm confused. is a slow rate of skin renewal or a faster rate of cell renewal that causes acne? i thought the faster skin cell turnover(or renewal) would cause more acne. cuz more dead skin skin=more acne...but retina is said to work and it speeds up the rate..maybe if u have acne the only way to get rid of it is to speed it up but if u don't have acne the only way to prevent it is to have a slow rate..does anyone get this?