Our skins natural oils are called sebum which is secreted by the sebaceous glands and present throughout the body; it is found in abundance on the face, scalp, neck, shoulders, upper back and torso. On the face, sebum is mostly present in the middle or ‘T’ zone (nose, forehead and cheeks)

Sebum is a complex mixture of different types of oils and is natural and necessary for the skin to function properly. It participates in the development of the hydrolipidic film, which is a critical barrier for healthy skin, protecting your skin from external elements and maintaining the skins’ suppleness. If excessively oily skin is not properly treated, the pores fill, expand and then become clogged, creating an area conducive to bacteria development and therefore inflammation.

There are different types of oily skin:

Fluent Seborrhoea: Where the mix of oils in sebum is thin and silky allowing the oil to flow freely out of the follicle and onto the surface of the skin. The complexion may look dull and have a shiny appearance, but this type of oiliness doesn’t have blemishes.

Retentive Seborrhoea: Where androgen hormones create a waxy type of sebum that is too thick to flow freely therefore is stuck in the follicle and further blocked by accumulation of dead skin cells. Visible blemishes are present such as blackheads, dilated pores and microcysts lying dormant under the skin. This creates the perfect environment for P. Acnes to thrive which then can lead to pustules.

While not all oily skin is acne-prone, most types of acne-prone skin originally suffer from excess sebum.

The Biologique Recherche Skin Instant Lab diagnostic machine has a Sebumeter probe that can measure your individual sebum output and a Tewameter to measure the quality of your lipidic shield which gives a definitive diagnosis for the current state of your personal Skin Instant and sebum levels.

The Three Causes of Acne: 

Three factors are instrumental in the formation of Acne lesions and Biologique Recherche acne protocols aim to treat all three causes of acne, not just the symptoms, to prevent and stop new acne as well as correcting active acne lesions and healing post blemish marks.

The three causes of Acne accepted by the field of dermatology are:

• Hyper seborrhoea: is the excess production of sebum making the skin look shiny. This phenomenon may be linked to many external and internal factors such as hormones, stress, medication, genes, climate, pollution, etc…
• Bacteria: the bacterium ‘Propionibacterium Acnes’ or ‘Cutibacterium Acnes’, which is naturally found in humans but poses a problem where there is excess sebum as this is what it feeds on. In such cases, it contributes to the formation of inflammation and inflammatory lesions, such as papules or pustules.
• A keratinization disorder: Excess dead cells accumulate on the surface or in the follicle walls but are unable to disperse and shed, thus forming micro-comedones (keratin plugs) which prevent the sebum from flowing normally.

Treatment: 

It is important to have a Skin Instant Lab diagnosis with a Dermal Therapist as there are multiple causes and targeted treatments available. Your trained Biologique Recherche therapist will be able to understand and guide you to the correct treatment options according to your individual needs without triggering an old imbalance. We invite you to check with your nearest Biologique Recherche centre for an Online Consultation if you cannot visit in person.

Some general products for breakout prone skin are as follows:

1/ Cleanser: Lait U

Gentle and effective milk cleanser designed to perfectly emulsify excess sebum and debris without stripping. Leaving no residue, Lait U sets your skin at the perfect pH to be able to receive your preferred Lotion P50 formula. Cleansing with Lait U is crucial step in maintaining balanced skin and being able to successfully continue to treat breakout prone skin.

Application: Apply the amount of a 20-cent piece with dry hands onto a dry face. (the most common mistake when using a milk cleanser is using it on wet skin) Massage to emulsify oil and dirt then rinse with cool water.

Please repeat for a double cleanse if you wish.

2/ Lotion: The Lotion P50 formula adapted to your individual tolerance for exfoliation.

All Lotion P50 variations have sebo-regulating ingredients to help balance sebum without drying. They also help to fortify the epidermis by normalising epidermal cell turn over and help to prevent the dead skin cells becoming trapped in the pores and helps to balance out the bacteria living on the skins surface. This is targeting all three causes for breakouts.

Hailed as a ‘facial in a bottle’ Lotion P50 family of products are progressive, purifying, cleansing, balancing and re-conditioning liquid exfoliants. A unique low pH formulation that aids in the skin being able to regain its original regenerative qualities and radiance.

All Lotion P50’s gently exfoliates the skin with a combination of AHA’s, BHA’s and PHA’s whilst also harnessing the benefits of powerful botanical, mineral and vitamin extracts to:

• regulate excessive sebum
• purifies and clears debris from pores
• prevents lipid oxidation within the pore
• lift dull cells
• balances the surface pH of the skin therefore creating the environment for healthy microflora to thrive, crowding out P.Acnes
• improves the quality and fortifies the epidermis
• unifies epidermal cells
• allows for exceptional light reflection off of the skin’s surface
• improves the efficacy of following Biologique Recherche products used after

Application: It is important to use the Lotion P50 formula after cleansing the skin with a milk cleanser that respects the pH and barrier of the skin. The first week, add a few drops of Lotion P50 to a cotton pad pre-dampened with water then gently pat/press over face, neck and décolletage in ascending movements. On subsequent days, a dry cotton pad should be used. If tingling is felt as the skin’s pH is balancing itself, some Biologique Recherche L’Eauxygénante misted over the face will alleviate it.

Work up to using Lotion P50 directly onto dry cotton pads twice a day. May be used morning and night once you skin has fully adjusted.

It is normal in the beginning to experience some tingling and redness, this will subside as your skin adjusts. We suggest to continue with the Lotion P50 formula adapted to your individual tolerance for exfoliation for 50 days (approx. two epidermal cycles) Some breakouts may continue to occur for the first couple of weeks as your skin is expelling any micro-comedones lodged deeper in the skin.

Not recommended for use in conjunction with a foaming cleanser, retinoids or other exfoliating products.

3/ Masque: Masque Vivant

Masque Vivant has purifying and balancing ingredients, our famous yeast extract high in B vitamins. You can patch this one with Masque VIP O2 for detoxing and calming. Masque Vivant through the oily T-zone or areas of breakouts and Masque VIP O2 on the other areas.

Application: Apply after the Lotion P50 step and leave Masque Vivant and/or Masque VIP O2  to work for 15-20mins. Rinse with cool water. You can do this a couple of times per week.

4/ Serum: Complexe Iribiol

Complexe Iribiol is the solution to active breakouts and acne lesions. This purifying serum used directly on the breakout will alleviate inflammation while breaking down the waxy sebum and cellular debris core trapped inside the follicle. Containing Salicylic Acid, a lipid loving BHA that helps to effectively clean ‘inside’ the pore or follicle wall, dislodging micro-comedones and thick sebum.

Zinc is a sebum regulating ingredient that inhibits an enzyme responsible for stimulating excess sebum from hormones.

Application: Apply to clean skin, directly onto the spot or locally on the area of breakout.

5/ Crème: Crème Dermopurifiante

Crème Dermopurifiante is the ultimate sebum-regulating treatment. Its sebo-regulating active ingredient Rose Hip and Complexe of Enanthia Chlorantha with Oleanic Acid   help prevent excessive oil secretions and free the blocked follicle by deactivating sebum producing cells. Its purifying ingredients cleanse the skin to limit the proliferation of bacteria that cause inflammation resulting in a red pimple on the skin’s surface. It thus acts to regulate the production of sebum and purify the epidermis, ridding the skin of its imperfections and preventing their reappearance. Finally, its soothing and dermo-protective ingredients of Arnica and Centella Asiatica limit the inflammatory reaction that causes redness. The product purifies and mattifies the skin without drying it out; it also tightens the pores while evening out the complexion.

Crème Dermopurifiante is the go-to product for oily, acne-prone skin. It targets the causes and consequences of the underlying seborrheic mechanism, cleansing and purifying the skin in order to mattify it and rid it of its imperfections.

Application: Apply in the morning and/or evening onto cleansed skin. Delicately massage the face, neck and décolleté until complete penetration.

In Clinic:

Biologique Recherche have professional strength in-clinic treatment options to professionally deep cleanse the pores to treat acne and breakouts. The Biologique Recherche Remodelling Face machine has a desincrustation feature that uses currents to saponify waxy sebum and dead skin cells from the follicle, dislodging the core of breakouts with no irritation. Our therapists are trained to target the causes and consequences of the underlying seborrheic mechanism and your skin should be tended to professionally once every epidermal cell cycle (approx. every 25-30 days) as part of an Acne treatment plan. We always recommend that you seek out advice from a trained Biologique Recherche therapist for a personalised treatment plan.