Customer Care
Skin Care Glossary
Acne vulgaris
Commonly referred to simply as "acne," this skin condition appears on the faces and bodies of people worldwide—all ages, skin types, genders and ethnicities. Triggered by hormones in genetically predisposed individuals, acne affects 90% of all teenagers and 50% of U.S. adult women at some point in their lives. It is caused by the clogging of hair follicles, typically on the face, neck, shoulders and back. Acne is characterized by unsightly and often painful lesions on the surface of the skin and below. Acne blemishes can take the form of comedones (blackheads or whiteheads), papules, pustules, or, at their most severe, nodules that can harden into cysts. Contrary to popular belief, acne is not caused by dirt or diet, but by four factors working together: Excess sebum (oil) production and uneven skin shedding (which combine to block the pore of a hair follicle), bacteria and inflammation.
Allantoin
An active skin protectant used for its healing, softening and moisturizing properties. Derived from comfrey, allantoin stimulates healthy tissue growth and acts as an anti-irritant.
Benzoyl peroxide (BPO)
Available in both over-the-counter solutions and prescription treatments, benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is a topical antimicrobial medicine. It is an oxidizing agent that specifically kills P. acnes, the bacteria that cause acne breakouts. To a lesser extent, it also helps to unblock pores and has an anti-inflammatory effect. BPO is not an antibiotic, and in 50 years of use, there has never been a documented case of BPO bacterial resistance; it is the cornerstone of prescription and over-the-counter acne therapy.
Blackhead (open comedo)
A non-inflammatory acne blemish in which an expanded comedo (plug that blocks the hair follicle) widens the pore and is exposed to air. The darker color is not dirt; rather, it is the effect of oxidation and light refraction.
Closed comedo (whitehead)
A non-inflammatory acne blemish in which a comedo (the oil and skin-cell plug) stays below the skin’s surface. It usually appears on the skin as a small whitish bump.
Combination Therapy®
Combination Therapy is the revolutionary acne management system pioneered, and trademarked, by Drs. Rodan and Fields. Because the chronic acne process is so complex, with numerous factors at play, the doctors believed that maintaining a smooth, clear complexion required that a combination of acne medicines and skin-care ingredients be used in a particular sequence. In their Proactiv 3-Step System, these ingredients include benzoyl peroxide to kill acne-causing bacteria; glycolic acid and other exfoliants to reduce excess oil and dead skin cells; and natural botanicals to soothe inflammation. Additionally, their Refining Mask features antibacterial sulfur; it speeds healing as it calms the skin. Salicylic acid—another important acne medicine that helps keep pores clear—is featured in their body wash and spot treatments.
Comedo (plural: comedones)
When dead skin cells mix with sebum (oil) and block the pore of a hair follicle, that is a comedo – the first step for every kind of acne lesion. It acts like cork in a bottle—trapping dirt, bacteria and sebum inside the hair follicle, eventually resulting in an acne lesion.
Cyst
Large and usually painful, cysts are sac-like lesions (bumps) containing liquid or semi-liquid material consisting of white blood cells, dead cells, and bacteria, lodged deep within the skin. Cysts develop when the contents of a comedo have spilled into the surrounding skin and the local immune system responds with inflammation and white blood cells. Some acne investigators believe that cysts are actually severely inflamed nodules, while others believe they are a different kind of lesion and constitute nodulocystic acne when they occur together with nodes in the skin. Regardless of their origins, cysts may persist for weeks or months, are resistant to acne therapies aside from isotretinoin, and often leave deep scars.
Dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis)
A condition characterized by persistent flaking, scaling or itching of the scalp, often associated with acne. For dandruff sufferers, the natural process of scalp-cell renewal is accelerated in fighting off P. ovale, the normal yeast found on every human head. This causes dead cells to build up on the scalp, and to mix with scalp oils, creating a perfect environment for the P. ovale yeast to thrive, multiply and cause inflammation. The end result is dandruff.
Exfoliate
The act of removing dead cells from the surface of the skin. Exfoliation can be done manually using scrubbing cleansers, washcloths or by shaving; or chemically with glycolic or salicylic acids. Exfoliation accelerates the skin’s natural sloughing process. This is an important step in acne treatment and prevention because (1) it helps unclog pores, or keep pores from clogging; and (2) it allows for better penetration of medicated ingredients that follow the exfoliation step.
Follicle (hair follicle or sebaceous follicle)
The tiny sac with a pore opening that produces the hair the covers our bodies. A sebaceous gland is attached to each hair follicle; it produces the oil that migrates to the skin’s surface to help to keep it soft, supple and protected. Hair follicles appear everywhere on the skin except the lips, soles and palms.
Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation is a dark mark on the skin—like age spots or sun damage. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the medical name for the dark marks that healed acne blemishes leave behind. They can last for more than a year. Topical fade creams with 2% hydroquinone can make these marks disappear much more quickly, while sun exposure can worsen them.
Inflammation
The body’s response to trauma or infection. Inflammation is associated with heat, swelling and redness caused by an influx of white blood cells and dilated blood vessels. The “inflammatory” process of acne is what accounts for the tender, red pimple.
Microcomedo (plural: microcomedones)
The first stage of comedo formation; a microscopic pre-pimple that starts inside a hair follicle. Dermatologists call microcomedones the “subclinical precursors to both inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesions.” During active maintenance therapy, microcomedones decrease significantly; however, almost immediately after treatment is discontinued there is a rapid increase in microcomedones, which in turn give rise to acne lesions. Twice-daily maintenance with Proactiv helps to keep microcomedones from forming, and existing microcomedones from becoming full-blown blemishes.
Micro-crystals (micro-crystal medicine)
The exclusive form of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) found in the New Proactiv 3-Step System’s Renewing Cleanser (Step 1) and Repairing Treatment (Step 3). The BPO in most acne treatments is a crystalline medicine that must be finely milled in order to achieve the pore penetration required to control the acne cycle. The Proactiv micro-crystal BPO features exceptionally small and uniform particles—designed specifically to penetrate pores faster and to be gentler on the skin.
Nodule
Large and usually painful, nodules are solid, inflamed, dome-shaped or irregularly-shaped lesions (bumps), lodged deep within the skin. Nodules develop when the contents of a comedo have spilled into the surrounding skin and the local immune system responds with inflammatory cells. Nodules may persist for weeks or months, are resistant to acne therapies aside from isotretinoin, and may leave deep, permanent scars.
Non-comedogenic (non-acnegenic)
This means a substance has been tested and found to not clog pores or to promote acne by clogging pores. It is something to look for near the ingredients label of skin-care creams and lotions and makeup. Those with acne-prone skin should not apply any skin-care product not labeled "non-comedogenic."
Papule
The mildest form of inflammatory acne is the papule, which appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. These can be tender to the touch, and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions.
Propionibacterium acnes
Of the more than one thousand species of bacteria that live on or in the human epidermis (skin), this is the one that triggers acne breakouts. P. acnes bacteria live inside hair follicles, where they feed on sebum (oil). When a hair follicle’s pore is blocked, they grow and multiply, triggering inflammation. Benzoyl peroxide is an antimicrobial medicine that specifically targets P. acnes bacteria.
Pustule
Small, round acne lesions that are clearly inflamed and contain visible pus, which is a collection of dead white cells. These lesions may appear red at the base, with a yellowish or whitish center.
Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is a mild acid that works as a keratolytic agent, meaning it encourages the sloughing of dead skin cells. It stimulates the peeling of the top layer of skin, and the removal of plugs that block the pores of hair follicles, to help reestablish the normal skin-cell renewal cycle. Salicylic acid does not kill the P. acnes bacteria; rather, it unclogs pores to help heal and prevent acne blemishes.
Sebaceous glands
Oil-producing glands found at the base of every hair follicle. They are concentrated on the central face, chest and back.
Sebum
Sebum is the thick, oily substance produced by sebaceous glands; it is composed of cholesterol and free fatty acids. Sebum travels up the hair shaft and is expelled onto the skin's surface, keeping it soft protected and pliable..
Sloughing (SLUFF-ing)
Part of the skin's natural renewal process, sloughing is the act of shedding layers of dead skin cells to make way for new ones. Until we reach our early 30s, the sloughing and renewal process takes about 28 days. As we age the process begins to slow; by the time we reach our 40s, complete skin renewal may take more than 50 days.
