literally no dermatologist on earth says acne is caused by bad hygeine/lack of a skincare routine btw. its genetic. every single piece of research ever done on acne says its genetic. feel like i need to restate this every time i see a post about skincare
a few years ago i made an identical post to this and someone tagged it with “yeah ive known this from personal experience. because i once spent an entire summer not bathing and the only water that ever touched my face was from public pools yet i never once had any acne” and every single time i see someone talking up their skincare routine this info forces its way back into my brain
dont be a fucking dumbass on this post btw im serious. actually read academic papers on acne dont fucking post correlation is causation shit on this post. every person who has acne has a half dozen multi billion dollar industries constantly trying to convince them its secretly their fault against all published research as it stands. so don’t fucking help them
Acne vulgaris is a skin condition that can be caused by any of a number of different factors, most of which are unrelated to hygiene - but only a few of which are related to your genes.
“Every single piece of research done on acne” does not say that acne is genetic, because genetics are beyond the scope of 90+% of dermatologic research.
I understand why OP is frustrated: there are a lot of predatory “skin care” products sold on the basis of misinformation. But what they are saying is untrue and potentially-dangerous.
Acne is not a harmless and immutable trait like the color of your eyes: it is a potentially-treatable disease. On its own, it’s not going to kill you - but because it damages your skin integrity, it makes you more vulnerable to infectious diseases. It can also be an early warning sign of potentially-serious conditions that you could get treated before they actually become dangerous.
If you’re an adult and have chronic acne, I strongly suggest getting a checkup and asking for an endocrine workup. This is particularly important if you have any “boring”/“stress-related” chronic health issues like fatigue, depression, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, lower back pain, difficulty sleeping, etc. Maybe it is just stress - or maybe your thyroid gland is acting up or you have PCOS, and taking a pill in the morning will solve every problem you’re having and prevent a heart attack in 15 years.