You are well past the boisterous years of high school, but you are still dealing with breakouts. Which begs the question: Didn’t your skin get the notice it’s time to move on?
Thanks to genetics and hormones, sometimes it feels acne is getting entirely out of control. Regardless of how many expensively great products you use, those pimples just won’t budge. Yes, that pretty frustrating.
Healthy, clear, blemish-free, and healthy skin is a dream of many. You double-cleanse, you moisturize, and you even slap on a mask religiously. Yet, despite all your efforts and care, acne strikes back. Unfortunately, the root cause of zits isn’t always clear. It can be hereditary, hormonal, and environmental factors.
Most of the time, there are some bad habits that you are repeatedly doing in your routine that are causing breakouts. Although acne treatment is readily available, they still can be avoided by getting rid of some habits.
Read on to know some everyday habits that might be triggering acne.
Cell Phone
Your cell phone is a hotbed of dust and germs that can cause acne around your chin, cheeks, and mouth. Whenever your phone screen touches your face, it accumulates all the sweat, make-up, facial oil, dust, and other environmental toxins. With every phone call you receive, you introduce all the germs on to your skin resulting in clogging of pores and ultimately breakouts. Moreover, some people have a filthy habit of taking their phones to the washroom or bathroom, which is a cesspool of microbes.
Clean your phone at regular intervals with anti-bacterial wipes or cleanser with a 40% alcohol solution. Minimize contact between your phone and skin as much as possible. Use hands-free mode, Bluetooth, or earpieces to make and receive phone calls.
Traveling by Air
Airplane acne is a real thing, and many people are affected by it. Whether you fly coach or first class, the dry air on airplanes can irritate your skin irrespective of the type you have. The skin gets dried, and it causes a build-up of dehydrated cells that retain oil. This leaves you with an undesired souvenir, acne. People with already dry skin get their dryness exacerbated, while those with oily skin produces more oil to compensate for the dryness.
Cleanse your face before you hop on an airplane and moisturize it with thick cream. Refrain from putting on making during before taking a flight as it clogs your pores. Avoid touching your face during flights. Shortly after the flight wash your face of any impurities and moisturize it.
Over Scrubbing Your Face
Seeing the initial improvement, you may be tempted to scrub your skin clean to rid of acne. Don’t! Vigorously or repetitively scrubbing your face may irritate your skin leading to inflammation, swelling of the clogging of pores. This may even worsen the acne you already have.
Be gentle while exfoliating your face. Use a mild non-comedogenic scrubber. Apply it with fingertips lightly using a circular motion and then gently rinse it off with lukewarm water. Then simply pat dry your face and apply a moisturizer.
Dirty Pillowcase
Dirty pillowcases can contribute to acne breakouts. Dirty pillows accumulate bacteria, sweat, dirt, oils, and residues of your hair products, which lead to zits. The irritation of your skin caused by outside clothing is known as acne mechanica. The heat, sweat, and germs trapped by clothing cause this irritation.
Wash your pillowcases and sheets to improve acne breakouts. It helps in the reduction of pore-clogging oil and dirt on the surface that usually comes in contact with your skin.
Diet
Dairy products, refined sugars, and grains, foods rich in omega-6 fats, junk food, and much more such food can be the cause behind your acne. Cow’s milk in the dairy product is known to contain hormones that can interact with human skin and influence the hormones of your own body. You need to cut out or minimize the food intake, which is not suitable for your skin. Food with high-glycemic content such as pizzas, white bread, and pasta can spike your blood sugar resulting in acne.
Instead, switch to a healthy diet for your skin. Add green vegetables, almonds, green tea, probiotics, and fruits to keep acne away from your life.
Makeup Brushes
Your brushes and sponges collect oil, dead skin, residual makeup, and oil with every application. If you do not clean them regularly and properly, these tools can re-deposit such unpleasant substances back on your face skin, leading to clogging of your pores.
Wipe the brush bristles religiously with makeup remover after every use to get rid of the acne-causing elements. Wash your makeup tools thoroughly every week. Soak them in a mixture of shampoo and warm water for some time before rinsing and air-dry them on paper towels.
Stress Levels
With hectic lifestyles, stress levels are up almost for everybody. It is evident that stress can trigger acne. Stress releases hormones such as cortisol-the stress hormone, which prompts sebaceous glands to increase oil products, and causes inflammation as well. Excess oil causes the clogging of pores, and the same combined with dust and bacteria leads to big inflamed pimples.
So, try to create an efficient strategy to cope up with stress as it will benefit both your mental health and skin. Catch up on your sleep, work-out, meditate, and practice self-care to minimize your stress levels.
What should you never do if you have acne?
People with acne-prone skin are needed to be more careful about the habits mentioned above. Besides that, they should refrain from touching or popping out already existing pimples. You must have noticed the other blister usually occurs next to the pimple you just popped. The bacteria, debris, and oil contained in acne papule, cyst, or pustule get released and spreads, leading to more breakouts.
Moreover, it can leave unwanted scars on your face. Although acne scars can be lightened with various skin med spa treatments, it is wise to prevent them from happening in the very first place.
Refrain from covering your pimples with under eye concealers as those are very oily, which may further aggravate the acne.
Bottom Line
Replace your corrupt practices with the good ones to bring acne under control. In case your acne gets out of control, it is advised to consult your dermatologist for its treatment and control.
If you want to know more about acne treatments, let us help you explore your options. Schedule an appointment for a visit at our Lansing or Mount Pleasant dermatology office, whichever is convenient for you.
Disclaimer
The information contained on safehealthcenter.com is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon for any medical or diagnostic purpose, or for the treatment of any condition or symptom. This information is subject to change without notice and should not be considered current, complete, or exhaustive. You should refrain from relying on such information to recommend a course of treatment for you or any other individual without consulting our experts.