As someone who has had oily, acne-prone skin my entire life, I’ve definitely done a lot of trial and error when it comes to figuring out what causes my breakouts and what I can do to reduce the chances of my face erupting into tiny, aggravating bumps. I’ve tried tons of products, some that worked and some that didn’t, but I’ve also learned that sometimes it’s little things that I’m doing (or not doing) that really effect my chances of developing a pimple. Here are six simple things you can do to help reduce your chances of breaking out.
ALWAYS TAKE OFF YOUR MAKEUP
I know it can be tedious, especially
when you’re tired and just want to go to bed but making sure you always remove
your makeup is important if you want to avoid breakouts. After a long day your
makeup can mix with any dirt and oils on your skin and clog your pores, causing
blackheads and pimples. By removing your makeup, you allow your skin to breathe
easier, which is important as it regenerates throughout the night. Taking off
all that residue will definitely help you cut down on breakouts.
CLEANSE YOUR FACE MORNING & NIGHT
Most people realize how important it
is to cleanse their skin before going to bed to make sure all the oils, dirt
and pollution that their face has been exposed to are washed away. It’s kind of
common sense but it also just feels refreshing to wash your day away before
jumping into bed. But some people do not do a full cleanse in the morning. Personally,
I have oily skin and my face tends to sweat even in my sleep, so I know it’s
important to cleanse that all away in the morning before going through my skincare
routine. It wouldn’t make sense to layer more products over the oils and sweat
that have built up on my face overnight, nor would it make sense to put makeup
over the top of them. I like to start my morning with a fresh base to avoid trapping
any germs or bacteria under my makeup. I know some people have a drier skin
type and avoid cleansing in the mornings for that reason, but if you’ve been
experiencing breakouts, I’d highly recommend trying it and seeing if it makes a
difference. You can always use a gentler or more hydrating cleanser to suit
your skin. But cleansing both morning and night can go a long way towards
reducing the prevalence of breakouts.
WASH YOUR PILLOWCASES REGULARLY
Like I said, people do sweat in their
sleep. And oftentimes that sweat goes straight onto your pillowcase. Not only
that but the products you use in your hair and the oils that build up on it
also get up close and personal with your pillowcase. When
you rest your face on your pillowcase day in and day out, you can end up
putting your skin into close quarters with lots of oils and grime that could
cause breakouts without you realizing. Whenever I start to develop breakouts,
the first thing I do is always change my pillowcase. I tend to change mine at least once a week but depending on your skin you might want to change it even more frequently.
KEEP YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES CLEAN
I know it’s annoying and can be time consuming
but washing your makeup brushes can also really cut down your chances of experiencing
a breakout. Think about it. You don’t want bacteria from old makeup building up
on your skin, so why would you put dirty makeup brushes covered in old makeup
on your face? It might seem innocent enough to reuse dirty brushes but when you
really think about what could be built up on your them, it’s just not very hygienic.
Making sure you clean and disinfect your brushes and sponges will ensure that
there’s less bacteria making its way into your makeup pans and onto your skin,
and therefore reduce your chances of developing a blemish.
DISINFECT YOUR PHONE
Are you starting to see a trend here?
Essentially, cleaning the things that come into close contact with your skin on
a regular basis can really help you stop breakouts before they start. People sometimes
forget how often they touch their phones, swiping and typing and leaving oils
and bacteria on their screens. When you press your ear against your phone
all those germs go right onto your face, raising your risk of developing an
annoying little breakout along your cheek or jaw. Wiping down your phone
regularly with a disinfecting wipe can just further help reduce your chances of
breaking out.
AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE
When I was younger I had a horrible habit
of sitting with my jaw resting on my hand while in class. I’d sit like that for
hours at a time and sure enough would constantly break out on my chin and jaw.
That’s because I was putting germs from anything I had touched onto my face
without even thinking about it. Over time I trained myself not to sit like that
but whenever I’m anxious or working on something I sometimes find that it happens
without me really thinking about it. And usually, when it does happen, I find
that I’ve developed a blemish in that spot. So, if you tend to sit with your chin
resting on your fist or find that you touch your face a lot throughout the day,
you might be causing more breakouts without being aware of it. Try to be more conscious
of how much you touch your face because avoiding it can really help cut down on
the bacteria that’s ending up on your skin.
I know some of these tips might seem obvious
or like they wouldn't make much of a difference, but sometimes it’s not so much about what you put on
your skin as what you don’t. Making sure that your skin is cleansed and that
the things you put in direct contact with your face are clean will really cut
down on the blemish-causing bacteria that’s creating all the problems. Sure,
you can buy tons of creams and gels that will help shrink your pimples or make
them a little less red and angry, but why not try to avoid causing them in the
first place.
If you have hormonal acne, a lot of your breakouts have nothing to
do with outside aggressors and everything to do with your body’s chemistry, but
you could still possibly be causing other blemishes in the ways mentioned
above. In my battle with acne I’ve learned that every little bit helps, and
these simple changes have helped with reducing the frequency and severity of my
breakouts. These tips might be things you already do, but if not, these six habits
are just a few simple ways to help cut down your chances of developing breakouts.
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