Seven surprising things that could be causing your acne
Acne is miserable. It’s painful, makes you feel very self-conscious, and once it flares up, it can be pretty hard to get rid of.
If you’ve ever been plagued by acne, then you’ll know how miserable it can be. You never know when you’ll get your next spot. The good news though, is that while acne can be hereditary, it’s also partly caused (or exacerbated) by the lifestyle choices we make.
This means that there are positive actions we can take to prevent acne break outs. This can include using products like skincare by misumi to help get rid of closed comedones.
To help you identify possible preventable reasons for your acne, the skincare experts at London Premier Laser Clinics have identified seven surprising things that could be causing it.
1) Your makeup
Some makeup products include ingredients that really aren’t kind to your skin. And, if you’ve got acne prone skin, your face won’t thank you if you slather it with products containing harmful nasties.
Take Lanolin as an example. Lanolin can be great for dry skin, but it’s not great for oily, acne prone skin. Another nasty is the otherwise harmless petroleum, which is basically oil, and you don’t need more oil if you have an oily skin type.
Also keep a watchful eye for artificial colours and fragrance. They’re harsh, unnatural and will potentially cause breakouts.
2) Your toner
A common mistake made by many acne sufferers is to slap on the toner in the mistaken belief that it will calm down any oiliness and ‘dry out’ your spots.
But it won’t. Instead it will irritate your skin and cause too much dryness, which in turn will cause an imbalance in your skin and cause more pimples. The best tip is to splash your face with cold water to close your pores after you’ve cleansed your face.
3) Dirty hands
Touching your face with dirty hands could be one of the biggest causes of your breakouts.
Your hands are touching things continuously, and so unless you regularly clean them with soap or hand sanitiser, they can be covered with germs.
We regularly touch our face unknowingly, so it can be difficult to curb this habit. But if you want to help prevent breakouts, try to keep your hands clean by carrying a hand gel with you and using it regularly.
4) Stress
When we’re stressed, our bodies produce hormones which make acne worse. It’s hard to keep a handle on stress when you’re actually in a difficult situation or are working hard, but introducing some relaxation techniques to your life could help you to lower your stress levels and reduce your acne.
5) Dirty sheets
Your sheets and pillowcases are teeming with dirt and bacteria so, if you want to to keep your skin clean and free from germs, its important to wash them regularly. Also, buy products made from natural fibres.
Bed linen is a haven for germs, and your face is lying on your pillow case for up to eight hours a night. So dirty bed linen won’t help your acne.
If you don’t want change your sheets regularly, at least change your pillow cases two or three times a week to protect your skin.
6) Your hair products
Many shampoos and conditioners are full of oils, plasticisers and silicones – all of which can clog up your pores. And, as your hair is on your face and your pillow regularly, these products transfer themselves to your skin.
To avoid your hair products contributing to your acne, try to use organic, natural hair products where possible.
7) Dirty makeup brushes
Dirty makeup brushes can easily be a cause of break outs without you realising. It may be a hassle but, if you have acne-prone skin, then ideally you’ll wash your makeup brushes every week.
Like your hands and bed sheets, your brushes are teeming with germs – all of which you’re liberally applying to your face every time you use them. If you could see what’s living on your bushes you’d think twice about using them!
Suffering with Acne? Find out how London Premier Laser Clinics can help.
Photo by Scott Webb
