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Acne: What's Triggering Your Breakouts and How to Cure it

Acne is a skin condition that can affect both men and women. While acne, also known as blackheads, whiteheads, blemishes, pimples, or cysts, is most common during puberty and adolescence if you think that you’ve passed your teens and can now look forward to a pimple-free life, think again. Acne can affect people of all age groups. Blame it on hormonal fluctuations, particularly during puberty and pregnancy, medications containing corticosteroids or oral contraceptive pills, a diet high in carbs or refined sugars, or stress.

Your skin has tiny holes (pores) connected to the oil glands lying under the skin within follicles. These glands are responsible for producing sebum, an oily substance. When these follicles get clogged, it leads to an acne outbreak. Acne occurs more around puberty or during hormonal changes because there is excess oil secretion.

While you are following a good skincare regime, using acne creams and over-the-counter gels to cure acne, you might want to look at your lifestyle and daily habits. Here are some causes that might be triggering your acne.

Touching your Face Frequently

While touching your face may or may not cause acne, it does make it worse. In our daily routine, our hands come into contact with dirt, germs, and bacteria, which are easily transferred onto the face due to constant touching. This habit can trigger breakouts and make acne worse.

How to Cure

Keep your hands off your face. Though you might be tempted to itch or interfere with the affected area, refrain from doing so. Moreover, it’s always good to wash your hands from time to time or keep a sanitizer nearby.

Following an Unhealthy Diet

A balanced diet consisting of essential nutrients and minerals is good for your health and your skin Complexion. Eating carbs, junk food, and not eating on time can all have adverse effects on the skin in the form of acne and breakouts.

How to Cure

While it’s occasionally okay to revel in junk food, try including fruits and vegetables to help regularise your diet. Don't forget to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water daily.

Taking the Stress

A primary reason for acne is stress. When under pressure, the delicate skin produces stress hormones that stimulate oil glands, producing more testosterone, increasing oil production and clogged pores.

How to Cure 

Ensure you spend at least 15 to 20 minutes every day doing yoga or meditation. This will help heal your body and mind, which in turn helps bring down your stress levels.

Not Using the Right Hair Products

The hair products that you use daily, from your shampoo, conditioner to gels, sprays, etc. contain products like silicones, sulfates, and other chemical agents that might be harmful to the skin and trigger pimples.

How to Cure

Try not to let these hair products come in touch with your skin. After using these products, properly clean your face, neck, and chest area and ensure no residue is left behind. Dandruff, too, can be another primary culprit. Hence, make sure that you wash your hair from time to time and comb your hair behind. It also helps to have your hair drawn back so that any product you use on your hair doesn't harm your facial skin too much.

Using the Wrong Skincare Products

Using hygiene products that are not appropriate for your skin type can wreak havoc on your skin. Besides, if you’re someone who changes products quite often, note that this habit can cause a lot of harm to your skin. The ingredients in every new product can aggravate your skin and cause acne and breakouts. Moreover, greasy and oil-based makeup can also cause pimples.

How to Cure

Stick to a specific brand once you’ve found something that suits your skin. Ensure your skin gets to breathe. Avoid always using makeup for curing acne. In case you can’t do without makeup, use water-based products instead. Always choose natural products since chemicals can cause an acne breakout.

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Want to Get Clear Skin? Try These Experts Tips on How to Deal with Acne Breakout

If you suffer from regular acne breakouts, just remember you’re not the only one. Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the world, affecting an estimated 85% of young adults. With that many undergoing acne regularly, it’s no wonder people are constantly searching for the ‘acne treatment’ to get clean and clear skin! Sometimes it’s difficult to know what your skin really needs to be as healthy as possible. 

Tips to Deal with Acne Breakout

1. Wash your Face Twice a Day

If you’re likely to break out or have oily skin, don’t skimp on washing your face as part of your morning and evening skincare routine. Washing your face in the evening removes oil produced during the day, as well as makeup, dirt, and other impurities you have been exposed to. 

2. Use a Mild Cleanser

The aisles at most drugstores are crammed with all sorts of facial cleansers. Trying to figure out which one is best for you can be overwhelming. Dermatologists suggest that those with more severe acne may want to stick with cleansers that contain active ingredients and that options for acne washes are gentle cleansers and micellar water.

If you have oily skin, it's best to kick off your morning skincare routine with a creamy, oil-free cleanser with salicylic acid. A mild cleanser without several ingredients and fragrances can work just as well as more costly options.

3. Apply an Acne-Fighting Agent

Many topical therapies can help combat acne. The key to finding the most powerful one for you is knowing what type of acne you have. Various over-the-counter and prescription medications can zap acne and help stop new breakouts. Using these treatments may dry out your skin, so make sure to use a moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated.

4. Apply a Moisturizer

How does a moisturizer help keep your skin clear? Well, if your skin is dry and dehydrated, it may try to compensate for the dryness by overproducing oil. The result? Breakouts. Like moisturizers, cleansers don’t have to be expensive or filled with rich ingredients. More importantly, look for a non-comedogenic moisturizer. This means it won’t clog your pores.

5. Exfoliate

Exfoliation can help remove excess oil and dead skin cells. If these cells linger on your skin for too long, they can clog your pores and cause breakouts. Having an accumulation of dead cells on your face may make your skin look dull, flaky, or early aged.

For chemical exfoliants, like lotions or masks, aim for once or twice a week. For physical exfoliants, like brushes or scrubs, aim for three or four times a week. Begin with some exfoliating sessions and work your way up to prevent over-exfoliating.

6. Get Plenty of Sleep.

Not getting enough sleep may also make your skin break out more often. The studies revealed that a lack of sleep could, in some cases, cause the body to release inflammatory compounds. These compounds could cause the skin to break out or even worsen acne. To stay well both inside and out, try for seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night.

7. Choose Makeup that Won’t Clog your Pores

People who use cosmetics seem to be more prone to have acne and skin breakouts. To ensure your makeup routine is skin-friendly, be certain to:

Use products labeled oil-free or non-comedogenic

Always wash your hands before applying skincare products or makeup.

Wash makeup brushes and sponges every week.

Always remove your makeup before exercising or going to sleep.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to healthy and clear skin, pay attention to what you apply on your face — like cleansers, moisturizers, and makeup — and what you don’t — like undesired bacteria from your fingers or dirty sponges and brushes.

Focusing on some lifestyle factors, like a healthy diet, quality sleep, and stress management, can also make a difference to your skin. If you’ve tried various treatments for your acne and nothing works, make an appointment with a dermatologist. They may prescribe treatments like prescription medications or antibiotics to help clear your skin.