Why Do I Break Out?

Pimples suck! Yes I know! Even if your boyfriend is trying to convince you of otherwise, they wreck havoc on your life, hurt, and stop your makeup from looking smooth. Yet, no matter how hard you work to take good care of your skin—and despite the fact that you’re no longer going through puberty—the reality is that you’re likely to find one or more of these hot red numbers gracing your face in the not-so-distant future.

Why? Does this happen to me! Especially when you think, you finally got it under control. But, there are a whole slew of factors you may never have thought to address. So, to give you a better idea of what you’re battling, I’ve listed some of the most overlooked reasons.

• You’re eating spicy foods or foods that you maybe allergic to. Spicy foods often contain tomatoes and peppers, which contain acidic lycopene that can be an irritant to some people, throwing off their skin’s pH levels and triggering breakouts. However, it isn’t just spicy foods that can irritate your skin. Some people have an aversion to dairy, bread, sugar, sodium or other types of foods — how your skin reacts to what you eat just depends on your own personal make-up.  What you can do: Take a break from eating spicy foods or whatever you’ve been eating a lot of that you think could be contributing to your acne for a month to see if that’s the cause of your issue. Eliminate!
• You’re using products that contain pore-clogging ingredients.  There are tons of pore-clogging ingredients found in skin care products and your make-up. Some of them are: Mineral oil is a super-heavy moisturizing agent found in some lotions, but it’s also known to clog your pores and break you out. Silicones in skin care and cosmetics are also another ingredient on the list to watch out for that can clog your pores. We give you a list of pore clogging ingredients when you come in for your first Acne Boot Camp Treatment. What you can do: Make sure all the skin care products you’re using are labeled “non-comedogenic,” which means your makeup or skin care has been specifically formulated not to clog your pores. That said, even if the product is labeled”non-comedogenic,”  and your breakouts continue to get worse, you could be allergic to another ingredient in the product that is causing your issues, or there are pore clogging ingredients that are not listed. (That is possible now a days).

• You’re a picker. Picking and putting your dirty hands in your face can cause the spread of bacteria and germs. Pimples are filled with bacteria, if you touch them or pick them and then touch other areas of your face, you will spread the bacteria causing more break outs. What you can do: Instead of touching and picking your pimples, ice them, and leave them alone. Ice helps to take down any inflammation you may have, and the cold sensation will remind you not to touch your face.
• Your hair products are wreaking havoc on your skin. The sulfates (cleansing agents), heavy moisturizing agents, and silicones that your shampoo, conditioner, and stylers contain can seep into your pores, clogging them and resulting in chest acne, bacne, or pesky pimples along your hairline. Hair products also contain pore clogging ingredients. What you can do: When washing and conditioning your hair in the shower, tilt your head over to the side to keep the product’s residue off your face, chest, and back as you rinse it away. And be sure to wash your face last when you’re in the shower to make sure you haven’t accidentally gotten any product on your skin that could break you out later. Also try to use non-comedogenic products and/or natural hair products.
• You smoke. Every time you light up a cigarette, you decrease the amount of oxygen that goes to your face. This not only predisposes you to cancer, and causes the breakdown of collagen and elastin that leads to wrinkles and increased pore size, but the carcinogens in the smoke also irritates your skin and dries it out, triggering your skin to produce more oil and possibly more breakouts. You smoke Marijuana? That’s a different blog post, coming soon 🙂 What you can do: Don’t smoke. It’s as simple as that.
• You’re not getting enough sleep. Sleep is so important, to your overall health, it’s insane.Getting a solid eight hours doesn’t just help with your focus and attention, it’s also imperative when it comes to healing and rejuvenating your body, as well as, keeping your skin in shape. Not getting enough sleep can cause your glands to overproduce oil, which can lead to acne only getting worse.  What you can do: Allow your body to heal and rejuvenate itself daily. Try to go to bed no latter than 10:00pm for 30 days. After 30 days most tasks become a habit.
• Your pillowcase is the problem. You might not know this, but you should be changing your pillowcases every few days to get rid of the day-to-day dirt, grease, and bacteria that rub off on them while you’re sleeping. What you can do:Clean your pillowcases with fragrance-free detergent and do not use any fabric softener. Silk pillowcases are great because germs can’t grow on them.
• Stressed out? Go ahead and add acne to the list of shitty side effects of being stressed out. Do you know why? Stress causes the release of cortisol, in turn stimulating glands in your skin to work overtime and mess up your pretty face. What you can do: Any thing that helps you release stress: yoga, running, exercise, dancing, hang out with friends, meditation.