We’ve all dealt with acne at some point in our lives, some of us more than others. I, for one, have struggled with acne since the 5th grade and maintaining clear skin has been a difficult journey up until a few years ago.
The amount of money I have spent on skincare over the years is truly astonishing — but I realized all that spending money isn’t entirely necessary and skincare products aren’t the only solution out there. That being said, here are some easy diet and hygiene tweeks that, in conjunction with my skincare routine, that helped me achieve clearer and healthier skin!
1. Stop touching your face.
We touch countless objects every day, therefore we touch countless amounts of bacteria and dirt every day. When we put our hands on our faces all those germs get transferred to our pores and a few days later we get acne. The same goes for picking at blemishes — the dirt in your fingernails will make the acne so much worse and cause tons of irritation. So please refrain from touching your face unless you’ve washed your hands. It’s the easiest tip and it really helps!
2. Drink more water.
You’ve probably heard this thousands of times, but seriously, drinking more water is very beneficial to the skin. I used to be an avid juice drinker, which is fine occasionally, but all that sugar isn’t good for acne nor does it hydrate the skin like water does.
A WebMD article mentions that when you consume lots of sugar, causing your insulin levels to rise, it increases the production of oils as well as pore-clogging cells. Additionally, drinking more water increases blood flow to the skin. The more hydrated your skin is the happier it will be.
3. Don’t sleep with your makeup on.
I cannot stress enough the importance of removing your makeup before bed. When we sleep our skin renews itself, and if we don’t wash the day away it prevents our skin from doing that. The makeup and dirt will clog our pores, and eventually cause acne or blackheads that are a pain to get rid of. So I advise that no matter how tired you are, make it a point to at least use a makeup wipe if you can’t wash your face! When I committed to going to sleep with a clean face, it made a huge difference for my skin.
4. Eat more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods.
It’s okay to eat french fries and ice cream in moderation but try to incorporate more whole foods with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties into your diet. According to Healthline, antioxidants are great for acne because they fight toxins in the body, meanwhile anti-inflammatory foods help reduce any inflammation that’s causing acne. Some of these foods include berries, leafy greens, carrots, green tea, nuts, salmon and sweet potatoes. Turmeric is great for preventing inflammation as well. Your skin (and your body) will thank you!
5. Change your pillowcases.
This last tip isn’t talked about as often as it should be but changing my pillowcase 1-2 times a week was really helpful. Our pillowcases absorb any dirt or oil that’s in our hair or on our faces every night and it’s not obvious at all. It’s not like the oil and dirt are visible on the pillowcases, so it’s easy to go long periods of time without noticing and changing them.
I definitely believe that changing my pillowcase routinely has made a difference because I’m not resting my cheek on something that’s full of dirt every night, when sleep is supposed to be helping my skin. If you can’t change the actual pillowcase very often, try putting any clean t-shirt over your pillow or flip the pillow to the opposite side that you didn’t sleep on yet!
Remember, with or without acne you are beautiful either way! But, if you find yourself struggling like I was definitely give these tips a try, it can’t hurt! They are so easy to incorporate into a daily routine and can make your skincare journey a little easier.