This article has been syndicated from ExtraExtravagant, an InfluenceHer Collective Member. Read the full post here.
In my younger years, even throughout high school, I had beautiful, clear skin. Then, one day, that all changed dramatically. I don’t remember if there was anything going on in my life at the time that could’ve contributed to the decline in my skin health, but I started breaking out like crazy.
To this day, I never fully recovered, not even when I was on hormonal birth control, which clears up some women’s skin. But throughout the years, I’ve read and even experienced for myself seemingly harmless habits that can cause your skin to break out. Whether it’s picking and popping or unhealthy diet, there are so many factors that you may not realize are causing your breakouts. Here are just a few of the top unsuspecting reasons for your sudden acne:
Everyday objects
Think about the things that come into contact with your face on a daily basis: your cell phone, pillow, hair and more. Imagine how much bacteria is on your cell phone from all that use, then imagine all of that being put on your face when you talk on the phone (yikes). Additionally, if your hair is like mine and gets greasy quickly throughout the day, then it’s best to keep it out of your face, i.e., avoid having bangs. Greasy hair on the face equals greasy face, which also equals breakouts. Basic math, right? Along the same lines, change your pillowcases frequently because it’s not just greasy hair that dirties pillowcases, and bacteria-ridden pillowcases plus face also equals breakouts.
Skin (over) care
Overzealous skincare might actually be one of the reasons my face ended up betraying me. I started exploring more beauty brands and trying more skincare products a while back, the same period of time when alcohol in skincare products was super in-vogue. What I suspect happened was that using too many alcohol-based products stripped away the important oils in my skin and seriously dried it out, causing irreparable damage that I’m still suffering to this day. Of course, that’s just a theory, but experts do suggest staying away from alcohol-based products and use, for example, witch hazel instead.
Skin (under) care
I feel like this is something people more so do out of laziness. At least, that’s why I do it. You get home late, especially after a night out, hear your comfy bed calling your name, and just think, “f*ck it.” For me, I always feel like one night won’t hurt, but it actually does. Makeup and your skin’s natural sebum (or your natural oils) can clog pores, and clogged pores tend to turn into breakouts — especially when left to their own devices overnight. Similarly, don’t skip washing your face in the morning either because your skin still produces oil while you sleep, even after you wash it before bed. An easy alternative to days and nights when you just can’t is to leave a pack of face cleansing wipes next to your bed. It’s not a recommended long-term solution, but it’s at least something.
Post-workout skin
I used to do this all the time until I found out that it’s really, really bad for your skin, not just your face but the entire rest of your body as well. It’s along the same lines as not washing your face before and after bed — your body’s own secretions can stab you in the back. Excess oils and sweat from working out can settle in your skin and clog your pores, and as we’ve learned before, that’s not a fun time for your pores, so once again, it’s cleansing wipes to the rescue! I always have a pack of them in my gym bag so that I can kind of clean my face after toweling off the sweat. That removes the excess oils and sweat and dirt temporarily until I hop in the shower or wash my face for realsies.
Read the full post here.