Let's be real: there are many of us who suffer from some form of acne, whether it be mild or moderate. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 50 million Americans suffer from acne annually. There are a lot of factors that can impact your propensity for acne such as diet, climate, hormones, and your skincare habits. Here are some skincare tips that can be simple, yet effective to implement into your routine to minimize your breakouts:
Cleanse your face twice a day and after sweating. Perspiration can make acne worse, so wash your face as soon as possible after rigorous exercise!
Be gentle. Opt to use your fingertips or a silicone face scrubber rather than using a washcloth, mesh sponge, or anything else that can irritate the skin. Not to mention that washcloths and other types of sponges can actually be a bacterial breeding ground and can make matters worse for your acne.
Avoid products with irritating ingredients. Use gentle products, such as those that are alcohol-free and paraben free.
Rinse with lukewarm water. Although it's tempting to use hot water while we shower, rinsing your skin with lukewarm water will provide less agitation. Hot water can damage your skin's cells, and cause your skin to dry out. Dry skin equals irritated skin, which means your acne is more likely to flare up!
Shampoo regularly. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily. The oil from your hair or from haircare products you may use can block the pores, which can lead to acne.
Let your skin heal naturally. If you pick, pop, or squeeze your acne, your skin will take longer to clear and you increase the risk of getting acne scars. However, if you must pop a pimple, be sure to clean your hands and face, and apply a pimple patch after you've squeezed it to reduce the pimple's size as well as minimize risk of infection.
Keep your hands off your face. Touching your skin throughout the day can cause flare-ups. Be sure to also disinfect anything that may be in contact with your skin (like your phone or your cloth face masks)!
Want more tips on how to have clear skin? Check out this blog post!
4 comments
I must admit I forget to wash my face after sweating and I always find myself constantly touching my face. I will for sure start washing my face more regularly. I have always had a bad habit of forgetting to wash my face even once a day and I would only wash it religiously once I would notice a pimple or two then go back to my usual bad routine once it’s gone.
I am definitely a repeat offender when it comes to not washing my face after sweating. I always was taught that we need to wash our face in the morning and at night because too much of face washing will lead to skin problems but little did I know that you need to wash it as much as possible! Now that I know I will take more consideration into washing my face after having a workout session.
I always begun my face washing process with super hot water & then end it with cold water. I had no idea how damaging hot water could be! Now i will wash with lukewarm water instead, yikes lol.
I’ve always (life before ilikope) used to be the type to scrub my face super harshly and use super hot water in hopes I’d be pretty much melt off any oil. But after reading blogs & watching videos since I’ve joined the team I’ve been more aware of scrubbing my face gently & using lukewarm water. So appreciative :)