If you have never experienced acne even once in your life, I have one question to ask you—how does it feel to be god’s favourite? I’ve dealt with my fair share of acne, and I’ve had more than enough of those little angry red suckers for one lifetime. I’ve had acne for almost more than a decade, and after two rounds of Isotretinoin and building a good skincare routine, finally, my skin has started to clear up. To keep my skin clear, I tend to make the best efforts I can. That’s why I do a lot of research on what I can do to keep my skin in the best shape. A while ago, I came across Dr Dray‘s YouTube video, which talked about a few probable reasons why people break out. To my surprise, these reasons resonated with me strongly, and that’s why I thought I should share them with you:
1. You’re Using Too Many Products At Once
When you’re using too many products at once, your skin can get overwhelmed, which can be a reason for acne to show up. Especially if your skincare products have active ingredients in them. Most people are not aware that certain skincare ingredients should never be mixed because they can cancel the effect of the other. For example, did you know that vitamin C and AHAs should not be used together? It’s because they can irritate your skin and cause a bad reaction (AKA acne). So keep your skincare routine to the minimum.
2. Your Products Contain Fragrance
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, fragrances do not belong in your skincare routine! Artificial fragrance and even essential oils for that matter, can irritate your skin and in worst cases cause acne. If you continue using products with fragrances in the long term, you can develop a sensitivity to them. So stick to simple products without any fragrances (including essential oils).
3. Your Skin Gets Triggered By Hair Care Products
While washing hair, it’s possible that some of your hair products may linger on your skin and cause an issue later on. So discontinue using your hair products for a while and pay attention to how your skin feels.
4. Dirty Makeup Brushes
This one is probably a no-brainer, dirty makeup brushes = breakouts. Makeup brushes that haven’t been washed for a while can host a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. So when you use these dirty makeup brushes, again and again, your pores can get clogged, which will lead to more acne.
5. Forgetting To Remove Makeup
It can be tempting to go to bed without removing your makeup after a long day but for the sake of your skin, don’t ever do this! Leaving on your makeup can clog your pores and irritate your skin, it’s one of the most common reasons for acne. So if you’re serious about taking care of your skin, always remember to take off your makeup before sleeping. (Double cleansing FTW!)
6. Washing Your Face Too Frequently
Overwashing your skin is as bad as not washing it at all. When you wash your face too often, you not only strip away your skin’s natural oils, but you trick your skin into producing even more oil. Hence, you should only wash your face once in the morning and once at night.
7. You’re Using Drying Products
Contrary to popular belief, people with oily skin need moisturiser! As someone with oily skin, I always thought that products that made my skin dry were good for me. However, these harsh products ended up, giving me more acne. That’s because my skin was tricked into producing more oil to compensate for the sebum that got dried out. So in conclusion—use gentle skincare products.
8. Excessive Use Of Face Scrubs
IMHO, face scrubs are the devil, especially if you have acne. Harsh physical face scrubs can cause abrasion and micro-tears in your skin. This will further irritate your skin and cause more acne. So if you want to exfoliate without harming your skin, try chemical exfoliators.
9. You’re Popping Pimples
As tempting as it may be, keep your hands away from your pimples. When you touch a pimple with your bare hands, you expose that piece of skin to a lot of bacteria and germs. And when you pop a pimple, you turn your skin into a breeding ground for bacteria which will cause more acne. So long story short, keep your hands away from your face.
10. You’re Not Showering Post-Workout
Sweat can irritate your skin and attract bacteria, so make sure you have a shower immediately after your workout.
Here’s Dr Dray’s video if you missed it:
Follow @missmalinibeauty on Instagram for more updates.