Are You Making Your Acne Worse?

Acne breakouts can be unpredictable to skin, frustrating, embarrassing, and cause confidence levels to decrease in people. With triggers such as genetics, stress, and hormones, acne is the most frequently diagnosed condition by dermatologists and affects nearly 85% of people at some point in their lives. Whether you are an adult or teen struggling with acne, the psychological impact can be significant. Fortunately, while not curable, acne is treatable and controllable.

You may think you're doing everything you can to treat your acne and breakouts. Your acne gets better and then all of a sudden it takes a turn for the worse. What is going on? Well, little daily things you may be doing can add up to make it worse. Are you partaking in any of these 9 habits that could be making your acne worse?

Over Washing Your Face

One of the biggest myths is…my face is dirty, so that's why I'm getting acne. Over cleansing or scrubbing your skin may cause it to increase oil production to combat dryness. When you do this, you are stripping your skin's lipid barrier of essential oils, making it weaker and allowing your skin to lose water and lead to more pimples. Some products, especially those used to treat acne, can be harsh on skin if used improperly. Washing your face using gentle motions 1-2 times a day is sufficient. Make sure to stick to lukewarm water temperatures when washing your face with a foam-free cleanser. Several other important tips to follow when washing your face to avoid breakouts:

• Don't use a dirty washcloth when you wash your face. Bacteria can easily build up on it. Use a clean washcloth each time.
• Always wash your hands first. If your hands are dirty when you wash your face, you end up rubbing more oil and bacteria into your skin, which can lead to pimples and breakouts.
• When using an acne cleanser, make sure to rinse your face well so that no cleanser residue stays on your skin, causing breakouts.

Over Exfoliating Your Skin

Dead cells can really stand in the way of how well ingredients are able to penetrate your skin. Exfoliation allows other products to be absorbed better. Think of the surface of the epidermis and those dead skin cells on it as a barrier. You have to remove those dead cells for products to get in. If you have blackheads or acne, it unclogs pores. Skincare products can work better in treating your acne if there isn't dead skin in the way.

However, exfoliating more than 2-3 times a week can have the same effect as over washing, but even worse when it comes to acne. Physical exfoliators can burst whiteheads if you aren't careful, causing bacteria to spread on your face. Any exfoliator, if used too aggressively, can cause irritation to already sensitive skin, causing acne to take longer than normal to heal. Over exfoliation can strip away your lipid barrier, making skin more susceptible to irritation and bacterial infection.

You Give Up on Your Acne Products Too Soon

Skincare results are a lot like weight loss. You don't get the best results unless you're willing to be patient after consistent effort for at least 60 days. This is especially true when you're dealing with acne and breakouts. Patience and consistency are key. It can sometimes take at least 8 weeks to see real results, so give products time to deliver their benefits. Everyone wants clear skin yesterday, but there really is no magic potion that works immediately. Acne treatments take weeks to start kicking in. To make matters worse when it comes to acne, it usually tends to make skin look worse before it looks better. If you notice your breakouts are getting worse with a new product, that probably means it's working. Your skin is purging all of those breakouts that haven't come to the surface of your skin yet. However, if your skin doesn't see a slight improvement after 4-6 weeks, then it's time to move on. You may need to see a dermatologist or start using other skincare products that deliver results for your skin.

Product Overload

More zit cream is not necessarily better. Some ingredients can be very irritating to skin. You may need less than you think. One small pea-sized amount is all you need to cover your entire face. Also, if you use an anti-frizz product, thickening gel, or pomade on your hair, make sure to apply it away from your forehead. Otherwise, you can get a line of acne right at your hair line.

Don't overload your skin with anti-aging or anti-acne products. Too much of a good thing can sometimes be bad for you. Introduce skincare products to your skin gradually for best results. You're better off using just one product to fight a pimple rather than creating your own concoction using multiple products. Unfortunately, not every acne treatment and ingredients will work for everybody. Take note of what does and doesn't work for you. Don't waste your time and money trying different products that have the same active ingredients known to not work on your individual skin.

You Skip Moisturizer

No matter how oily your skin is, or how badly you want to dry out those pesky zits, never skip moisturizer. Moisturizing is such an important step in your routine, especially when it comes to acne. Normal, dry, oily, and combination skin all require hydration. The key is to select a product developed with your skin type in mind. Moisturizers for complexions that are oily or prone to breakouts should be more light weight and oil-free. Acne treatments will dry out skin in addition to pimples, and your skin needs hydration. Also, since many acne treatments contain ingredients that make skin sensitive to the sun, always wear sunscreen while on an acne regimen.

Your Cell Phone is Dirty

Sanitize your phone often with rubbing alcohol or alcohol wipes. It's a magnet for microbes that can cause breakouts on your face. Your face produces oil and sweat, which gets onto your phone when you're on a call. If you don't clean that off, during your next call you're pushing it back into your skin, along with any bacteria that may be present. Pressure from holding your phone against your cheek can also cause breakouts by irritating your skin.

You Pick and Pop Pimples

Picking at and popping pimples is the quickest way to spread bacteria and cause scarring. Popping or squeezing pimples and blackheads can rupture the pore follicle and spread an infection, potentially turning the pimple into a cyst or creating more in the surrounding area. So, don't do it! But if you must, go see a skincare professional and have him or her pop them the correct and sterile way so no scarring occurs.

You Eat Too Much Sugar or Processed Foods

Sugary and processed foods such as white breads, white pasta, potato chips, cookies, and cakes may be linked to acne. Sugar is a known culprit of inflammation. Inflammation causes premature aging, dullness, and acne. Too much sugar can dehydrate skin. It causes a degradation process that can damage proteins, including collagen, and damaged collagen makes skin appear more lackluster and dewy. While it's okay to eat natural sugar in moderation, it’s best to greatly limit your consumption of it. Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories. Skin is an end organ of what you put into your body and poor diet choices can show. By keeping excess sugars out of your diet, you can enjoy the best beauty gift of all, smoother, more pimple-free skin.

Watch Your Dairy and Soy Intake

Some studies have linked dairy products to acne, but this has not been proven. However, switching to soy may not be so wise either. Watch out for the dangers of soy. While a little bit of soy here and there isn't harmful to your skin, too much of it can be a problem. Soy contains isoflavones that can mimic estrogens and worsen breakouts. Excessive amounts of soy can influence the body's production of estrogen. When soy is the cause of breakouts, you're likely to see large, nodular-like pimples on the bottom part of your face, often along your jawline, on your chin, or around your mouth. So, if you are prone to acne breakouts, you may want to remove dairy and soy from your diet one at a time to see if your skin improves.

So here are just 9 things above that could be making your acne worse. Other things to consider are the following:

• Vitamin D deficiency
• Metals in your shower or bath water
• Lack of sleep
• Wearing thick foundation
• Not cleaning your makeup brushes and tools every 1-2 weeks
• Using chemical-based sunscreens instead of physical sunscreens (i.e. titanium dioxide and zinc oxide)