Everyday Habits That Could Be Giving You Acne  

Most people are aware of the common triggers of acne like diet, genes, hormones, bacteria, excessive oil production, etc. While these still hold true, there are also some sneaky everyday habits that could be causing you to breakout. If you have been wondering what is causing your acne, read this list to find out if any of these factors could be the culprit.

1. Using the same linen

Your pillowcase and towel have a lot of dead skin cells and bacteria on them. If you don’t change them often, they could be causing your acne, since your face rests on your pillowcase for eight hours every night and you use your napkins and towels to dry yourself every day. Try to wash your towel after every alternate use and change your pillow case two or three times a week.

2. Not cleaning your cell phone

Your cell phone collects tons of germs and bacteria, from your hands when you text, from your mouth when you’re on a call, and from other surfaces that you leave it on when you’re not using it. When you press it against your face, all of these germs and bacteria get transferred to your face, causing you to breakout. To keep your phone clean, wipe it down with a cleansing wipe every day.

 
3. Wearing the wrong fabrics

Fabrics like cotton tend to breathe and allow the circulation of air against your skin. Fabrics like polyester, spandex and lycra on the other hand trap your dead skin cells and sweat, keeping them close to your body and not letting them escape. Your body sheds approximately a million dead skin cells every 40 minutes, so having bacteria and dead cells close to your skin for the rest of the day can cause breakouts of acne.

4. Spending too long in the sun

The UV rays in sunlight can also damage your skin and cause acne. It is imperative that you apply sunscreen every day and shield your skin from the rays as much as possible.

5. Drinking too much coffee

You may love the kick of caffeine that keeps your system alert and awake, but this same kick could also be causing your acne. Caffeine causes your system to go into overdrive, and your skin is not excluded from this effect. It starts to produce more sebum, resulting in more acne.

6. Applying perfume or cologne

As innocuous as it seems, applying perfume or cologne can also cause acne. This is because the spray can come in contact with your face, and the chemicals affect your skin. To avoid this, spray it on your wrists, as far away from your face as possible, and rub your wrists against your neck rather than spraying perfume there directly.

7. Washing your face too often 

You would think that washing your face often would keep it clean and free of acne, but the opposite is true. You should wash your face twice a day, but not more than that, because soaps and cleansers strip your face of its essential oils, causing dryness and irritation that aggravate acne.

8. Scrubbing your skin

Again, most people think that scrubbing their skin with facial scrubs helps get rid of acne, but it’s the other way around. Scrubs actually damage your skin more than they help it, so if you must use one then make a gentle cleanser at home and use it only when necessary.

9. Not washing your hair regularly

Your hair touches your face several times a day, so having dirty and unclean hair can also cause acne. Try to wash your hair every day or every other day so that it is clean and hygienic. Make it a point to rinse out the shampoo and conditioner thoroughly so that none of them remain in your hair.

10. Drying your face too much

Using harsh cleansers or alcohol based toners to dry out your skin or not moisturizing it enough can cause acne, since your skin tends to produce extra sebum to compensate for the dryness. Instead, use gentle cleansers and moisturizers that are meant for acne prone skin.

11. Keeping things against your skin

Resting your face on your hand or any other surface not only exposes it to tons of bacteria but also causes pressure on your skin, which can lead to acne. Avoid touching your skin and don’t rest your face against doors, windows or any other surfaces.

12. Taking certain medications

Some medications and steroids can cause acne, so be sure to consult your doctor about the pills you are taking. Birth control pills especially are known to trigger breakouts, so talk to your gynaecologist about switching to another method of contraception.

13. Taking too many vitamins

Vitamins are healthy, but if you take too many of them then they can be bad for your skin. Instead of relying on synthetic vitamins to meet your nutritional needs, step up your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables so that you improve your vitamin intake naturally.

14. Using certain makeup products

Clogging your pores with makeup is a bad idea to begin with, so try to avoid it as much as possible. If you are going to use makeup, try to use products that don’t contain any of the following ingredients, since they tend to exacerbate acne:

• Artificial colours
• Fragrances
• Glycerine
• Lanolin
• Mineral oil
• Petroleum
• Isopropyl Myristate.

15. Using certain hair products

The chemicals in makeup products aren’t the only ones that affect your skin. Hair products get transferred to your skin when the strands touch your face, but they also get transferred to your pillow case and come into contact with your skin that way. When you buy hair products, try to avoid the following ingredients:

• Oil.
• Silicone.
• Plasticisers.






source:healthmeup.com