We often get questions from our clients on what might be causing their breakouts. The truth is, there are are so many factors that can trigger acne, that it’s hard to pinpoint one or two that are the ones that may be causing your breakouts. These are 5 that you may not have considered, which involve lifestyle changes that can easily be done and potentially very effective when combined with a good skincare regimen.
1. Makeup
Acne is caused by the clogging of pores from the excess production of oil in the skin, which triggers an inflammatory response. If you regularly cake on heavy foundation, you may be clogging your pores and causing irritation – this creates a perfect breeding ground for zits and blackheads.
If you have to use makeup, look for labels such as “non-comedogenic” and “hypoallergenic”.
2. Overwashing Your Face
This may sound counterintuitive, since you’d think that washing all that gunk off of your face is the best way to get rid of it. What actually happens however, is that the excessive washing will over-irritate the skin. Irritation=zits. Your skin naturally has a protective layer of oils that shields it from environmental pollutants and toxins, and stripping this layer by over washing can cause your oil glands to go into overdrive, actually secreting MORE oil, and increasing the chance of clogged pores.
At Nefaire, we always recommend acne-prone people to wash at most twice a day, and use bare hands when doing so. The fancy electric brushes that buff the skin can easily over irritate your skin, and make breakouts even worse.
3. Dairy
This is a big one that almost makes an immediate impact to people once they cut dairy-based foods out of their diet. Acne is largely an inflammatory disease, and anything that spikes inflammation in the body can make things worse.
Dairy contains many hormones, particularly a hormone similar to insulin called IGF-1, or Insulin-Like Growth Factor. If you’re into working out, you may have heard of IGF-1 as being prevalent in Whey protein, which increases the production of the male hormone Testosterone. Excess Testosterone increases oil production in skin, which means more clogged pores, inflammation, and zits.
We recommend cutting dairy out of your diet for a couple of weeks, such as cheese, milk, and whey protein, and seeing if your acne subsides a bit. Chances are that at the very least, your breakouts least be less red, and you’ll also feel better as well.
4. Sleeping Habits
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter or thrown off your sleep cycle, only to wake up to a blemish? When you don’t sleep enough, or when you don’t sleep regularly, your bodily functions are disrupted, including your metabolism and your hormones. These internal fluctuations can elevate inflammation in the body, which leads to redness and pimples.
If your lifestyle is hectic where you can’t sleep a consistent 7-8 hours a night, we suggest taking up destressing activities that can help counterbalance internal bodily fluctuations, such as meditation or deep breathing.
5. Stress
This one really should come as no surprise, but the reason we included it on this list is because for a long time, stress was thought to have no direct relation to breakouts. Evidence is trickling in that the elevated cortisol levels caused by stress can influence testosterone levels in the body, causing inflammation and increased oil production.
Our number one tip for combatting stress is exercise. Moving your body and sweating things out can help get you out of your head and into a more relaxed state, while simultaneously lowering your body’s cortisol levels.