Acne does not discriminate against age or gender.  It also has no manners.  It does not care if you have a date or a presentation.  It will shamelessly show up and makes itself known despite your opposition.  Because acne is such a nuisance, there are specific doctors and whole brands of beauty and hygiene products dedicated to removing it from your life.  To many’s dismay, sometimes, it seems like acne does not go away despite all efforts and products used.  People tend to think that the solution to acne begins and ends with washing one’s face, but they are wrong.  It is important to start by looking at the sources of the breakouts.  There are many things people do not realize are the source to why they are breaking out.

Your Diet

The phrase “Put good in and get good out” is extremely applicable to one’s skin.  Many people do not realize that when one eats poorly, it will poorly affect one’s skin.  Besides hormones, that is why many teens struggle with acne.  It is because many teenagers have a diet filled with greasy food and sugary drinks.  Dr. Rachel Nazarian of Schweiger Dermatology explains that “What you eat changes the consistency of the sebum (or oil) on your skin, making it more likely to clog up pores.”  Besides eating poorly, having an intolerance to a certain food like dairy can be the cause of breakouts as well.  Try sticking to a diet that involves less greasy and sugary foods and drinks.

Your Pillowcase

Did you know that your pillowcase can be one of the most bacteria-filled places in your bedroom?  Your pillowcase is a collector of dead skin cells, bacteria, residue from hair products and dust. Think about all of that coming into contact with your skin for eight hours.  It is no wonder your pillowcase can be one of the biggest sources of acne breakouts.  It is suggested that you wash your pillowcase more often than you do and try to avoid sleeping with product in your hair.

Your Beauty Tools and Smartphone

If you wear make-up, ask yourself how often you wash your brushes.  Not very often?  Another question: How many times do you use your smartphone a day?  Tons, right?  Well, these could be two of the biggest sources to your breakouts.  These two items come in contact with your skin every single day.  If you do not wash them daily, they will accumulate bacteria so quickly it will make your head spin.  Think about how many things your fingers come in contact with a day.  Think about how much bacteria you gather when touch door handles, food, steering wheels and more.  Then, you use those same fingers to text on your phone and hold that phone against your face as you take a phone call.  Unfortunately, it is a domino affect that can lead you to getting breakouts on your face.  To try to avoid this, clean your beauty tools and especially your smart phone daily.