It’s rare for me to post a selfie on Instagram these days without someone saying something about my skin. I’ve gotta say, it’s quite refreshing! It definitely was not always like this. I share more about all that — my acne struggles — here as well as some simple things you can start doing TODAY to get your skin on track… so I won’t bore you with all of that in this here post.
If you feel like you’ve been doing all you can to get your skin under control but breakouts are still won’t let you be great, this post is for you! I’m gonna share a few things you may not have thought would contribute to the random pimples and things you might be getting. See if any of these might be the culprit…
The Wrong Skin Care Products
The first thing many of us do when pimples and blemishes pop up is run to the store and grab everything promising to solve the problem. OR, we see our favorite beauty blogger or girlfriend or mom with gorgeous skin using some miracle potion and we just have to have it!
Here’s the thing: that product may not be for you, boo! The wrong combo of cleansers, toners and moisturizers could have the complete opposite effect on your skin and causing your breakouts. Reading the ingredients and uses of a product cannot be stressed enough. Listen to your skin to figure out what it may need. Is it oily? Dry? A combo of dry in some spots, oily in others? Do your research to find that thing that’s best for YOUR skin’s needs.
Also, watch out for comedogenic (pore-clogging/acne-exacerbating) ingredients like mineral oil, petrolatum and the like.
Food Allergies
In my past skin care post, I talked about how your diet plays a huge role in getting and maintaining clear skin. The reverse is also true! It’s not uncommon for people to develop food allergies as they get older. Of course, they affect each person differently but breakouts could be one result of eating the wrong thing.
You can use a process of elimination by cutting out certain things for a bit to see how your skin improves. A quicker route would be to consult your physician for an accurate assessment.
Your Hair
This used to happen to me A LOT and it still does these days if I’m not careful. Wearing your hair in or close to your face can cause any product or oils that you may have on the hair to irritate the skin or clog the pores. Both can lead to unwanted breakouts. Start pulling your hair out of your face and see if this makes a difference! If your hair must touch your face at all, make sure that you’re cleansing your face before bed to clear away anything that may have settled on your skin throughout the day.
Your Pillow & Sheets
Years ago, I found that my skin was doing the absolute MOST at one point despite all my efforts. My diet was the same, products the same… so, what gives?! I thought about what things my face was coming in contact with every day and it hit me: my pillow and my sheets!
I wasn’t doing the best job, at the time, of changing my bedding as often as I’d heard one should. Think about it: the oils from your hair and face are touching that pillow every night. Same with your sheets. Once I began to be more vigilant about changing out my bedding weekly, I saw a difference! See if that may be the change you need as well.
Your Phone
Speaking of things touching your face… Okay, sure, we’re living more in the age of texting and earbuds so how often are we actually putting our phone to our face these days, amirite? But, some of us do still like that connection (who ARE you people?! LOL!).
We touch ALL the things throughout the day, then touch our phones and then put that phone on our face. That could be a recipe for disaster. Every few days (should be everyday but I forget), I like to wipe my phone using a little alcohol on a paper towel with a drop of water to dilute it. Not surprisingly, they make wipes for this!
Your Hands/Fingers
I’ll keep this short and sweet: stop touching your face! LOL!
Despite how hard you try, you wind up touching so much nonsense as you go about your day and may inadvertently touch your face for whatever reason. Next thing you know, you’ve got a little friend protruding from the middle of your forehead. Do your best to break out of the habit. No leaning on your hand while contemplating your next meal, no wiping off crumbs with a bare palm… none of it. It took me a while to break out of this but it’s doable!
Also, no picking at your pimples people! Stop it right now! Love you, mean it. 🙂
So, if you’ve been experiencing the most random blemishes lately, did you think any of these things could be causing your breakouts? Welp, hopefully this gave you some food for thought!
