6 Possible Causes of Acne

by: Mary

Acne is caused when skin cells, hair, and excess sebum clog oil glands. There are many things that could cause that to happen that you could be doing and don’t realize. Stripping all of the acne-causing habits and substances from your life could possibly have a drastic effect on your skin. Here is a list of things that could be causing your acne:

Hormones

Most teens get acne because of the overwhelming hormonal changes in their bodies. However, adults can have the same problem. It mostly affects women. Your hormones could be producing changes to your skin that cause breakouts. To find out if this is the underlying problem, look at your symptoms first. Hormonal acne usually happens around the time of menstruation or ovulation. It also usually occurs around the chin and jawline area. But don’t try any treatment before seeing your dermatologist first. They will be able to pinpoint if your acne is hormonal and begin a treatment plan to get results.

Diet

Although junk food has never been linked to acne, ingredients in food such as caffeine, sugar, or dairy can affect your skin in a negative way. If you may think a food is causing your acne, cut it out for a while and observe any improvement. Start being more conscious about the ingredients in food and how they specifically affect your body.

Dirty pillows

Surprisingly, dirty pillow cases can be a large cause of acne. Pillow cases can harbor bacteria from your skin cells, and oil from your hair. The bacteria can get onto your face and clog your pores, causing acne. Try to change your pillow case once or twice a week and wash your pillow every six months. It could make a big difference.

Makeup

A lot of makeup products contain comedogenic ingredients like certain oils or harsh chemicals. Look for makeup labels that say non-comdogenic and research any ingredients that don’t look familiar or could be harmful to your skin. Furthermore, make sure you are thoroughly washing the makeup off of your face before sleeping.

Stress

Stress can have many negative effects to your body, including acne. If you notice your skin breaking out a lot during stressful times, find a way to decrease stress to a manageable level. You could do that by exercising, therapy, listening to music, deep breathing, or doing any hobbies that make you calm and happy.

Over-washing

Yes, there is such a thing as over-washing. When you over-wash your face, you can strip essential oils and bacteria and irritate your skin, causing acne and redness. If you strip oils, you can get excessive dry skin, making your body produce more oil that then clogs pores. To prevent this, only wash two times a day using a mild facial cleanser and use UV protection when going out into the sun.

If you think any one of these could be the cause of acne, start to cut out bad habits and see a dermatologist to get a treatment plan. Remember, acne is caused by a multitude of things, sometimes at once, but these causes aren’t always the case for some people. I hope you learned something that can help you control your acne!