BLOG 32: MY 10 TOP TIPS TO REDUCE AND PREVENT ACNE

Suffering from acne can be debilitating to your self esteem if it feels like a problem you don’t have control of. It’s something that affects us all differently. There are things you can do however that may help clear up your skin and keep it clear.

Learning to be more in tune with what your skin needs will allow you to get back some of that control. By paying attention to what actions or environmental factors lead to breakouts give you a starting point. Understanding how your skin works and what affects it can help even those of us who are prone to acne to be able to have consistently clear skin.

To help with that, here are ten tips to help reduce spots and prevent them from coming back. Some are simple, while others are more complex, but they are all actions that I have found help me and my problematic skin.

CHANGE YOUR PILLOWCASE EVERY NIGHT

This may sound like something that will take a lot of work and forces you to do a lot of washing, but it can be so important for clearing up your skin. We spend a third of our lives in bed sleeping, and the material that we have next to our faces during that whole time will start to collect dirt, grime, and grow bacteria that can wreak havoc on sensitive skin.

Going through all the effort of cleansing our skin every night can go to waste if you are placing it straight onto a dirty pillowcase.

CLEAN YOUR PHONE EVERY DAY

You spend so much of your day touching your phone, and all the gunk that is present on it will find its way to your face if you let it. I’ve found that people who don’t pay attention to this will have more issues with their skin, and it will even be worse on the side of their face that they use for their phone. Make sure that you use anti-bacterial wipes to kill everything living on your devices.

CLEAN YOUR HANDS BEFORE TOUCHING YOUR FACE

Always keep your hands clean. If you are having problems and have to touch your face, then wash your hands right before you do it. I recommend you skip some of the stronger facial massage techniques if you are having issues and instead focus on acupressure points. Then do facial exercises that don’t require touching the skin.

Lymphatic massage, however, helps drain nodes without touching the face. This will clear stagnation and allow energy to flow. It will aid circulation and firm up underlying muscles. Also focus on wellbeing exercises, as lowering your stress will be tremendously helpful as well.

REDUCE SUGAR INTAKE

Eating too much sugar is something that can really affect the skin. Too much sugar can affect your hormones, and anything that changes your hormones will also change your skin. Sugar can also affect your stress levels, which isn’t ideal for your skin either.

Reducing or even cutting out sugar is important for your skin health.

PAY ATTENTION TO ALCOHOL, CAFFEINE, AND DAIRY.

What you put into your body will affect your skin. Pay attention to how some of these key substances affect you and how sensitive your skin seems to be to them. Some of us respond well to dairy, and can see benefits from it, while others will see immediate problems with breakouts.

Regardless of what else you eat, ingest lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, and healthy protein. They provide the solid foundation of health that you need to have good skin. The nutrition you give yourself is what your body uses to repair itself.

WEARING SUNSCREEN

Going out directly into the sun can help clear up your skin in the short term. However, I’ve found that long term, any spots I had when I was a chronic acne sufferer would return and become even worse four or five days later. 

80% of our skin aging is due to sun damage. So avoiding the use of sunscreen every day is only a short term solution that will have you paying for it in your thirties, forties, and beyond.

Take the time to find a sunscreen that suits your skin. Experiment and find one that won’t block your pores and that doesn’t cause you to break out. If you find that chemical-based sunscreens aren’t optimal for you, go for a product that is zinc oxide based.

WASH YOUR FACE EVERY DAY

Always wash your face and clean your skin every single day. Don’t use wipes, they only spread the dirt around. If you want the biggest benefits, you need to get rid of the dirt, grime, and bacteria.

USE ORGANIC PRODUCTS

These products won’t have harsh chemicals that will cause breakouts. They are more gentle on your skin, and give you better results.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Staying hydrated is crucial to your overall health, and will do wonders for your skin. I recommend drinking at least two litres a day.

NEVER GIVE UP HOPE

I know from experience that acne can affect everything from our confidence to the relationships that we develop. There can even be repercussions to our career or work situation. When it gets too bad, I can even remember times when I didn’t want to leave the house.

Thinking back to those rough times in my life, I wish I knew what I know now. Now, I know that it will get better. I also know that using effective techniques to set a good mindset are just important for self care as your cleansing regime. 

The part that we always seem to forget, is that nobody else notices our skin as much as we do. Most of the people in our lives are evaluating us for what we bring to their lives, not how clear our skin is at any given moment. 

If you can use affirmations and shift yourself away from obsessing over this aspect of your skin, you will have a much richer and fuller life. If you can employ positive thinking, and get to the point where you can look in the mirror and say “I love my skin,” and mean it, you’ll likely find that your skin responds positively too. If you are an acne sufferer I send lots of love to you and please know that it will get better. If acne is severely affecting your skin and your mind, please see a doctor and a dermatologist, you don’t have to suffer in silence.