Most of us don’t need to be told the woes of acne, because we’ve all probably been through it at some point or the other in our lives. It is notorious in showing up at the most uncanny of times, and getting rid of it quickly is no small task.
But did you know that there are certain things you can do to prevent acne? While genetics might play a key role in whether you’re forced to endure it either more often or less, outside factors are also to blame. Here are 6 such daily habits of yours that might be the cause behind your battle with acne.
1. Not Washing Your Face Properly
Most of us aren’t conscious enough to know when, how often, and how to properly wash our faces. It might seem simple enough, but there’s plenty to think about. Most of us just wash it once a day and leave it at that, but it’s important to clean it at least twice as just water is not always good enough to free the skin of all the impurities you accumulate in it throughout the day and night.
It is also important to pick the right facial cleansers and products because everyone’s skin is different and reacts to various products differently. Lastly, the way you dry your face is also important, because rubbing too hard can cause your skin to damage and open up your pores.
2. Improper Diet
We are what we eat, which is why having a balanced and nutritious diet is very important to your skin just as much as it is for your body. At the same time, a diet that is high in sugary foods can increase inflammation because it increases the insulin levels in your body. This inflammation is then the reason behind acne breakouts. The addition of an abundance of starch and carbohydrates into your diet can also exacerbate the effects of sugar further.
3. Over-Consumption of Dairy Products
If you are someone that consumes a lot of dairy and have been facing acne problems, try cutting it out of your diet and just see the results. The main aggressor in milk is a hormone called IGF-1, which is excellent for baby cows, but not the most friendly for acne-free skin.
Furthermore, milk can cause your body to produce more insulin which will result in your own liver producing more IGF-1. Dairy can also make your skin produce more sebum (oil), which can clog pores, and even glue dead skin cells inside your pores.
4. Overuse of Smartphones
It might shock you to hear that the surface of your smartphone or tablet can contain more bacteria than the seat of your toilet at any given time, but that’s the truth. Most of us do not think that our phones are dirty and we rarely clean it. But given that we spend most of our days with it either pressed up against our cheek or in our hands (which we then use to touch our face), it can be quite harmful.
You might want to invest in a good pair of earphones, and also a screen cleaner that you can use regularly.
5. You Stress Too Much
Stress is a normal part of life for most of us, but it does bode well to dwell on things beyond our control. And what’s more, your tendency to over-stress could be the cause behind your acne problems. Research has found that stress increases the amount of sebum (oil) that your skin produces as these cells have stress hormone receptors. As a result of increased oil production, your pores may become clogged and stuck with dead skin cells that are trapped, leading to problems with acne and pimples.
Another problem that they found related to this is stress-eating. When people feel stressed, they tend to let go of healthy eating habits, eat unhealthy foods, or eat more to take their mind off of their problems – which are all bad habits and can increase your acne problem.
6. Not Washing Your Sheets/Towels Often Enough
Doing your laundry can be an annoying part of your routine, but it’s very important because dirty clothes could also be causing your acne! But it doesn’t stop at that; washing your sheets and towels often is also key. I mean, when you think about it, we spend half our lives in bed, and if your sheets/pillowcases aren’t clean, you’re basically rolling around in a bunch of bacteria and dead skin cells for some 7 to 8 hours a day.
The same can be said for your towel. If your towel isn’t freshly washed, you will end up rubbing all of yesterdays germs all over your freshly-cleansed body!
