The food you eat, the air you breathe, the genes you’re born with and the lifestyle choices you make, all have an influence on your skin. How do breakouts happen, you ask? When your pores are clogged with dirt, oil, bacteria, debris and dead skin cells, it results to inflamed skin, pimples and breakouts. It’s not just hygiene—overactive sebaceous glands and hormonal changes could also be the culprit. When the sebum passes through the follicle, it comes in contact with dead skin cells and bacteria on the way. If a cluster of debris forms, your pores are bound to get clogged and congested. To give you a bit more clarity, here are 7 surprising reasons why you’re breaking out and what you can do to avoid acne in the future.
1. You’re Eating Too Much Of Spicy Food
No Indian dish is complete without its spices. Even though you love your chillies, garlic cloves, peppers and herbs, you must learn to live without them. All of these contain acidic lycopene that can disturb your skin’s natural pH levels and thus, cause breakouts. Even if you’re immune to spicy foods, dairy and wheat can cause skin irritation too.
How to avoid it
Drink a lot of fluids like natural juices and tea. Don’t forget your veggies and fruits too. Instead of frying your food, boil it. Consume more bland food and eat soup often. This will cleanse your skin naturally.
2. You’re Overdoing The Exfoliation
There’s no doubt that regular exfoliation is good for your skin, however, too much of it can cause skin problems. Sometimes the choice of cleansing fabric is to blame. Too harsh on the skin can damage and irritate it. You could even be allergic to the face scrub you use. Rough exfoliants like crushed strawberry, grapefruit and apricot seeds, may not agree with your skin’s texture. If at all, you experience a burning sensation after using a product, disown it immediately.
How to avoid it
Opt for minimum scrubbing and invest in pore-cleaning ingredients that contain glycolic, lactic and hydroxy acids. These products won’t only be gentle to your skin, but will also improve its complexion. After washing your skin, pat dry using a cotton towel and moisturize after.
3. You’re Picking At Your Pimples
No matter how tempted you may feel, please avoid popping those zits! Let your skin handle it on its own terms. By you playing dermatologist, breaking them will not only cause red marks, but scars will follow too. Not to mention that the pus and oil that comes out could collect bacteria and dirt and infect other pores as well. A foolish move could multiply your pimples and that’s something you don’t want to experience.
How to avoid it –
Simple! Don’t touch your face. Let your zits heal on their own and trust us, with time, all wounds are healed. Wash your face often and drink cups of water throughout the day.
4. You Stress Out…Pretty Often
Remember ladies, stress triggers acne. When you’re anxious and under pressure, your skin begins to produce more stress hormones by stimulating your oil glands. When testosterone levels increase, more oil is produced. This ultimately leads to clogging of pores.
How to avoid it
Practice yoga, work that booty, drink chamomile tea, read a good book, listen to soft music – basically do any activity that relaxes and calms your nerves. Sweating is also a way to flush toxins out and boost feel-good chemicals into your system. All these suggestions will help you cope with stress in the most effective way possible.
5. You’re Using The Wrong Clothing Detergent
Detergents are filled with chemicals to the brim. Even when your clothes and sheets are squeaky clean, at a microscopic level, they could contain residue from the detergent. When these fabrics come in contact with your skin, it could irritate your pores and cause unwanted breakouts.
How to avoid it –
When shopping for a detergent, make sure to pick one up that’s fragrance and dye-free. This buy will favour you if you have sensitive and dry skin.
6. You’re A Sun Baby
If you aren’t wearing sunscreen and you’re roaming around in sun, you’re heading towards tragedy! It’s a myth that sun heals acne, it actually causes more breakouts. You see, the sun not only dries out skin, but also triggers the pores to produce more oil. All of these reactions can take a toll on your skin and lead to breakouts.
How to avoid it
Befriend the sunscreen! Make it a ritual to wear sunscreen every time you step out from your pad. Wear a sun hat and cover yourself using a scarf or a jacket the moment the temperature rises outside.
7. You’re Not Cleansing Your Face That Often
Each time you come home from the gym or a late night party, remember this one golden rule – wash your face! If you don’t, the oil, make-up and dirt can mix with your sweat and infect your pores.
How to avoid it
If you don’t have access to a clean washroom, let facial wipes come to your rescue! Just before you enter the gym or work, wipe your face, back and chest with facial wipes. This practice will keep your skin fresh, clean and pimple-free!
