TLDR: Beat acne at its own game learning about these sneaky tricks.

Table of Contents:

Sneaky Trick #1

Sneaky Trick #2

Sneaky Trick #3

Sneaky Trick #4

Sneaky Trick #5

Sneaky Trick #6

Sneaky Trick #7

Sneaky Trick #8

Sneaky Trick #9

Usually we think of acne as this teen trial.

But many of us either struggle with acne or know plenty of adults who still do.

Apparently acne doesn’t have the same ideas we do about teen dramas. In fact, it likes to stick around in the most inconvenient ways.

So I’ve done some searching, some espionage, and I’ve delved into the secret, dirty ways acne tries to conquer us.

Some tricks will seem so obvious and others you wouldn’t have ever seen coming.

So let’s rally and beat the enemy at its own game!

Sneaky Trick #1

Over-drying your face.

It’s confusing. We are supposed to dry out acne, yet if it’s too dry then we break out.

Why? Because when we dry out our face we actually produce more oil, giving acne what it needs to succeed.

So stay away from alcohol based cleansers. Use gentle cleaners for acne-prone skin and non-greasy/non-oil based moisturizer.

Don’t skip moisturizer to dry out your face. We want to stay away from greasy, but don’t go bones-in-the-desert either.

Sneaky Trick #2

Strreeesssssss. Yep. It’s causing you anxiety, AND acne.

Stress is the worst thing you can do for your body…and acne loves it.

It increases the hormones that causes acne!

Clear the drama out of your life, cut it down to the 3 major important things. Let the rest of it go.

Focus on loving your life, the good things that happen every day, and the amazing people in it. Practice meditation and yoga. Let the stress roll out of your body and far, far, away.

Sneaky Trick #3

Facial pressure.

Physical pressure.

You know, pushing your hands, phone, violin, fingernails etc. against your face puts a lot of icky bacteria up there, which acne loves.

The actual pressure of those objects on your face presses the bacteria into and against your skin, making you even more likely to break out.

So maybe go hands-free with the phone and make a conscious effort not to touch your face while you’re reading a book or watching TV.

Sneaky Trick #4

 Laundry.

How often you do it and with what matters.

Your pillow case needs to be washed 1-2 times a week, and you should use a fresh towel to dry your face daily.

Make sure the surfaces you use on your face are clean.

Also, certain laundry detergents and softeners contain scents and chemicals which can aggravate or cause acne. Consider getting clear, natural laundry help, or experiment with it to see if it has any effect on your acne.

Sneaky Trick #5

Hair products and make-up application.

You might have heard of this one before.

Your hair product touches your face every time your hair does. And then it gets all over your pillow at night…and onto your face. Hair products have lots of oil, scents, silicones, plasticizers, etc. which clog your pores. So steer clear of those ingredients.

Try wearing your hair up when you go to bed and wash your pillow case more often if you can’t switch.

Make-up tools carry a lot of bacteria and oil. Clean your brushes once a week with a good shampoo. Try not to use your fingers (major carriers of oil and bacteria).

Sneaky Trick #6

While we’re talking about make-up, this every-day artist’s tool could be the bane of your skin.

Check the labels for these known acne secret service agents (supplied by the agents at: http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/13-habits-for-zits/p92642/page2):

• Artificial Fragrance: use products without fragrance if possible.
• Petroleum: from the oil family…you don’t want more oil.
• Isopropyl Myristate: clogs pores and irritates skin. Warning: tries to hide behind making your skin feel nicer and less-greasy.
• Mineral Oil: oil again…no good.
• Lanolin: Often used on dry skin, this is otherwise known as sheep oil. Again, not great to put on your face if your acne-prone.
• Artificial Color: If the label has FD&C in the ingredients, then it has artificial color. This is a skin irritant and is known to cause acne break-out parties.

Sneaky Trick #7

Over-exfoliating.

You might see some awesome results and then start scrubbing your face too much.

Too much of this good thing causes swelling, clogged-pores and inflammation.

So take a breath and use it as much as recommended. No need to over-work it.

Sneaky Trick #8

Diet!

Oh yeah. Anything rich in sugar and grease acne loves. Refined sugar, pasta, fried dishes, white bread, and anything that spikes your sugar levels can cause acne. Additionally, diary can stimulate oil glands and cause clogged pores.

While having some here and there won’t matter, if your diet consists of too much of these foods, then it can be a bad thing.

Don’t go crazy restrictive though! That can just cause different problems. Just remember that your skin is the biggest organ in your body. Our diet and exercise affects our body. So take care of it and be balanced.

If you cut dairy out, make sure you load up on other calcium-strong foods like almonds, kale, and white beans.

Be healthy!

Sneaky Trick #9

Your routine.

Acne strikes hard if we even go a night of breaking routine. One night. It’s super easy for me to get lazy and think one night won’t matter.

It does.

Furthermore, it makes space for me to slack off other times. And that’s just not acceptable.

Stick to your routine, and stay vigilant against these sneaky attacks from acne!

Hope this acne playbook helps you keep your enemies at bay!