Surprise breakout trigger #1: Fun times
Surprisingly, your skin can react to exciting events such as a big weekend, vacation, graduation or wedding in the same way as it does to stress, even though it doesn’t feel stressful at all! Just like stress, highly anticipated events can play with your immune system. Remember even when awesome things are happening to keep up with taking care of your self. Plenty of water, good foods, sleep, and a bit of calming yoga or stretching will help keep your skin (and nerves) in tip-top shape.
Surprise breakout trigger #2: Your toothpaste
Your skin can react to the ingredients in toothpaste, especially those with fluoride or whitening agents. If you are experiencing little red bumps just around your mouth, it might be time to switch to toothpaste geared to sensitive skin. (If you do switch to non-fluoride, double up on tap water, as it contains fluoride necessary for healthy teeth.)
Surprise breakout trigger #3: Getting Fit
Hold on there — you work hard on your workout, sweat a little and your pores feel great, but is it bad for your skin? Actually, acne loves sweat – and chooses this time to flex it’s muscles causing your skin problems. Your counter defense: rinse skin directly after a workout, and apply a gentle alicylic acid wash/treatment.
Surprise breakout trigger #4: Your boyfriend
Yes, he looks hot with a little manly stubble, and he smells great too — but both of these can wreak havoc on your skin after a serious make-out session! The friction from his beard, and the fragrance from her aftershave can cause major irritation and breakouts. Breakouts may not appear for days or a few weeks, but if you’ve left your date with your face red or irritated, you can bet the breakouts will show up later. Let him know that a baby-faced smooth shave is a great look, and buy him a nice gift of some great cologne to replace that after shave!
Surprise breakout trigger #5: Your mineral make-up
Woah! Aren’t mineral make-ups good for acne-prone skin? The answer is, they can be. Watch for mineral make-ups that contain bismuth oxychloride, which can cause cystic acne, itching and irritation. Monave makes a variety that is bismuth oxychloride-free.
Surprise breakout trigger #6: Your water
Whaa? If your water has a high mineral content, it can throw off the ph balance of your skin, and it also has less rinsing ability, so it can leave residue from soaps and other products on your skin. The result can be clogged pores and irritation. Consider a water softener, or look into pre-moistened cloths.
Surprise breakout trigger #7: Your facial cleanser
Facial cleansers with too much soap in them can throw off the ph balance of the skin, causing the skin to react in ways that sometimes aren’t pretty. Opt for a gentle cleanser, such as castile soap, or a natural acne wash meant for sensitive skin.
Surprise breakout trigger #8: Your hair products
What? They’re on your hair right? Your hair products can block your pores – even though it is hard to realize the connection, as acne can take days/weeks to form. On the flip-side, oils from the hair can cause forehead and jaw line acne, too. Keep your hair clean and pulled back, especially at night. If you suffer from persistent acne, try using an anti-dandruff shampoo on your hair – it is especially anti-bacterial.
Surprise breakout trigger #9: Your hands
We all know that picking the skin is bad for you. But it also makes sense that just touching your skin with unclean hands can transfer a number of unwanted, aggravating bacteria to the skin? Get into the habit of a hands-off approach to your skin. If you are applying products to your skin, wash your hands with a mild soap prior to application.
Surprise breakout trigger #10: The Sun
We all love the fact that a glow from the sun makes breakouts less noticeable and helps dry up excess oil, but a little too much sun can aggravate the pores and cause acne to appear a week or two later. Keep safe with an oil-free sun block. Look for one with micronized zinc oxide, which is helpful to acne-prone skin.