10 Things You Do that Are Causing Acne Breakouts

Last Modified: September 9, 2021 at 3:21 pm by Tianna | Leave a comment

10 Things You Do that Are Causing Acne Breakouts

When I was in high school, I had horrible hormonal acne, much like any other teenager my age and I absolutely hated it. Little did I know that, at the time, I was doing many things on this list of things that cause acne breakouts which are, yes, causing an absolute sh*t show on your face as we speak. Thankfully, I caught on with a little help from some observant friends who smacked the dirty wash cloth out of my hand and after my experience with years and years of acne that left me self-conscious and awkward. These days, my acne can be summed up into the occasional spots, some redness, and some scarring on my cheeks because I am a picker (minor now thanks for face oils and other helpful products – see below!). So, I thought I would share some of things you do that are causing acne breakouts which you probably have no idea are sabotaging your dreams of flawless skin.

WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION! ↑

10 Things You Do that Are Causing Acne Breakouts

You Never Clean Your Cell Phone.

This is one I’m even guilty of. We use our phones all the time, but do we ever stop to think how much of our dead skin, dirt, oil, and debris collect on that screen? If you deal with frequent cheek breakouts, this may be the jerk douche bag who’s ruining your complexion.

You Never Wash Your Sheets or Pillow Cases.

Do you deal with cheek and chin acne (even when it’s not that time of the month)? It might be your sheets or pillow cases! Ideally, you should be washing your sheets and pillow cases every 2 weeks otherwise you’re allowing dirt, oil (from your skin and hair), and dead skin to build up on the fabrics and be pressed up against your skin every night.

You Use the Same Wash Cloth Every Time You Clean Your Face.

My friend once caught me in the middle of washing my face and then using that same wash cloth to wipe the counter. Gross, I know, but I literally didn’t give it a second thought and that’s my point here! Are you using the same wash cloth to dry your hands and your face and then using it over and over again? At the maximum, you should be using that wash cloth 2 times before swapping it out for a fresh one and NEVER use the same cloth to wipe your face as you use to dry your hands or clean the counter. Why? Because it’s nasty, that’s why.

You Constantly Touch Your Face.

This is a tough one. I’m a picker, by nature, and it’s taken years of training to stop myself from picking at my face or even just leaning my face on my hand. As I type this, I’m even getting the urge to do it because that’s how ingrained this habit is. That said, this kind of thing causes acne on your cheeks, chin and even forehead. Picking can exacerbate existing breakouts because you’ll be spreading the infection or allowing dirt directly into an open wound (the pimple). This is how multiple breakouts can form in the same area, right next to each other, or even more painfully on top of each other.

You Use Pore-Clogging Hair Care Products And/or Sleep In Said Products.

Your hair care products don’t have much to do with your skin, but if you sweat during the day or go to sleep with those products in your hair still, they could be making you break out big time! Hair products will travel onto your pillow case and sweat can lead hair product to drift onto your face on a hot day, thereby clogging your pores. You can either wash your hair every night before bed to ensure no product gets on your skin or simply use more skin-friendly, natural hair care.

You Use Too Many Products And/or Over-Exfoliate Your Skin.

Are you a skincare junkie like me? If you’re changing up your skincare routine a lot or if you use a thousand and one products, but still deal with unhappy skin, it might be that you’re doing way too much! Try simplifying your routine, exfoliating only once a week or every two weeks and see how that goes. Too much of a good thing can be bad.

You Eat Way Too Much Junk And/or Sugar.

Any sugar addicts in the house? I love my chocolate and candies and french fries just as much as the next person, but too much can upset your skin for the worse. If you deal with acne, imbalanced and super oily skin, persistent breakouts in the same spots that never seem to go away, redness and rosacea, then your diet might be to blame. Too much processed or fried foods, chips, and sugary foods can not only age your skin, but they can also cause your skin to become inflamed if your body itself is dealing with too much inflammation. Make sure you’re getting enough lean proteins, greens, veggies, fruits, and water. Not sure what to eat? Try these beauty foods

You Consume Too Much Dairy.

Love your cheese? Dairy can sometimes upset skin, especially when it comes to conditions like rosacea, some acne, and other skin issues. This is either because you’re lactose intolerant (most people are – it’s actually more rare to not be) or because of the toxins that are often found in milk, cheese, etc. like antibiotics and hormones which can upset the balance of your skin and body and cause inflammation.

You’re Always Stressed.

Do you have a lot on your plate at the moment? If you find that you are extremely high strung, stressed out, and overwhelmed, this could actually be causing breakouts and skin issues. Stress affects our bodies in all kinds of ways, including aging us, causing inflammation in the body, and more. Check in with yourself and make sure you’re giving yourself proper rest, food, exercise, and relaxation.

You’ll Sleep When You’re Dead.

Is this your current life motto? I’m personally a night owl so I can definitely relate, but sleep is SO important. It determines how efficient you can be during the day at any number of tasks, influences your cravings (for junk and sugary foods), affect workout performance, and yes, your skin. Sleep can age your skin, cause your skin to be imbalanced, dull, and irritated. Every body is different so this can affect everyone in different ways. Everyone should average about 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but see what works best for you.

My Favorite Acne Fighters:

things you do that are causing acne breakouts

For Spots

josh-rosebrook-moisturizing-cleanser

For Redness

suti cleanse organic balm

For Deep Cleansing

leahlani love honey cleanser 3 in 1

For Dullness & Clogged Pores

argentum apothecary la potion infinie cream

For Dry, Acne Prone Skin

the-problem-solver-mask

For Imbalanced, Oily, & Combination Acne Prone Skin

antioxidant-dew-serum

For Sensitive Acne Prone Skin

celsus-scar-cream

For Acne Scarring and Pigmentation

You can find reviews on my blog for most of these products by plugging the product names into search (top right) – otherwise, feel free to ask me about any in the comments and I can link you up directly!

Are You Guilty of Any of these?

What Are Your Favorite Skincare Products to Use for Acne?

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*Affiliate links in post; Not all links are affiliate.

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