Could These Be Causing Your Breakouts?
I think by now, we all know that certain things can cause us to breakout. Dairy, Sugar, and Stress being the biggest cooperates. But, there are so many surprisingly innocent things we do in our daily lives that could be sparking our next flareups. That’s why this weeks’ blog is about the pesky little things, habits that we do or have that cause us to breakout.
How often do you change your pillowcases? If you’re a side sleeper or sleep on your stomach, you should be changing your pillowcases every 3 days, roughly 2x a week. We sweat, toss and turn, touch our faces, and even drool while we sleep, all of which could cause a build-up of bacteria to sit on our faces, creating a perfect breeding ground for acne to emerge. So, unless you sleep on your back, completely still, like a vampire, you should probably be changing your pillowcases 2x a week, or more. If possible, choose breathable soft fabrics like cotton, satin, or silk. These will be more gentle on your skin and cause less friction on your face and hair (big bonus).
Headbands will make her dance! No, seriously, are you a fan of headbands? Whether used as a fashion statement or to simply keep your hair out of your face when you’re working out, headbands should be washed or at least sanitized after each use. They sit on top of your hair and skin, causing friction and, at times, soaking up your sweat, and that could be causing little pumps all over your hairline. Maybe you never thought of them in this way, but now that you know, make sure to only use them once in between cleaning.
Other hair items that could be triggering a breakout: Hairspray & Dry Shampoo!! We’ve all been there; you have 5 minutes to get ready, your hair is a mess and needs a quick fix ASAP. What do you reach for? Dry Shampoo! Not here to hate on your hair products or your routine. But, if you’re experiencing some acne along your upper forehead by your hairline, and you’re using dry shampoo or hairspray every day and only washing your hair maybe 1x a week, you may have found the issue. I know this sounds extra, but try to use a face shield when spraying hair products around your face. When washing your hair, pay extra attention to the roots that frame your face – get in there!! & wash your pillowcases often if you’re sleeping on your hair!!!
STOP TOUCHING YOUR FACE!!! I’m yelling at myself, guys (insert disappointed face). I’m also yelling at you if this applies to you! We touch soooo many things throughout the day, and even though we’re washing and sanitizing our hands now more than ever, it’s still not a good idea to touch our faces. Aside from picking up so many germs and bacterias, our hands have their own natural oils that are not found on our face. Every time you touch your face you are depositing oils, bacterias, germs, and just overall ickiness to your pores. The only time we should be touching our faces is when we’re doing our skincare routines, in the morning & at night, and of course, wash your hand before doing each routine! If this hits home for you, know that you’re not alone…I’m right there with you trying to keep my hands to myself, or not myself?!? I’m not sure. Just don’t touch your face.
Who sanitizes their devices? If you don’t you should. The amount of time we spend on our phones alone is criminal (guilty as charged)! Spray some alcohol on a dry tissue paper and rub it all over your phone. Take the case off and do the same, or wash it with anti-bacterial soap, just make sure it’s fully dry before placing it on your phone again. If you’re on your phone a lot, you should be doing this A LOT.
Hey, four-eyes! It’s not enough that we can’t see properly, but the same glasses that help us could be hurting us too…ugh. If you get some acne in between your eyes, on your eyebrows, top of your nose, or behind your ears, and you wear glasses all the time, it may be time to step up your sanitizing game. I usually wash my glasses 1-2x a day, both my regular glasses and sunglasses. I noticed a huge difference in the acne between my eyes and behind my ears. One minute of your day could save you countless minutes of frustration down the road.
Last but not least, do you wash your body then rinse your hair, or rinse your hair then wash your body? Not trying to be creepy, just trying to help!! If you have some acne on your back, this may be what you need to hear. This should be your order of shower routine: Shampoo, Rinse, Conditioner, Rinse, THEN body wash. If you’re washing your body before you rinse the last little bit of product out of your hair, you could be leaving some of that on your skin, and your pores will soak that up. Change your shower routine, use the body wash last and you’ll be seeing some changes! Bonus tip: Use a different breathable shirt every night for bed. Your back will thank you.
I’m curious, have you guys heard of these tips before? Have you made any of these changes or plan to now? Keep me posted
XO – Pachee
