I’ve had people come up to me with looks of pity in the past to offer me advice on how to settle my pizza face skin. To be honest, I tried a few of them regardless of how ridiculous they sounded (I’ll write about my grape-only diet some other time.) The solutions for me came from research, actually following my doctor’s orders and a bit of trial and error.
1. Change your pillow cases
Pillow cases house dirt, oil and bacteria at a level you probably don’t want to think about. Though not everyone’s acne is triggered by this, those who are acne prone can benefit from changing out your pillow cases at least once a week.
2. Use benzoyl peroxide
Salicylic acid only did but so much for my skin, but introducing benzoyl peroxide into my evening regimen made a world of difference. It is the #1 acne bacteria fighter on the market right now. Dan Kern, founder of Acne.org lists the ingredient as a key component of his acne clearing system. Go for a 2.5% gel to begin, and once you are used to it increase to 5%.
3. Drink more water
Our bodies are 70 percent water and our skin is our largest elimination organ. Dehydration challenges your skins ability to remove toxins. Barring any medical conditions, your pee should be light yellow – drink up! I like to keep water in clear site throughout the day as a reminder to keep sipping.
4. Check your make up and product ingredient labels
Poor clogging and irritating ingredients can make or break a products ability to wreak havoc on acne-prone skin. Don’t buy the marketing hype that a “natural”, “herbal” or “mineral” product will make you glow, refer to my pore clogging ingredient article for a list of ingredients to look out for.
5. Cleanse with oils
Though it seems counter-intuitive, cleansing your skin with oils can keep oil clogged pores clear. I won’t claim to understand the science behind it all, but I can say that since I replaced my evening Cerave wash with Bobbi Brown’s oil cleanser, my skin’s texture and frequency of breakouts has improved drastically. I was impresses with this video about oil cleansing
6. Use chemical peels
Peels can treat a myriad skin conditions. Check with your dermatologist for a peel that will work for your skin.
7. Discover any food allergies
Food sensitivities can be a stealthy cause of irritations. As your doctor if a food elimination diet could work for you. In addition to learning what can be breaking you out, you may also find out which kinds of foods make your system preforms best.
8. Keep you hair away from your face
This one is pretty straight forward. Hair products were not designed for skincare and often contain noncomedogenic ingredients. if you are wearing your hair down often, or if you have bangs, you might notice pimples around the perimeter of your face. Also, wearing hair near your face entices you to touch it, and transfer bacteria and product from your hands to your skin.
9. Do no-makeup days / weeks
As tempting as it is to cover blemishes with concealers and foundations when you go out, let your skin breath and unclog when you can for brighter skin in the future.
10. Wash your face every night + exfoliate once a week
Make this a routine, don’t be lazy.
Do you have any staples you would add to this list?