If You’re Breaking Out, This is for You
If your skin is prone to breaking out, you likely already have a few measures in place to combat this. Cleanse your skin twice a day, regularly exfoliate, turn to targeted acne treatments…these are all essential steps that just about every dermatologist would recommend.
But what if you’re already doing all of that and your skin is still breaking out at every opportunity? This is where Vivo Per Lei can help. Read on as we discuss some of the lesser-known things that you can do to achieve an acne-free complexion.
Make Sure That Your Cleanser is Sulfate-Free
It’s no secret that cleansing twice a day is vital if your skin is consistently breaking out. However, if you do this with the wrong cleanser, you won’t see the improvements you’re hoping for.
Foaming cleansers tend to be the best for acne-prone skin. However, many contain sulfates – a popular group of cleansing agents. While they may be efficient at cleansing, they’re also known irritants that leave the skin barrier feeling dehydrated and damaged. Studies confirm that the long-term use of sulfates can both cause and exacerbate acne.
If you spot sulfates on the ingredient list of your current cleanser, it’s time for a change. Fortunately, with sulfates gaining a bad rep in recent years, there are numerous alternatives out there, including the Vivo Per Lei Collagen Foaming Cleanser.
Use a Charcoal Face Mask
Face masks can be helpful if your skin is constantly breaking out. Most people with acne-prone skin turn to clay masks, with clay revered for how it absorbs excess sebum to leave the skin feeling less greasy.
While there’s no denying the benefits offered by a clay mask, charcoal masks are a worthy alternative. Charcoal is just as effective at wicking away excess sebum from the skin’s surface. Charcoal will also work to absorb dirt and other environmental impurities, all of which would have otherwise clogged up your pores and made your breakouts worse.
If you already regularly use a clay mask, try alternating it each week with a charcoal mask. The Vivo Per Lei Activated Charcoal Face Mask, which also happens to be packed with hydrating ingredients and a range of vitamins, would be a great choice!
Ice Your Spots
As you’ll likely know, acne is triggered by inflammation. Each pimple on your face is a sign that the skin underneath it is inflamed. If you want those spots to disappear as soon as possible, tackling the inflammation is a must.
One quick way to soothe the feeling of inflammation is with ice. Officially known as cryotherapy, the science behind this confirms that cold temperatures can indeed diminish the feeling of both inflammation and pain.
All you need to do is wrap a few ice cubes in a clean cloth before gently pressing it against your inflamed skin. Hold it there for about three to four minutes and then repeat this throughout the day to keep your skin feeling calm.
Ramp Up Hydration
There are so many different acne triggers out there and many of them are well publicized. However, one that’s often not talked about quite so much is dehydration. If your skin feels dehydrated, it responds by producing more oil. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really help with the dehydration much since dehydration is caused by a lack of water, rather than oil. Instead, it means that your skin will end up even greasier, with your pores more likely to become clogged.
Fortunately, turning this around is easy. Start by drinking more water each day, combining this with hydrating skincare products. Look for products that offer lightweight hydration, such as the Vivo Per Lei Aloe Soothing Facial Serum. Not only will this formula hydrate your skin but it also contains ingredients that are renowned for soothing the feeling of inflammation. Plus, its short ingredient list means that it won’t end up clogging your pores.
Don’t Allow Sweat to Linger
Sweat can significantly contribute to acne breakouts. When it mixes with the oil, dirt, and bacteria on your skin, clogged pores and pimples become so much more likely. This is why it’s important to keep your skin’s surface as sweat-free as possible.
While this is relatively easy on a day-to-day basis, people often struggle with it after working out. Ideally, you should be cleansing your skin as soon as you’re done exercising to prevent any sweat from lingering.
If this isn’t possible for whatever reason, invest in a pack of cleansing wipes, such as the IntroLift Vitamin C Facial Wipes. Swipe a couple of these over your sweaty skin immediately after working out to buy yourself some time until you’re able to give your skin a proper cleanse. If your breakouts coincide with your workouts, this could be a game-changer!
Keep Your Hair Clean
It’s not just your skin that ends up coated with oil – your hair experiences the same. Your scalp produces oil, which is then sent down your strands to condition them. This is all well and good…until that oil from your hair ends up mingling with the oil on your skin.
One way to prevent this is to make sure that you keep your hair clean. Don’t allow it to get too greasy as this increases the chances of some of that oil swiping onto your skin. With that said, choose your hair care products carefully. Many contain pore-clogging ingredients, which end up on your skin when you rinse your hair.
In between wash days, if you know that your hair is getting greasy and your skin seems to be breaking out around your hairline, keep your hair tied back and well away from your face.
Stop Touching Your Face
While the skin on your face contains plenty of bacteria, your hands host even more. It goes without saying that you don’t want extra bacteria piling onto your acne-prone skin, yet this is exactly what happens each time you touch your face.
So, make a conscious effort to stop doing this! Pimple patches can help as they’ll cover over your spots, meaning that bacteria from your hands won’t be able to spread to those areas if you unintentionally touch them. However, even then, it’s best to only touch your face with clean hands. If you aren’t able to wash your hands, cleaning them with antibacterial hand wipes would be the next best option before allowing your hands to go near your face.
Clean Everything That Touches Your Face
Of course, it’s not just your hands that add bacteria to your face. Pretty much every single item that comes into contact with your face will have the same effect. This means that all of these items need to be kept clean too!
Here are a few common yet unexpected culprits that could be behind your skin’s propensity to keep breaking out:
- Towels
- Pillowcases and other bedding
- Your cellphone
- Headphones
- Headbands
- Clothing
Make an effort to keep everything as clean as possible, but make sure that you don’t use cleaning products that contain ingredients that could trigger acne!
Shield Your Skin From the Sun
We’ve already mentioned how inflammation is bad news when you’re trying to stop your skin from breaking out so much. However, each time the sun’s UV rays hit your skin, inflammation is the result. The sun is also a key factor behind dehydration, which, as you know, can also lead to breakouts.
The simple solution is to protect your skin from the sun at all times. However, it may take a little trial and error before you’re able to find a sunscreen that’s able to do this without making your acne worse. Don’t give up though – sun protection can go a long way in clearing up your complexion!
Don’t Exfoliate Too Much
Exfoliation can be a lifeline for acne-prone skin. The way in which it clears out oil and other impurities from within the pores can really help to prevent the appearance of breakouts.
However, this can sometimes lead people to exfoliate more often than they should. Sure, at the start, you may end up with a clearer and brighter complexion each time you exfoliate but, over time, over-exfoliation will only damage your skin barrier and leave your skin even more prone to breaking out.
So, be mindful of how often you exfoliate. Even if your skin is severely oily, don’t exfoliate daily. Instead, aim to exfoliate no more than three times a week so that you can preserve the integrity of your skin’s natural barrier.
Don’t Go Overboard With the Acne Treatments
It’s not just exfoliating that can damage your skin barrier and exacerbate acne. Certain skincare products do this too, with potent acne treatments being notorious for this.
Does this mean that you shouldn’t use acne treatments? Definitely not! It just means that you need to be careful with which ones you choose to use, as well as which you combine. Don’t go overboard with too many harsh treatments. Pick and choose carefully and give each one plenty of time to work before moving on to the next.
Sip on Spearmint
Diet and acne are strongly linked, to the point where you’re likely aware of how certain foods can trigger breakouts.
While that may be the case, other foods can have the opposite effect, with spearmint tea being one. This beverage is packed with rosmarinic acid, which has been shown to lower the feeling of inflammation in the body. Some experts believe that drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day could reduce the appearance of acne by an impressive 25%! While more studies need to be done on this, it’s an easy and inexpensive method to try if you’ve been struggling to stop your skin from breaking out.
Summary
With acne having so many different causes and triggers, it can take a while to finally gain some control over how often your skin breaks out. However, implement the tips that we’ve shared above and it won’t be long before your skin starts to look clearer, healthier, and so much happier!
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