Whether your are in front or behind the camera, zits, pimples and acne can be annoying at best, all out stress inducing at worse. But being armed with the wrong information about break outs isn’t going to help you out. So today we’re going to play mythbusters and go over some common acne misconceptions.
As an esthetician and someone who used to suffer from persistent acne, I am quite aware that there is a lot of misinformation floating around and I want to set some records straight. So here are the myths at the top of my list.
1. Breaking out after trying a new acne product means it’s working
This is sometime called “the purge”. The false logic is that if a product is made for acne and you break out after you start using it, well that means it’s working by pulling all that underlying acne to the surface.
Alas, acne doesn’t work that way and neither do products. If you breakout immediately after using a new product, it’s because the product itself is causing blocked pores. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad product. Sometimes this happens with a product that is increasing cell turnover. However if you are still breaking out after a two weeks, I’d try a new product.
2. Sweating causes acne / sweating helps acne
Those are two opposite things I know, but people tend to believe one or the other. Here’s why they’re both wrong. When you sweat, you excrete water from your sweat gland through your pore. Acne is caused in a hair follicle, which excretes oil from your sebaceous gland. Those two openings in your skin have nothing to do with each other.
Now, if the reason you’re sweating is because you’re exercising and increasing your circulation, well that brings oxygen and nutrients to your cells – which can help. Just make sure you aren’t wearing thick foundation or other products when exercising.
3. Frequently washing your face will help keep it clean and prevent breakouts
The biggest mistake I see my acne clients make is constantly washing their face with harsh cleansers. This both dries out and dehydrates your skin (strips it of oil and water), which can lead to more breakouts. I recommend only washing your face once a day, in the evening. In the morning, just splash your face with water, or use a gentle cleansing toner.
4. What you eat causes acne
Well, this one’s complicated. You’re probably not going to break out from one chocolate bar or one piece of pizza. But there is increasing evidence showing a connection between digestive health and clear skin. There have also been recent studies showing a strong correlation between dairy consumption and acne.
If you have persistent acne and are having troubles healing your skin, my specialty is helping people find the specific root cause of their skin problems. Head over to nabele.com and schedule a consultation so we can talk it out.
In the mean time, know that an overall healthy diet can go a long way to helping clear your skin.
And there are my top acne myths. Hopefully that clears up a bit of confusion. If there’s anything else you’ve wondered about acne, let me know in the comments below.