Habits are the decisions you make on a regular basis and can play an immense role in the condition of your skin. Lucky for us, habits have lasting effects and won’t cost us our lucky pennies like the newest skincare hype might. Keep reading to see what 5 simple habits can lead you on the road to acne-free skin!
1. Routinely Change Out Your Face Towel
First off, are you using a separate towel for your face and your body? If you aren’t, that’d be a great first step! You might be thinking to yourself, “My body is already clean when I get out of the shower. There’s no need!” While that might be mostly true, it’s not uncommon that we miss some parts of our body when cleaning ourselves. The residual bacteria can accumulate on our body towels and since we aren’t washing our bath towels on a daily basis, the bacteria can quickly replicate and turn the towel into a wet breeding ground for bacteria. Besides the point of bacteria, there are products we use on our bodies that aren’t compatible with the delicate skin on our faces. Moisturizers, body washes, and hair products can clog the pores on our faces and irritate it.
Face towels are nice because they contain less fabric, aka you can get a bunch for cheap. I personally buy a 6 pack and rotate them throughout the week. I would use one face towel for 2-3 days and then switch to my next one. Buying a multi-pack set of washcloths allows me plenty of time to do laundry.
Alternatively, I used to use paper towels for awhile before I turned to face towels. It’s the same concept. I would use a new sheet of paper every time I washed my face. I started using washcloths for a more long-term, sustainable option, but use what you have!
2. Wipe Down Your Phone Often
In a world of constant smartphone use, our hands are constantly clicking away at our phones. Have you noticed all the other things your hands touch too? Our phones harbor a lot of bacteria, but many of us don’t even stop to think about that whenever we pick it up. All the bacteria from our fingers and environment (especially if you’re bringing your phone with you into the bathroom) are on our phones, yet many of us are not cleaning it regularly. When our bacteria laden phones touch our faces, it’s a recipe for disaster.
To clean your phone, you can make a water and rubbing alcohol concoction and leave it by your bed. Alternatively, you can just use pre-moistened disinfecting wipes to clean your phone. Make it a habit to wipe it down every morning to reduce the amount of germs on your phone. Your skin will thank you for not subjecting it to last month’s germs from that smelly bathroom.
3. Moisturize Moisturize Moisturize
There used to be rumors that drying out your skin was the secret to a clear complexion. The idea was that keeping your skin dry would also dry out the acne. I fancied the idea, but after awhile, my acne didn’t go away and my skin felt tight (in the dry type of way) and scaly. I decided to ditch this idea and made a complete 180. My skin was soon bombarded with moisturizers and serums and after a few weeks, my skin became renewed. People often associate oily skin with acne, but did you know that dry skin can cause oily skin? When your skin is dry, your body signals to produce more oil on your skin to combat it. This can cause clogged pores and exacerbate your acne.
Everything changed when I shifted to the moisturizing route. When my skin was dry, I associated my skin and my acne as a unit. Everything on my face was tight and just plain uncomfortable. The most interesting change I saw when I moisturized more is that I started seeing my skin and my acne as two separate entities. The skin under my acne glowed. I knew that my acne was temporary, so seeing the beautiful canvas that would remain after these pesky pimples went away gave me hope. My face no longer felt tight and I knew I was going in the right direction.
4. Put On Sunscreen in the Morning
You read that right. Many people advertise the anti-aging benefits and prevention of skin cancer when using sunscreen, but have you heard that sunscreen can help with acne too? The sun’s ultraviolet rays damages your skin and will initially dry up the oils from your face, making your face seem more matte and in better condition. Sadly for us, it is a short-lived celebration as your skin will compensate for the damage by producing more oil. Releasing more oil will lead to clogged pores and, yes, more acne.
The sun can also cause scarring after the pimples have healed. This is also known as post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation. The sun triggers the production of melanin, which is responsible for the color of our skin. Usually, melanin will make our skin glow, but in places of damaged skin (such as that in acne), melanin will accumulate in that area, causing the undesirable post-acne scarring. To kill two birds with one stone, get a moisturizer (hint hint tip 3) that contains SPF. Look for a noncomedogenic product with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply throughout the day as directed. Throw on a hat for extra protection!
5. Change Your Bed Sheets Regularly
Dirty bed sheets and pillowcases can be the culprit to your acne problems. Throughout the night, your pillowcases accumulate all the dirt, oil (and drool) that’s on your face, leading to sheets filled with bacteria. Besides the bacteria, your hair may also contain products that aren’t suitable to be on your face — your dry shampoo, hair oils, gels, etc are all leaving a residue in your hair that can easily transfer to your sheets and accumulate on your skin for 8 hours as you sleep through the night. The longer you forego washing your hair (which is totally normal), the more residual product and oils will end up on your pillow cases. This can lead to blackheads, white heads, or the angry red zits that feel raw to the touch.
We should be washing our bed sheets and pillowcases at least once a week and people with more sensitive, acne prone skin should switch out their pillowcases every few days. I’d recommend to keep a stash of pillowcases in your drawers to rotate through every few days. This way, you won’t have to constantly do laundry. We’re all about efficiency here!
Conclusion
Making sure your skin is constantly in a clean environment is the key idea in this article. Hormones may play a huge factor in your current acne situation; however, the environment is another towering force in your fight to clear skin.
Acne is very frustrating for a lot of us, but don’t feel alone. There are many people suffering from this condition, but it is only temporary. By consistently attacking it with good habits, those suckers won’t have any choice but to leave us alone. For now, feel confident in whatever skin you’re currently in and your radiance will shine from within.
Best wishes to you on your skin care journey,
Maria ♡