Top 7 Causes Of Acne And Blemishes

Acne affects nearly 50 million Americans.  The fact that you are reading this means that you too probably have had or are having your own personal struggles with acne.   Heck, I’m writing this because I understand the struggle all too well myself!  We often overlook how important it is to determine the underlying cause of acne and go straight to topical solutions.  Even if you get results, they are not sustainable therefore discovering acne’s root cause is vital to getting more bang out of your buck and maintaining flawless skin.  Let’s look at the top 7 causes of acne and blemishes to see if any of these habits are causing your skin to break out.  Some may surprise you!

Before we begin though, you must understand that acne does not make you unattractive.  Beauty is so much more than what you look like on the outside.  If you want to be more beautiful, become happier!  Happy people are the real MVP’s! We all want to feel like our skin and body are at its optimal health so taking a look at the root cause of acne is important.  Often times, acne is just one of many symptoms that we experience from inner issues.   

• Stress- Stress is known to cause many unfavorable symptoms in the body. This is because when we feel stressed, it signals a chain of events as a survival mechanism that makes significant changes in our hormones to cope with impending dangers.  Constant stress can cause long term internal issues that show up on your bodies largest organ, your skin.  It is imperative to learn how to manage stress for your overall sanity.  Meditation, exercise, reading, healthy eating, and removing yourself from stressful situations as much as possible will all benefit your body and mind.
• Dairy- Your skin, much like your digestive system aids in ridding your body of things it is not in agreement with. Many people are sensitive to dairy but don’t realize it because their symptoms aren’t chronic.  When you consume more dairy than your body can handle, it is by nature harder to digest and can come out in the form of cystic blemishes in the lower area of the face.  If you suspect that dairy can be causing your skin issues, try cutting it out completely for about three weeks.  If your skin starts to clear, then you know dairy is the culprit.  While some people find they don’t do well with any dairy at all, you can experiment to find out by slowly introducing dairy back into your diet in small increments.  When you notice breakouts start to happen again, then you know this is your tolerance level and adjust accordingly. 
• Your Products- You may be using products that aren’t suitable for your skin type or that contain ingredients that your skin doesn’t agree with.  Oily, dry, and combination skin all need different formulas to avoid making matters worse in an already overwhelming search due to the abundance of products you have to choose from.  Thankfully nowadays, packages tend to state what skin type the product is best suited for and announces if it is oil-free, non-comedogenic, water or gel based, along with other information to help you make a more informed decision. 
• Your Cycle- As mentioned in the breakdown of how stress affects your skin, fluctuations in hormones are one of the main causes of acne and blemishes. The start of your monthly cycle signals changes in your hormones that are completely normal, although it can be frustrating. 
• Not Washing Your Face at Night- We get it.  You’re tired.  It’s just one night.  It’ll be okay.  Not! The fact remains that you have to wash your face at night or be prepared to face the consequences.  Going to bed with makeup on or even just with the oils and other debris from the environment during the day can clog pores.  Not only that, you have just gotten all that bacteria, oil, and makeup all over your pillows and sheets causing you to possibly have breakouts even on nights that you do wash your face because you’re still coming into contact with those substances from the night(s) you didn’t.  Wash your face every night. 
• Touching Your Face- Touching your face is typically a habit and therefore can be very hard to break.  Bacteria is all around us and our hands are constantly in contact with that bacteria.  When you touch your face, you are increasing your risk of getting breakouts.  The first step in combating this issue is becoming aware of the times in which you touch your face.  Do you find that you rest your hand on your face or chin when you’re sitting at a desk?  Or when you’re nervous?  We may be surprised by all the times we touch our face but aren’t aware but it’s truly half the battle to breaking the habit!
• New Medication- If you have recently been prescribed with a new medication that seems to align with the time you started breaking out, it could be the culprit.  Talk to your doctor about your symptoms to see if there are any alternatives or solutions.

There you have it! The top 7 causes of acne and blemishes.  Try to really examine each of these causes to see if they pertain to your life at the moment.  If you have acne and none of these seem to be an issue for you, try digging a little deeper.  This is not a comprehensive list of all the causes of acne, just the most common.  As always, feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to help you answer any questions you may have!