7 Reasons For Acne Breakouts And How You Can Eliminate Them

1. Keep Your Hands Off Your Face

I bet your mother has told you this hundreds of times “Stop touching your face!”

And your mother was right! All those times throughout the day when you touch your face without even thinking about it are a common cause of breakouts. Your hands are the dirtiest part of your body, and all those little touches transfer dirt and germs to your face.

You should do whatever it takes to train yourself not to touch your face; washing your hands frequently can help some, too. Watch out for your cell phone, too – it’s another source of dirt and germs, so hold it away from your face when talking, and keep it cleaned. Better yet, use an ear piece.

2. Cut Down On Dairy And Sugar

If you get frequent breakouts on your neck, along the jaw and on your chin, it can be a signal that there is too much sugar or dairy in your diet.

When your body is overloaded with things that don’t agree with it – like dairy and processed sugars – it is excreted through the skin. It shows in the form of blemishes, especially in the lower portion of the face.

3. Stress

Clinical studies have clearly shown how stress can lead to problems with the condition of the skin and exacerbated breakouts.

You see, stress stimulates the adrenal glands into the production of the steroid cortisol. Cortisol induces the sebaceous (oil) glands in the skin into production of excess oil, leading to more breakouts.

Because of this, you’ll notice that people who are under a great amount of stress tend to have an increase in large, painful pustules rather than the typical pimples and blackheads.

Don’t let stress become a problem; get some exercise to help relieve stress, and if possible spend 20 minutes or more each day doing meditation or yoga.

4. Your Monthly Cycle

Hormone fluctuations brought on by ovulation during a woman’s monthly cycle can often lead to an attack of acne blemishes. While this is something that’s normal and to be expected, it can be disheartening.

If your acne breakouts tend to flare up with your menstrual cycle, talk to your doctor about using birth control pill (like Yasmin) that is estrogen dominant. It can even out your body’s hormone levels, helping to keep breakouts in check.

For many women, this has been shown to be one of the quickest and easiest ways to clearer skin. Do take care not to use a birth control pill which is progesterone dominant – it will frequently cause worse breakouts than before.

5. Menopause

Hormones are created by glands in our bodies that function as a type of messenger to control and regulate a variety of processes in our metabolism, from reproductive cycles to cell manufacture.

When hormone levels fluctuate during menopause, it can throw your metabolism out of whack, causing a variety of issues like depression, insomnia, weight gain and of course, breakouts.

6. Changes In The Weather

Changing weather at the turn of the seasons can be tricky for your complexion. When it’s warm and humid one day, then cold and dry the next, skin can get confused and unbalanced, producing more oil than is necessary, leading to blemishes.

When the air is dry, make sure to moisturize well. On cold or windy days, you should apply a serum with skin protection to prevent dryness. If the day is hot and humid, make sure to use a sunscreen – mineral based is best.

7. Medications

All drugs, whether prescription or over the counter, have a variety of effects on the body. But in general, using any medication (this includes illicit drugs) can put stress on the body and elevate hormone levels.

As we’ve mentioned, earlier, fluctuating hormone levels have a direct effect on the complexion, leading to an increase in blemishes.