Four Little Lifestyle Mistakes That May Be Contributing To Your Acne Breakouts

Acne is a complicated skin condition. There's no one single cause or treatment. For many patients, a variety of lifestyle practices and internal body conditions contribute to the development of acne. In order to tackle your acne completely, you'll not only need to follow your dermatologist's advice when it comes to using medications but also make some changes to your lifestyle. Here's a look at four little lifestyle mistakes that could be contributing to your breakouts.

Using the same washcloth again and again.

Some people might be able to get away with using the same washcloth on their face several days in a row, but as an acne-prone person, you're  not one of them. When you wash your face with a washcloth, bacteria on your face transfer to that washcloth. They then replicate overnight in the moist cloth, and when you use that same cloth to wash your face again, you re-introduce the acne-causing bacteria to your face. Use your washcloths once, and then throw them in the laundry. You might have to stock up washcloths to make this change, but it will be well worth the investment when your skin clears up.

Not laundering your pillow case often enough.

Whenever you sleep on your pillow case, acne-causing bacteria are transferred to it. If you're not washing your pillow case enough, it could be contributing to your breakouts and negating any effort you put into cleaning your face before bed. Experts recommend cleaning your pillowcases every 2 or 3 days. As with washcloths, it's best to stock up so you don't have to do laundry as often.

Applying your makeup with unclean instruments.

Instead of using makeup brushes over and over again, start applying your foundation and concealer with disposable sponges that you use once and then throw away. Or, you can wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap and then use them to apply your makeup. Either way, you cut down on your exposure to acne-causing bacteria when you stop using brushes over and over again.

Touching your face throughout the day.

You're in the bathroom and you want to get a better look at the pimple developing on your chin, so you touch your face. Or you see a red spot and want to see if it's raised, so you poke at it. Sound familiar? All of this face touching is not doing you any favors when it comes to treating your acne. Your fingers are laden with bacteria, and you transfer them each time you touch your face. If you must touch your face, wash your hands first. If you find yourself compulsively touching your face throughout the day, try keeping some Silly Putty on hand to play with. Keeping your hands busy will help keep them away from your face.

For more tips, you may want to contact a local dermatologist. You can click here for more info on skin care clinics in your area.