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Cure your acne with these five tips
Like an ex that doesn’t take “no” for an answer, acne never really goes away, but we can keep it dormant. These are ways to ensure that your acne doesn’t give you a surprise visit.
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Do not touch your face unless you are absolutely certain your hands are clean! (Shutterstock/*)
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span id="docs-internal-guid-4edd0e9d-8107-1f7e-0514-63bfbf001113">As a young adult with oily acne-prone skin, it took many years of research and experimentation before I reached the point of controllable acne.
Like an ex that doesn’t take “no” for an answer, acne never really goes away, but we can keep it dormant. These are ways to ensure that your acne doesn’t give you a surprise visit.
Diet
Ever heard of the phrase, “you are what you eat”? Unlike your environment, your diet is a factor that can be controlled.
Refrain from eating greasy and fried foods because they magnify production of sebum, which can clog pores. Many acne sufferers have also reported improved skin conditions when dairy consumption was reduced, which includes milk, cheese and ice cream. Dairy products have high levels of hormones, boosting the androgens (male sex hormones) in your body. Then, these hormones bind to your sebaceous glands, turning up your oil production by as much as 60 percent. Fortunately, it is possible to control hormonal acne by consuming anti-androgens like spearmint tea. Ingestion of herbal spearmint tea has proven its effectiveness in curing acne.
Avoid foods with high glycemic index (GI) such as high sugar and starches. This includes processed foods, white bread, sweetened baked goods and candies. When you eat foods with high GI, your blood sugar spikes, leading to inflammation and acne. Consequently, it is recommended to opt for meals full of fiber and antioxidants instead.
(Read also: 9 traps to avoid in healthy eating)
Comedogenic ingredients
Ingredients that are comedogenic (pore-blocking) will likely cause pimples on acne-prone skin. It is possible to detect whether a skincare or makeup product will cause breakouts by checking the ingredients on the packaging. Examples of such ingredients are myristyl myristate and isopropyl palmitate. Even coconut oil is highly comedogenic and thus would not be the best to moisturize your face with if it is prone to breakouts. Other natural oils that are non-comedogenic include shea butter, argan oil, and rosehip seed oil.
If it is too time-consuming for you to cross-check all the ingredients, a quick search on Google will tell you whether that specific product contains any comedogenic properties and at what quantity (ingredients lists are in descending order of predominance by weigh).
Touching your face
Do not touch your face unless you are absolutely certain your hands are clean! Personally, adhering to this rule helped me tremendously in my journey to clear skin. Although it might sound odd and seemingly simple, you might be surprised how often you touch your face without realizing it. We use our hands to count money, press elevator buttons and keep balance on the bus by gripping onto the railings. Imagine the accumulation of bacteria on your fingers that spread onto your face when you touch it.
Moreover, do not pick on your zits for this will create long-term scars and further irritate the surrounding skin. When you are self-aware, you will stop absent-mindedly pick on your pimples on your face.
Incompatible active ingredients
When entrusting acne products to eliminate pimples, it is crucial to take note of the active ingredient in the product. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are two of the most common active ingredients that aid in banishing blemishes. Benzoyl peroxide works by eliminating bacteria from follicles and helps to prevent acne from progressing. Salicylic acid aim to dissolve whiteheads through the elimination of dead cells within hair follicles, which allows sebum to pass through.
Some people’s skins react better to benzoyl peroxide while others opt for salicylic acid to stop their pimples dead in their tracks. Do a skin test on a patch of your face first to ensure that it does not irritate your skin.
(Read also: Women face higher smartphone addiction risk: Study)
Stress
Medical research has proven that there is direct link between stress and acne. Stress takes both a psychological and physiological toll on your body. When your body is stressed, it causes a hormonal fluctuation, increasing the amount of oil your body produces which can set off an acne breakout.
It is a vicious cycle of having acne due to stress, becoming more stressed, which results in more acne. Therefore, it is crucial to keep to the faith that your acne will eventually go away and that you will not have bad skin forever. Your skin will thank you when you worry less and reduce your stress through better diet, exercise, and meditation.
Hence, that concludes my humble tips on curbing your acne. For more information, please watch my video linked below where I discuss my personal story on fighting bad skin.
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Titan Tyra is a psychology major who likes to stay creative by creating content on Instagram and YouTube. She has worked with dozens of local and global fashion and beauty brands. She prides herself in staying genuine and real in a world where everything revolves around online.
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