10 Lesser-known Reasons For Your Breakouts

Acne is one of life's great annoyances, and even after drinking gallons of water, buying the right face washes and eating the correct foods, our skin can still decide to litter itself with those nasty oily red things. But is it just unfortunate genetics?  Raging hormones? A lack of sun? Perhaps, but there are many other contributing factors that you probably aren't aware of, so let us take you through ten of them.

1. Working Out

You'd think working out could be nothing but healthy. After all, we're constantly told to stay in shape. It's good for us, right? Yes, you haven't been lied to, but with most good things there are side effects- one of those being acne. Unbeknown to many, the sweat produced from a good workout can mix with the oils in your pores, thus leading to blemishes. Friction against the skin is also a problem for acne sufferers, so make sure you're clothes are loose-fitted when at the gym in order to avoid certain materials rubbing against the skin

2. A Lack Of Sleep

Globalization has meant working hours are higher than ever, which has radically altered the work-life balance in recent years. However, without enough sleep, stress levels increase, thereby producing higher levels of cortisol which can (known as the 'stress hormone,') cause breakouts.

3. Certain Drugs

No, not the illegal stuff, although we don't recommend those either! Rather, many prescription drugs contain adverse side effects- one of those being acne.

4.Stress And Nerves

It's no coincidence that many breakouts occur days before a big event. And, as mentioned before, more stress equals higher cortisol levels. However, whilst nerves and stress are an inevitable part of life, meditating or doing anything calming can combat unwelcome feelings.

5. Dirty Sheets

Not only is it unhygienic to sleep in the same sheets for weeks-on-end, it's also really bad for your spots, as the bacteria spread across your face.

6. Spicy Foods

Whilst everyone reacts differently to certain types of food, spicy foods can be worse than others. For example, certain spicy foods use tomatoes and peppers in the ingredients which contain acidic lycopene- a major contributor towards breakouts.

7. Constantly Touching Your Face

We all do it when we're bored or sleepy, which for the majority of people is a regular habit! But resting your chin against your hand can cause the nasty bacteria your hand's accumulated over the day to spread across the surface of the face's skin.

8. Hair products

Hair products are hair products, not skin products. Yet that doesn't stop certain hair products causing breakouts. Put simply, the cleansing agents in your shampoos, conditioners and stylers can trickle into your pores, causing back and severe acne.

9. Toothpaste

Like our cheeks, acne around the mouth is very common and is difficult to keep under control for many acne victims. So, in the future, make sure toothpaste never leaves the mouth, otherwise it can cause spots to spread. After all, the myth around toothpaste healing spots is nothing but that.

10. Mobile Phone Usage

Cheeks often bare the brunt of acne's wrath and one reason is, believe it or not, talking on your mobile phone. Phones are often a playground for bacteria, so we recommend wiping the screens surface down at least once a week.