A Lifestyle For Acne-Free Skin

Acne or Pimples are one of the most common skin problems encountered. Almost all of us will experience acne at some point in our life. But, if you are aware of the cause, do's, and don't of acne and follow a mindful lifestyle you can enjoy clear and healthy skin. So, here we are summing up everything you need to know and follow to have acne-free skin. In short, you are going to understand the lifestyle needed for acne-free skin.

What is Acne?

Blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, bumps, and breakouts your skin experiences come under the category of acne. Acne is not only limited to the face but can occur anywhere in the body. There are various causes of acne, but not being clean enough is not the reason for acne. As acne is a reflection of changes happening internally in the body and nothing happens on the surface.

How is Acne caused?

Acne is caused when the hair follicles on the skin get blocked. Hair follicles are tiny holes from which a single hair strand arises. There is something called a sebaceous gland for each hair follicle. This produces oil or sebum to keep the skin and hair nourished. If there is overproduction of this sebum then a block appears as this sebum can get mixed with dead skin cells forming a plug. This can bulge outwards when it is near the skin causing whiteheads or can be open and be seen as a blackhead. This can also get infected due to the bacteria present in the skin and can become pustules, papules, or nodules.

Causes of Acne

There are various causes of acne. But as we previously mentioned not cleaning your face enough is not the reason for acne. If you have frequent baths then you will probably end up irritating your skin. The most common causes of acne are

1. Testosterone - The most common cause of acne is this hormone. This is present in both males and females. The sebaceous glands are very sensitive to hormone changes and when this hormone increases, sebum production also increases, thus acne occurs.
2. Stress - Stress plays a major role in acne as stress can cause hormone imbalance and hormonal imbalance can affect the sebaceous glands. This may cause increased production of sebum.
3. Genetics - It is proven that acne runs in families. If your parents had it there are high chances that you will experience it too. Even the type of acne could be similar for example if your parent had teenage acne you can experience it too during your teenage.
4. Female hormones - Due to the varied phases and conditions females go through, it is common to see acne during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, or in conditions like PCOD.
5. Other factors - Factors like smoking, certain drugs, pressure items at repeated spots like headbands, and comedogenic products can cause acne.

Acne myths

If you believe the following, stop believing it immediately as all these are baseless myths

1. Acne is contagious
2. Poor hygiene causes acne
3. Poor diet causes acne
4. Squeeze the acne to get rid of it
5. Sexual activity causes acne

Lifestyle

And finally, here it is, the perfect lifestyle to enjoy acne-free skin. By making these changes you are giving your skin and body a health boost which can help control acne.

1. Exfoliate

Twice a week exfoliation is a must to keep your pores from clogging. This will help remove dead cells and reduce the chance of acne

2. Bath

Don't bath more than twice a day. The more you bath the more irritated your skin will become. Use cold-processed soaps targeting acne for your bath. You can check out the best cold-process soap collection here.

3. Sunscreen

Remember if you want to enjoy the sun, you need to protect your skin with sunscreen. It prevents your skin from being sun damaged and reduces cell damage.

4. Water

Drinking lots of water is good for your health and hormonal balance. A minimum of 2 liters of water is a must to have clear skin.

5. Exercise

Exercising helps to relieve stress and keeps your body fit. Just remember to wash before the sweat dries off.

6. Food

Try to include foods that reduce inflammation. For example almonds and blueberries are known to reduce skin inflammation and thus can help to keep the painfully inflamed acne away.

7. Makeup

Try to go with minimal makeup and be sure to remove all the makeup before you sleep as residual makeup can easily clog the pores and cause flare-ups.

8. Cleansing routine

A good cleansing routine with a cold processed soap like Grewaa can help you reduce acne and also prevent future breakouts too. Along with a good cleansing routine make sure to not touch the acne as you may inadvertently introduce bacteria into the acne.