15 Acne Preventing Tips to Help You Get Clear Skin
Acne is a common skin issue that affects up to 50 million Americans each year.
Acne may be common, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. If you deal with breakouts on a regular basis and want to do whatever you can to keep them from popping up, we're here to help.
Read on to learn about some of the best acne preventing tips you can try today for clear skin.
1. Wash Your Face
When it comes to figuring out how to prevent acne, one of the best places to start is with your cleansing routine. Do you wash your face twice a day? Do you clean it after workouts?
Doing this, alone, can work wonders when it comes to preventing breakouts. You'll get rid of dirt and bacteria that can clog pores, and you'll be less likely to irritate existing blemishes at the same time.
When washing your face, use a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water. Harsh products and hot water can irritate the skin and may overdry it, which can lead to higher rates of oil production and more breakouts.
2. Avoid Excessive Scrubbing
Another tip to keep in mind when washing your face is to avoid excessive scrubbing. Rubbing aggressively with a washcloth can damage the skin, dry it out, and cause breakouts.
The same goes for over-exfoliating. There's nothing wrong with using an exfoliating product on occasion to slough off dead skin cells and prevent them from clogging your pores. If you're doing this too often, though, you'll end up doing more harm than good.
Limit your exfoliating sessions to once per week at most to avoid any negative effects from them.
3. Use a Serum
Washing your face is a great first step when it comes to acne prevention. Make sure you're also applying products that provide your skin with extra nutrients, though, to help it heal and stop breakouts from forming. One of the best products you can apply if you have acne-prone skin is a serum.
The LUMION Skin Serum, in particular, helps to minimize redness and irritation while restoring the skin. It contains hypochlorous acid (HOCL) and oxygen, which work together to protect your skin from bacteria and inflammation while also stimulating collagen production and evening out your skin tone. It helps to smooth fine lines and minimize the appearance of enlarged pores, too.
4. Treat Your Skin Throughout the Day
In addition to applying a serum, you may want to consider using a skin mist, too. LUMION Skin Mist helps to prepare the skin for other products and can be used to refresh it throughout the day.
It's made with gentle ingredients, including hypochlorous acid, sodium chloride, and electrolyzed oxygenated water, so it won't irritate the skin. Because it's so gentle, you also won't have to worry about over-using it.
5. Keep Your Hair Clean
Sometimes, the cause of your acne isn't your skin itself but rather what's going on around it. For example, if you have oily hair that comes in contact with your face throughout the day (especially if you have bangs or lots of face-framing layers), you may be more prone to acne.
Keeping your hair clean — or at least pulled back away from your face when it's not — can be very effective for those looking for information on how to prevent breakouts. This tip alone can make a big difference and save you from accidentally irritating your skin as you go about your day.
6. Clean Up Your Diet
Cleaning up your diet can have a big impact on the appearance and overall health of your skin.
Certain types of food and beverages have been linked to increases in inflammation and oil production, both of which may make breakouts worse or cause them to happen on a more frequent basis. Some common acne trigger foods that you may want to avoid are processed foods, especially those that are high in carbohydrates or sugar.
Foods that have a high glycemic index (meaning they cause a significant spike in blood sugar) may increase one's risk of dealing with breakouts. This includes things like crackers, cookies, chips, and candy.
This doesn't mean you can't ever enjoy these foods. You may want to reduce your consumption of them, though, if acne preventions are important to you.
7. Wear Sunscreen
When you're spending time outside, it's important to wear sunscreen.
This is true even on overcast days when the sun isn't shining. Exposure to the sun's rays for long periods of time can dry out the skin and lead to increases in oil production. It can also irritate existing breakouts and make them worse.
Keep in mind that some sunscreens may also cause acne or worsen it. To avoid this, look for a sunscreen that is non-comedogenic and does not contain pore-clogging ingredients.
8. Minimize Your Stress
Many people don't realize that high levels of stress are terrible for acne prevention. When you're dealing with severe stress, you may have more inflammation in your body. This, in turn, can lead to acne and other skin problems.
There are lots of steps you can take to reduce your stress, including the following:
- Getting enough sleep (at least 7-8 hours per night)
- Practices like yoga, journaling, and meditation
- Spending time outdoors (while wearing sunscreen, of course)
- Spending time with friends and family
Staying organized and avoiding taking on too many responsibilities at once is very beneficial, too.
9. Clean Your Makeup Brushes
When's the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes and sponges? If you can't remember, they could be the culprit behind your breakouts. Make sure you clean these tools on a regular basis (ideally, this means once per week).
Cleaning them with a solution designed specifically for makeup brushes will help to get rid of leftover makeup that lingers on them, as well as dirt and bacteria that can clog the pores and cause breakouts to occur.
10. Moisturize Your Skin
If you have oily skin and are prone to breakouts, you might assume that applying moisturizer is a bad idea. After all, your skin doesn't need any more oil, does it? In reality, if your skin is oily, you still need moisturizer.
Skipping this step can actually trigger more oil production and make breakouts worse. Look for a gentle moisturizer that doesn't contain oils or other ingredients that can clog the pores.
11. Stay Hydrated
Another way to keep the skin from producing too much oil is to make sure you're drinking enough water. If you're dehydrated, you may be more prone to oily skin and acne. Drink plenty of water all day long to combat this.
If you're not sure how much to drink, start by dividing your body weight in half. Then, drink that number in ounces each day. For example, if you weight 110 pounds, aim to drink about 55 ounces of water.
12. Don't Touch Your Face
Do you have a habit of touching your face throughout the day? Maybe you sit with your chin in your hand while you work, for example.
If you do this, you're accidentally exposing your skin to all kinds of dirt and bacteria, which can lead to more breakouts and irritation.
Do your best to keep your hands away from your face. If you must touch it, at least wash them with soap and water first.
13. Wash Pillowcases Often
It's a good idea to get in the habit of washing your pillowcases on a regular basis, too. Once per week works well for most people and saves them from rubbing their face on a surface covered in dirt and dead skin cells night after night.
Be sure to change your sheets once a week as well to prevent breakouts on your back, chest, or shoulders.
14. Clean Your Cellphone Screen
Cellphone screens are notoriously dirty surfaces. In fact, they contain approximately 25,127 bacteria per square inch! Despite knowing this, we still press them to our faces multiple times per day.
If you tend to break out on the side of your face where you normally hold your phone, it could be the culprit. Clean your cell phone screen once per day so that your skin has less dirt and bacteria exposure.
15. Use the Right Makeup
Finally, make sure you're not using makeup that's irritating to your skin. Look for oil-free makeup, especially foundation and concealer. This will help you avoid clogging your pores, and you won't have to worry about exacerbating any breakouts that you might be looking to cover up by using these products.
Try These Acne Preventing Tips Today
As you can see, there are lots of different acne preventing steps you can take to keep your skin clear and healthy long-term. Give one (or more) of these tips on how to prevent breakouts a try today to see how they work for you.
Don't forget about the importance of high-quality skincare products, too. If you're in the market for safe, effective products that don't contain harmful ingredients, we've got you covered.
Head to our online store today to shop for our different skincare products and find ones that will work well for you.