Simple Ways To Control Your Acne: Top 10 Tips

Using all the right products but still dealing with an army of zits? Take a deep breath and repeat this mantra— good skin does not come from products alone. When you think you’ve got your skincare routine on lock but are still battling breakouts, try these simple lifestyle changes and skincare switches to help keep your skin blemish-free. 

 

CLEAN YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES & BAG

If you aren’t thoroughly washing your makeup brushes at least once a week, you’re giving bacteria a great place to grow. Use warm, soapy water to thoroughly rinse your applicators, sponges, and brushes. And don’t forget your makeup bag! Bacteria can hang out inside the bag, contaminating your brushes all over again. Throw it in the wash if it’s machine-safe, or give it a good soak in warm, soapy water and let it air dry. You can even give the inside a wipe down with sanitizing wipes between washes.

 

RINSE AWAY CONDITIONER

If you’re breaking out on your back or hairline, your hair conditioner might be to blame. Although hair experts recommend rinsing conditioner at the very last minute so your strands get maximum hydration time, heavy silicones that are great for your hair are simply too heavy for your skin. Rinse out your conditioner first, then wash your face and give your back a scrub with body wash to remove any remaining residue.

 

CHANGE PILLOWCASES & TOWELS

If you experience bad breakouts, try changing your pillowcase every night. Your skin goes into regeneration mode when you snooze, shedding dead skin and releasing oils onto your pillows. A fresh pillowcase prevents you from contaminating your skin with the same bacteria and dirt every night. 

 

The same rule applies to towels; washcloths can be a breeding ground for bacteria, so reach for clean, fresh towel after cleansing. 

 

CLEAN ALL OF YOUR GADGETS WITH DISINFECTANT WIPES

This includes your cell phone, keyboard, mouse, ipad, etc— wipe down the devices that come into contact with your skin everyday.  We touch our faces a lot more than we think, so keeping devices clean avoids the transfer of acne-causing bacteria to your face. Keep antibacterial wipes at the ready and use them at least once a day. 

 

DOUBLE CLEANSE

Many cleansers, especially those made for sensitive skin, don’t always thoroughly remove makeup and build-up on their own. Try double cleansing; the first cleanser will break down makeup so that the second cleanser can get deeper into your pores. 

 

To Double Cleanse:

1. Break down makeup and impurities with an acne-friendly face oil like jojoba oil and towel it off with a warm, wet washcloth.  
2. Cleanse with our PREBIOTIC GEL CLEANSER a gentle foaming cleanser that removes dirt and excess oil without depleting the skin’s essential moisture. 
3. Apply a gentle toner with witch hazel to treat existing blemishes. 

 

EXFOLIATE THE RIGHT WAY

To keep dead skin from getting trapped in your pores, exfoliate twice a week with an at-home peel. Peels are gentler than scrubs, which contain rough edges that can irritate your skin and mess with your lipid barrier. Our TCA LACTIC & GLYCOLIC FACE PEEL is formulated with a blend of five natural acids to evenly resurface skin, neutralize acne-causing bacteria, and lift hyperpigmentation. 

 

You can up the benefits of your peel with a DERMAPLANING EXFOLIATION TOOL. Dermaplaning once a week before a peel helps physically remove a layer of dead skin and excess peach fuzz to help drive the active ingredients in your peel deeper into the skin. 

 

If you find that some exfoliating acids are too much for your skin, or if you’re looking for a pregnancy-safe alternative, apply a thin layer of our DUAL ENZYME Clay MASK once a week. Our mask is formulated with natural fruit enzymes, Amazonian white clay, and succinic acid to help balance acne-causing bacteria and oil production, detox clogged pores and reveal clearer, fresher skin. 

 

USE A HIGH FREQUENCY

Got a major breakout? You can calm your blemishes right away with a HIGH FREQUENCY ACNE DEVICE— this tool uses argon gas to send oxygen deep inside your pores, instantly zapping acne-causing bacteria and helping reduce the size of blemishes. You can target the wand over existing pimples or use it as part of your skincare routine to kill bacteria and prevent future breakouts. 

 

STAY AWAY FROM DAIRY 

Milk, cheese and other dairy products are full of anabolic hormones that can spike insulin levels and significantly worsen breakouts. These hormones are naturally produced by animals, so you can’t avoid them even if you shop organic or hormone-free. Stock your fridge with coconut or almond milk instead. 

 

APPLY BROAD-SPECTRUM SPF

Sun exposure can make your breakouts worse and darken post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation left over from healed blemishes. Not to mention, SPF protects your skin from UV damage, including signs of premature aging and cancer.  Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF 30 rating to protect against UVA and UVB damage. 

 

DON’T FORGET MOISTURIZER

As tempting as it may be, don’t skip out on moisturizer— your skin needs moisture to maintain a healthy lipid barrier to fight acne-causing bacteria. Plus, when skin is dehydrated, oil glands can go into overdrive and produce more oil, causing an even worse breakout. Apply moisturizer after cleansing and before sunscreen. Our MICROBIOME DAILY RESCUE MOISTURIZER is formulated with a prebiotic complex that boosts your skin’s natural probiotics so they can fight off bad bacteria that trigger breakouts and skin sensitivity.