5 Ways to Prevent Pimples
Pimples are the worst. They seem to come and go, with no regard for your schedule. Sometimes you can feel them coming, but most days, it’s even worse: these infuriating little bumps just show up out of nowhere. But one thing’s for sure: once they decide to swing by, they’ll be there for days-- sometimes even weeks-- to come. Some extra skincare action can help speed up the process of taking them out, but at the end of the day, only time and patience can completely defeat pimples.
So how can you skip the whole pimple problem altogether? Pimple-prevention may sound intimidating, but it’s simpler than it sounds-- you can even start doing it today! Here’s how.
Wash your face twice a day
Smoke, dust, oil, sweat-- the list goes on. Invisible traces of dirt float around, even in our own homes! The bottom line is, pore-cloggers are everywhere, and that means keeping your face clean is a job that never sleeps.
Washing your face twice a day-- once in the morning, and once at night-- is a great way to get rid of any accumulated dirt during the day and during the night (... yes, our face is prone to germs while we sleep, but more on that later). Three times a day can be fine, but remember: overwashing can do more harm than good, so stick to two just to be safe. Double cleansing only counts as one wash, though, so you can definitely practice that twice a day.
Don’t let anything touch your face
And we mean anything.
Hands off your face, keep your hair brushed away, and absolutely no leaning or resting your face anywhere. Again, dirt is practically omnipresent, and one of the easiest ways to get them on your skin is through any form of touch or contact.
Of course, it’s not exactly realistic to keep anything from touching our face. That means we have to take a few extra measures to keep the pimples away, such as keeping our hands and hair clean. More of these measures include:
- Removing your makeup before going to bed
Of course, we simply have to let our makeup touch our faces. However, this is the exact same reason why leaving your makeup on for the night is a sin in the world of skincare, as this nightmarish recipe of dirt and prolonged makeup can only clog your pores (which means: pimples!). So please, if you don’t want any unwanted visitors on your face, remember to wash off your makeup before you sleep. - Change your bedsheets and pillow covers regularly
It is inevitable to move around during sleep, which is why one of the top culprits that brings all the yucky stuff on our face are our bedsheets and pillows. The amount of sweat, oil, and dirt that stick to these fabrics is unspeakable, so make sure to constantly change them. Clean pillowcases not only make for a clean face, but it keeps your hair clean, too!
Combine a natural skincare routine with Dermaplaning
Here’s the deal: some of the makeup and skincare products you use on your face might actually be causing your pimples. Check their labels and make sure they contain non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic ingredients. Else, you might want to do some replacement shopping. Organic products tend to have less harmful chemicals, so they’re definitely worth checking out.
Unfortunately, no matter how amazing your skincare products are, your skin can’t absorb their vitamins properly if it’s riddled with dead skin cells and hard-to-remove dirt...and this is exactly why dermaplaning can serve as the perfect prelude to your natural skincare routine.
Avoid certain foods
As they say: garbage in, garbage out. The quality of food you consume tends to come out in other aspects of your health and well-being. And yes, that means your skin sometimes reacts to certain food you eat. Studies show that dairy products, fast food, and food rich with refined carbohydrates (such as bread, pasta, and rice) have a high percentage of causing acne. You don’t necessarily have to completely eliminate these foods to skip the pimples, though. Reducing a significant amount of your intake of them is enough, and it will surely make a noticeable difference.
Manage your stress levels
Among everything we’ve listed so far, this is probably the trickiest one to deal with. It involves a lot of external factors, after all, and not all of them are in your control. Unfortunately for all of us, the appearance of pimples can be triggered by high-stress environments, as the hormonal imbalance during times of stress forces our bodies to increase oil production and sometimes even cause an inflammatory response.
But how can we manage our stress levels if our stressors are constantly there?
- Don’t just take breaks- schedule them. Moments of rest are just as important as moments of productivity, so you should treat your breaks just as seriously. Scheduling your breaks will help you identify your limits and in turn, manage the amount of stressful activities you take in.
- Try out meditation. Just giving yourself at least ten minutes a day of simple breathing exercises can do wonders for your mind.
- Arrange for a spa day. For a deeper de-stressing experience, organise your own at-home spa day.
If you incorporate all of these tips into your daily routine, chances are, those pesky pimples will stop wanting to show up. Habits aren’t formed overnight, though, so just keep at it and you will definitely notice the difference!
