So you’ve got a proud collection of Korea’s best skincare products that you diligently apply every morning and night like clockwork. You take care not to excessively touch your face, you wear your sunscreen like a second layer of skin, and you treat yourself to sheet mask every other night.
And yet, you woke up today with a bright new pimple (or two). What gives?!
These irritating red bumps sadly can’t be eliminated for good – not with the mere use of expensive skin products, that is. While these guys definitely help, clear skin takes other factors into consideration, too.
But let’s start with the basics here – how do pimples come to be, exactly?
Your skin is made up of oil glands that are stimulated by the male hormones in both men and women. While oil can cause the most acne-ridden of us to shudder, these natural oils (also called ‘sebum’) are actually great for your skin – they protect and lubricate the surface, keeping it plump and healthy.
“Face Skin Care Tips.“ © 2017 Cushy Spa All Rights Reserved. CC BY 2.0.
However, when dirt or cells block the openings of these glands, the oil beneath them starts to build up, causing bacteria to fester. This, in turn, inflames the tissues surrounding the gland, causing the redness associated with pimples and acne.
Once the clogged starts protruding through the surface, you get the common ‘whitehead’ pimple. If this oil gets in contact with oxygen, it changes from white to black, causing a ‘blackhead’.
Below are some of the most common culprits behind your persistent breakouts, despite being a devoted, religious skin care advocate:
Your skin isn’t taking too kind to dairy
Contrary to popular belief, eating greasy food (such as chips or fried take-out) doesn’t actually influence your skin’s oil production.
Sure, it’s always a good idea to cut most of this junk from your diet, but it won’t necessarily pave the way for clear skin.
That said, there have been studies reporting a link between dairy consumption and acne.
This is due to the proteins in cow’s milk (whey and casein) that stimulate growth and hormones in our bodies. Digesting these proteins release a hormone called IGF-1, which is known to trigger breakouts; this is why whole milk is highly recommended over skimmed for those who are acne-prone, as skim milk is often stuffed with whey and casein to make it taste less watery.
At the same time, researchers have found that milk hormones can sometimes throw our own hormones off balance, resulting in skin inflammation as a result. Those who are lactose intolerant may also find breakouts to be a side effect of consuming dairy.
But before you go completely dairy-free in your diet, studies also show that yoghurt isn’t as bad as its fellow dairy counterparts.
In fact, it’s been found that the probiotics in yoghurt can actually calm inflammation and help control your breakouts. There are also lower levels of the IGF-1 hormone due to its fermentation process.
Of course, everyone’s skin is different. To find out whether your dairy consumption truly does play a role in your acne, it’s best to test the waters by gradually substituting products for dairy-free alternatives, or eliminating some out altogether.
If you start noticing improvements after these changes – you’ve found the cause of your pesky pimples.
High-glycemic foods that also tend to cause drastic changes to your blood sugar levels, throwing your hormones off balance, and causing inflammation.
Keep track of any high GI foods in your diet as they may be an additional factor behind your acne. Below, Kali from Youtube’s THE ACNE CHANNEL shares her journey to clear skin by replacing her regular diet with low GI foods:
Your hormones are out of whack
As previously mentioned, hormones play a vital part in the development of acne.
Consuming inflammatory ingredients – such as those found in milk – can stimulate your body’s male hormones, causing your skin’s oil glands to run in overdrive.
However, hormonal changes can also be caused by your period, pregnancy, menopause, and birth control medications.
Period, pregnancy, and menopause pimples
If you’re sprouting pimples and your period’s just around the corner, then your menstrual cycle is likely to blame. ‘PMS acne’ is a real and irritating condition where your oil glands flare up a week or two before your next period.
Why does your skin do this? Because your estrogen levels are at their lowest a week or so before your period your testosterone levels are relatively higher. Since your male hormones are responsible for activating your skin’s oil production, zits and acne rear their ugly heads.
It can get even worse during the second half of your cycle, where your progesterone levels start to rise. Progesterone can not only stimulate your oil glands, but can also cause your pores to swell, trapping even more oil within them.
Fortunately, progesterone levels decrease once you get your period, allowing your skin to clear up once again.
And when you’ve come to the end of your cycle – even better! Because your estrogen levels rise to help re-develop the lining of your uterus, your testosterone is once again, kept relatively low.
These same hormonal fluctuations take place during pregnancy and menopause.
Since your body starts producing higher amounts of progesterone during your first trimester (helping your uterus grow to support your baby), the high levels of this hormone start over-activating your oil glands – leaving you with emerging new blemishes.
Those who tend to break out during menstruation are also likely to experience the same issue during pregnancy.
It’s common for first-trimester acne to fade as you transition into your second – though the surge of hormonal changes in your third trimester may cause a re-appearance.
In a similar vein, the hormonal roller-coaster you experience during menopause is likely the cause of sudden breakouts, as this is when your estrogen levels drop, or your androgen hormones increase.
In an in-depth article for the blog, Mom Loves Best, Caitlin Goodwin dives deeper into these hormonal changes during pregnancy and how they impact your skin - including the appearance of acne.
Birth control
For most people, birth control can actually help those struggling with acne.
Because these pills contain estrogen and progesterone, they help decrease your levels of androgen – effectively avoiding any excessive sebum production.
However, some pills that only contain progesterone can worsen one’s acne issues.
To avoid this risk, stick to using birth control that has been FDA-approved for effectively treating acne; all three contain both estrogen and progestin (synthetic progesterone) types that won’t cause further skin inflammations:
· Estrostep
· YAZ
· Ortho Tri-Cyclen
For more information on these three types of birth control, WebMD gives a quick lowdown on what each one contains.
Your skin care products are causing reactions
The very steps you’re taking to preventing any skin issues may be the very ones causing it.
Some skincare products contain ingredients that are known to clog up your pores, such as algae extract, almond oil, and silicones.
Cary Skin Care has done much of the heavy lifting in researching and ranking the most problematic ingredients found in most cosmetics and skin products.
While it’s impossible to memorize the entire list by heart, a good rule of thumb is to stick to products that are non-comedogenic and fragrance-free.
Though I’ve previously discussed the uncertainty of ‘non-comedogenic’ labels, they are still more likely to contain formulations that avoid plugging up your pores.
Just like with diet changes, it’s best to test which skin care products are causing issues by eliminating any recent additions to your routine.
A good pro-tip is to check whether your breakouts have shifted from their usual area; if they start popping up somewhere different, then any new products there may be your culprit.
DON’T mistake a relatively harmless ‘skin purge’ for ‘breaking out’, however – sometimes the introduction of new products will increase cell turnover on your skin, as they’re helping to shed and exfoliate your dead skin cells.
This increased activity can then trigger a sudden surge of pimples or blackheads, but is a mere short-term effect that will pass soon enough.
To determine whether your skin is simply purging or breaking out as a result of incompatible skin care products, check the appearance of your blemishes.
Acne blemishes generally take on the well-known form of red pimples, blackheads or whiteheads, and are deeper bumps that are larger in size.
Purging blemishes, on the other hand, will appear mostly as blackheads or as small, skin-coloured bumps underneath the skin.
A note on exfoliation
Exfoliating can be a relieving treatment for clearing away the gunk in your pores, yet overdoing it can cause your skin to dry out.
“Exfoliating Face with Coffee Grains.” © 2017 Cushy Spa All Rights Reserved. CC BY 2.0.
When this happens, your oil glands will try to compensate for the lack of moisture by increasing their oil production. Hello new breakouts!
To avoid this, stick to exfoliating your face two or three times a week. Anything over three might be pushing it.
You’re stressed as all hell
No matter how well you pamper your skin from the outside – a glowing, vibrant complexion is hard to come by in times of psychological distress.
Studies have shown that one’s emotional and mental state can physically appear in the form of various skin problems, including hives, acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
According to the director of dermatologic research at the New York Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Adam Friedman, “The skin and the central nervous system are intertwined… therefore, it’s not surprising that almost any and all skin diseases can be impacted by changes in the nervous system.”
It’s no wonder that acne and breakouts are a common dilemma among teens during major exam periods.
But how do high stress levels influence this? Once again, your hormones come into play – but this time with a stress-related hormone known as the corticotrophin-releasing hormone, or CRH.
This hormone binds onto your skins oil glands and speeds up their oil production, triggering appearance of new pimples here and there.
So you’ve been ‘good’ to your skin in terms of a fancy facial routine, yet are wondering why your acne prevails – then it’s probably because you aren’t getting enough sleep; are dealing with work, school, or relationship issues; or are simply hustling through an overwhelmingly busy schedule.
While it ain’t all that simple to ward off life’s hurdles, be sure you’re still doing your best to care for your mental health.
Having a clear, stable mind will help you better handle the circumstances stressing you out in the first place.
Avoid those all-nighters and sleep deprived nights – ensure you’re giving yourself the recommended 7-8 hours. Take the time to relax and rest when you can, whether through exercise, meditation, or immersing yourself in your favourite hobby. All this can avoid the inevitable burnout of overworking yourself both physically and mentally.
Not only will you feel better, but so will your skin.
You aren’t washing your makeup brushes
This beauty mistake may be the most vexing amongst all others, since it’s easily controlled with enough discipline – yet so commonly forgotten about.
I by no means am a perfect example of good makeup hygiene, being someone who used to wait MONTHS before finally cleaning her makeup brushes. Gross, I know. Thankfully I’ve grown out of the habit, but that’s not to say I’m not negligent from time to time.
Experts recommend all avid makeup lovers to wash their brushes at least once a week to avoid the build-up of germs and bacteria. Even those who aren’t religious sporters of makeup may be exposing their brushes to an area of dust and dirt – still having them due for a good weekly cleaning.
Disregarding this hygienic practice only develops little torture tools for your skin. Leaving bacteria and dirt to fester in your brushes will allows little microbe colonies to grow within the bristles; and you’re willing to swipe them all over your pores?
Not only will your skin react by popping up the pimples, but you may even experience rashes or blistering.
So if you haven’t been on top of your makeup hygiene as of late, it may be worth tending to – your skin will thank you.
Your skin’s exposed to an icky environment
And last – but certainly not the least frustrating – you’re probably exposed to an environment that isn’t too kind on your skin.
Several natural factors are to blame for sudden derma issues, these commonly including pollution, humidity, and your skin’s worst enemy: the sun.
Whether you’re breezing through the summer season or enjoying the frosty winter weather; you sadly escape the risk of acne breakouts.
Hot and humid summer days can accelerate oil production in your skin, introducing it to bright new blemishes. While you don’t have to deal with the sweaty, sticky heat during the winter, the lack of humidity and high wind levels can dehydrate your skin – causing your oil glands to work in overdrive to moisturize the surface, paving the way for budding new pimples. You just can’t win!
On top of all that, the sun isn’t doing you any favours. Overexposure can increase the shedding process of your dead skin cells, plugging up your pores in the process. Cue the perfect opportunity for zits to rear their ugly heads.
All this said, keeping yourself couped up at home (in the name of good skin!) isn’t the greatest idea either (nor is it the healthiest).
You can’t control the environment – though how cool would that be?! – but here’s where your skin care routine does come into play.
Be sure you’re investing in products that not only protect your skin from the sun, but help it from absorbing any toxic, airborne particles that lead to the development of free radicals.
Thankfully, there are tons of anti-pollution products now on the market to help alleviate this issue.
If you’re struggling to keep excessive sebum production at bay, there are a products to help with that too! I, for one, use Innisfree’s No Sebum Mineral Powder on the daily – just pat this onto the oiliest parts of your skin and go about your day with not only a more balanced complexion, but one that’s soft to the touch.
Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder
Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Waking up to breakouts is never a fun time; most especially when you’ve got places to be and want to feel and look your best.
While a devoted skin care routine can definitely aid problems and enhance your natural beauty, chemical products can only do so much.
If you’re facing sudden skin troubles that aren’t dwindling no matter how much bija cream you use, look into other aspects of your daily or weekly routine. While some factors are out of our hands – a few lifestyle tweaks may be needed to get you back to bright, clear skin in no time!