We all want to have glow-y, clear, zit-free skin,but you may not realize that some seemingly harmless habits could actually be sabotaging your skin and making you break out. Here are the most common skincare mistakes when caring for acne-prone skin — and what to do instead.
1.The mistake: Roughly cleansing acne-prone skin.
Using harsh, abrasive products or tools (such as a loofah) can actually cause you to breakout more! According to Dr. Warren Shapiro, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Neutrogena, overscrubbing and using harsh scrubs can irritate your skin and make it harder for acne to clear and heal.
The solution: Stay away from abrasive cleansers and scrubbing tools. Use a gentle exfoliator a few times a week, and if you’re afraid of being too rough with your hands, try an exfoliating brush, which works to clean pores without irritating your skin.
2.The mistake: Dabbing acne medication only on pimples.
Acne medications not only speed the healing of existing pimples, explains Sergio Nacht, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Science and Technology for Advanced Polymer Systems, they also help prevent new pimples.
The solution: To keep skin in the clear, apply a thin layer of acne medication (one containing benzoyl peroxide will help kill the bacteria) over the entire area where pimples tend to occur.
- The mistake: Squeezing pimples.
Picking at pimples can spread infection, making skin worse–not better. And, according to Dr. Nacht, the result can be scarring.
The solution: Use an acne medication, such as a spot treatment, and don’t touch!
4.The mistake: Not rinsing well enough when washing your face.
When you rinse, you take away suds along with dirt and oil. “If you don’t completely rinse the soap away,” says Shulman, “it can be a potential irritant.”
The solution: Be sure to rinse your skin thoroughly after sudsing. About 30 seconds should be enough.
5.The mistake: Skipping sunscreen.
“Even if the weather is cloudy, the UV rays get through, and every exposure adds up,” says Darrell Doughty, Head of Investigative Skin Care for the Oil of Olay Skin Care Center. This can result in changes in your skin color and texture, wrinkles and fine lines appearing earlier and an increased possibility of developing skin cancer. A sunburn can dry out pimples temporarily, but it can end up making you break out even more, because your skin reacts to the drying effect of the sun by producing even more oil.
The solution: For optimum protection apply a facial moisturizer that contains sunscreen of SPF 15 or more every day. Look for one that says non-comedogenic on the bottle to ensure it doesn’t have pimple-causing ingredients.
