4 Underrated Tips for Acne-Prone Skin You Have to Try
Caring for acne-prone skin is about just applying the newest, blemish-busting product. In today's blog, we cover 4 of the most underrated tips for acne-prone skin you should give a try before getting that next product.
First Things First - What is Blemish-Prone Skin and Acne?
Before we begin, it's important to first understand some basics about acne. Not all acne is the same, which is important because this also means that not all treatments are the same too.
The simplest way to understand acne is to split it into two categories: noninflammatory and inflammatory.
Noninflammatory
Noninflammatory acne refers to clogged pores that appear as blackheads or whiteheads. We won't gross you out with pictures, but this acne is the mildest and easiest to spot.
Blackheads have a dark appearance and typically look somewhat flat against the skin. Whiteheads on the other hand are your typical, zit with small skin-colored bumps.
Inflammatory
For inflammatory acne, this can be anything with a red or more robust appearance. This ranges from papules to more severe things like cysts.
Papules are small red bumps, and pustules are small bumps that contain pus.
There's also deeper, more painful acne which typically shows up on the skin in the form of inflamed bumps. They cover a much larger surface area of the skin and usually feel as if they're underneath the skin itself.
4 Must-Try Skincare Tips for Acne-Prone Skin
Treating acne and creating the perfect skincare routine for you doesn't mean just trying product after product. Creating the perfect routine involves intentional cleansing, and some small, simple lifestyle changes.
Some simple, effective ways to prevent and reduce acne include:
- washing your face twice a day and after sweating
- being gentle with your skin by avoiding harsh scrubs
- don’t pick or pop!
- washing your bedsheets and pillowcases often
Let's cover these in a bit more detail below.
Washing Your Face Twice a Day
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, washing your face when you wake up and before you go to bed is recommended. However, it's important to remember with face washing, less is more.
Washing more than 2x a day can actually lead to skin irritation and dry skin, which can lead to more acne! So unless you're particularly sweaty during the day, twice a day is the magic number for face washing!
Be Gentle & Don't Use Harsh Exfoliants
As Dermatologist Dr. Brooke Bair puts it, "Acne is not a 'dirt' problem, so scrubbing harder and using hard exfoliants don't help and can only lead to more redness and irritation".
With acne and blackheads especially, the temptation is to scrub harder and exfoliate more. But if your skin is already prone to acne, it's important to remember that scrubbing more and trying to 'clean' your skin more often isn't going to help.
Be gentle, stick to the basics, and avoid exfoliating more than 1x per week, especially if you have sensitive skin.
No Picking or Popping!
We know... it's so tempting to pop our pimples. After all, who wants to stare at that white blemish all day? But, you have to remember, popping in almost every circumstance does a lot more harm than good.
Not only is it usually better to leave pimples alone, but popping and squeezing is the most common cause of acne scarring.
What's worse is popping also transfers bacteria into other pores, which can lead to further inflammation of the acne you already have.
Wash Your Bedsheets and Pillowcases Often
Now, this is perhaps our most underrated, but also most important tip for treating acne-prone skin.
To avoid clogging your pores, the American Academy of Dermatology advises changing or washing sheets at least once a week.
Your pillowcases and sheets build up a lot of bacteria over time, which is terrible for your skin and can lead to acne, or worsen the acne you already have.
In conclusion...
When it comes to treating acne, it can be easy to spin your wheels. Every social media influencer is always touting the next miracle product, but the truth is, skincare is actually quite simple, and you'll likely have better results by making some small changes to what you do outside of your skincare routine than you will by adding yet another product.
As we discussed, the 4 most underrated tips for acne-prone skin that can heavily improve your treatment include:
- washing your face twice a day and after sweating
- being gentle with your skin by avoiding harsh scrubs
- don’t pick or pop!
- washing your bedsheets and pillowcases often
You don't need any new products to give these a try, but we promise they'll make just as much of a difference! Give them a try and comment on our blog to let us know how they worked for you!
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