In this fast paced, ever changing world, there are SO many different “truths” out there nowadays and it’s hard to figure out what’s right from wrong!
After a bunch of research and personal experience, I want to help break down 5 acne myths to help you on your way to clearer, healthier skin.
Some of these may be things you have done, or still do. And that’s okay!
We’re all here to learn and grow and change our daily habits to help ourselves in the long run!
Myth #1- Acne is For Teenagers
OK, I’ll be the first to tell you that teenagers are not the only people who get acne!
I was very fortunate growing up, that all through my schooling days, I only had the typical few blemishes here and there.
And now, being a 25-year-old woman, I’ve struggled with a ton of acne!
There are two subtitles of adult acne:
“Persistent Acne”– where acne from teenage years continues without ever healing,
“Late Onset-Acne”-where the breaking out cycle begins again usually around the age of 25.
Although we are no longer going through body changes such as puberty, we as women go through many hormonal body changes.
We can experience breakouts during our time of the month, pregnancy, and even trying out different birth controls.
As adults, I believe our lives get more stressful as well, as we are now working jobs, in relationships, and just navigating through life.
This can cause some pretty intense stress, which releases the hormone cortisol, and that in turn can cause major breakouts as well.
Acne is definitely not just for teenagers!
Myth #2- Lifestyle Doesn’t Affect Acne
I have heard this one pretty often, and it very much surprises me.
I know that sometimes breakouts just happen, and we don’t know how or why. But I truly believe that the way we choose to live, can definitely affect our skins health.
First, diet– What we eat will ultimately show through our skin (I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase- “you are what you eat”).
If we are indulging in a lot of fatty, greasy, sugary, and processed foods, you bet your skin is going to suffer!
But if we can make sure we’re drinking plenty of water each day, and eating a bunch of healthy, colorful foods, this will help to flush out toxins, and give you the healthy, glowing skin you’re dreaming of!
Like I mentioned above, stress from our every day lives could have a huge impact on our skin as well.
Where we live can also affect the health of our skin. If we are being exposed to high pollution, heat and humidity, or even really cold weather, all these can affect our skins health.
These are hard changes to make, because for most of us, we can’t just move to the perfect location or quit our stressful jobs.
That’s why it’s super important to use the right natural skin products for your skin type, and to also make sure your keeping your skin clean!
Myth # 3- Acne Prone Skin Shouldn’t Be Moisturized
OK, this is definitely one that a lot of people still believe to this day.
It’s hard for me to even imagine not applying a moisturizer to my skin, as I have the driest skin ever!
No moisturizer on my face = the Arizona desert (which is very fitting;)
But what a lot of people don’t know is that when you don’t moisturize, your skin will try to do it on its own (producing a ton of oil which will clog pores and create acne.)
It may seem counterintuitive to put moisturizer on your skin if you naturally have oily skin, but this can really help to even out your oil production!
The right moisturizer can also help to calm your inflammation, helping your skin to be less red, and painful.
Myth # 4- Popping Pimples Will Help To Clear Acne Faster
I experienced the terrible consequences of this first hand!
I completely understand how DIFFICULT it is to not touch, or pop any blemishes you have.
Because let’s be honest here, we don’t want them smack dab on our faces!
We want them gone!
But let me give you this firm warning- when you pop your pimples, you’re not only creating a ton of deep red scars, but you’re going to create even MORE pimples!
What we don’t realize, is that there’s a lot of buildup of bacteria underneath the skin.
So when you apply pressure to these zits, it may look like you’re squeezing everything out, but you’re actually spreading a ton of bacteria underneath.
This will cause a very painful cycle of breaking out, and scars forming.
If you’ve read My Story, you can see how many red scars I was dealing with, all because of popping.
It was once I decided I was going to no longer touch my blemishes, that these bad breakouts stopped occurring.
So as hard as it is, if you really want to stop this bad pattern, do all that you can to not pop your pimples!
Myth # 5- Tanning Can Help Spots And Scars Disappear
This is something I personally believed, and I’m very thankful that I now know NOT to do!
As someone with lighter skin, I thought maybe getting a nice tan will help my scars look less noticeable.
Well what I didn’t realize is that though it helped my skin color match my scars a little more, it actually made my scars deeper and take longer to get rid of.
I asked Katie, my personal esthetician how going out in the sun effects acne, and she said;
“The UVA/UVB rays of the sun are so damaging to our skin. It can make scars look worse and pigmentation a lot darker. Using a broadband spectrum SPF will help to protect your skin against both damaging rays.”
So although it may be desirable to tan your skin, if you have acne and scars, it’s better to stay out of the sun, and to always wear a good SPF (find natural, acne safe sunscreens Here).
I hope this helps you to change any bad habits so that you can be further in your way to clear, healthy, glowing skin!
Comment down below any myths you believed and no longer practice!
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@HadisSafari
@AutriTaheri
@AnastasiiaOstapavych
@jtylernix
100 Summers 