This post was sponsored by the PRIMP Network. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
There’s nothing more frustrating than breakouts and pimples, especially when you’re well past your teens, juggling work, family, friends, relationships, mortgages and bills, and a whole slew of other responsibilities. Who wants to be fighting pimples on top of all that?!
The sad fact of the matter is that even in our 20’s and 30’s, our skin can still breakout from a number of things – new makeup/skincare products, stress, diet, and the same hormones that we dealt with back in high school. Fortunately, it’s often easy to pinpoint these lifestyle changes, and then break the cycle by tossing out a bad product, eating healthier, or exercising more to de-stress.
Did you know that pimple popping releases dopamine, which is the feel good hormone, but doing it can be bad for you instead you can watch pimple popping videos that gives you a cathartic rush of satisfaction.
There are however a few daily habits (or lack thereof) that can get us into equally as much trouble, as they increase the amount of impurities and bacteria on our skin – some without us even knowing! Here are six skincare tips and new habits to try out to help break the cycle of those sneaky and vicious, yet easily avoidable causes of adult acne.
6 Ways to Prevent Adult Acne
Hands Off!
We use our hands all day long and they pick up a lot of dirt and bacteria in the process. Touch your face, and you’re putting all those nasty things from your desk, door knobs, and who knows where else onto your skin. If you’re constantly getting pimples in same areas, take note of if and where you touch your face throughout the day, and then try to break the habit.
Keep Your Phone & Pillowcase Clean
Next after your hands, your phone and your pillowcase are two things that frequently come in contact with your face. Both grab hold of makeup, oil, dead skin, bacteria, dust, and other air borne particles, so it’s super important to regularly clean them. Try to wash your pillowcase at least once a week (using the hottest water possible to kill all the germs), and wipe down your phone with anti-bacterial wipes every few days.
Wash & Sanitize Makeup Brushes
If you don’t regularly clean your makeup brushes, they’ll collect leftover makeup, oil, and dead skin, and worse yet – become a breeding ground for bacteria, after only a few weeks! This pore-clogging, acne-causing concoction can be harmful to your complexion and your makeup. To break the cycle of transferring gunk and bacteria between your brushes, makeup, and face, clean your brushes regularly or, at the very least, spritz them with an anti-bacterial spray every few days. The same goes for makeup – spritz a little isopropyl alcohol over your pans and tubes to kill any bacteria. (Check out my brush cleaning guide here for more tips!)
Exfoliate – Daily!
Skin constantly sheds, and if those dead skin cells are left to sit and accumulate on your face, they can quickly clog up pores. Rather than using harsh scrubs or strong acidic peels every few weeks, incorporate something gentle, like a washcloth or light exfoliating cleanser, into your daily routine to remove dead skin every time you cleanse. (Or better yet, a facial cleansing brush, which brings me to my next tip!)
Invest in a Cleansing Device
It has been proven that a facial cleansing device – like the Clarisonic or FOREO Luna – removes more impurities than our fingers alone. Most have vibrating and exfoliating brush heads which send our facial cleansers deeper into our pores while thoroughly removing surface impurities like leftover makeup and dead skin cells. If you wear heavy foundation on the daily, or can’t seem to break a cycle of dry flakes and and pore congestion, I recommend doing a little research and investing in a cleansing device that aligns with your skin type and sensitivity.
Go Foundation Free
Foundation may look good on the surface, but close up, it’s sitting there on our pores, waiting to clog them if left on too long. (That’s why washing your makeup off before bed is so important!) Even if you’re wearing all-natural foundation or BB cream, it still contains pigments, mica, and other compounds that don’t ever absorb and therefore have only one place to go – your pores. So on the days you don’t absolutely need the coverage, skip the foundation and give your pores a break – in other words, one less day to collect makeup, and one more day to breathe, heal, and recover. Your skin will thank you!
How to Banish Zits Overnight
When all else fails and you find yourself battling a problem zit, it’s time to break out a spot treatment. One powerful little formula that works wonders (and is under $5!) is ZAPTZYT’s Acne Treatment Gel. It contains maximum strength 10% benzoyl peroxide and is proven to reduce the appearance of acne within 5 hours. Simply apply a small dot of gel on your pimple right before bed, and the next morning you’ll wake up to a smaller, less inflamed, less noticeable zit.
If your skin is really acting up, or you’re sensing a breakout, try adding in one or more of ZAPZYT’s powerful, yet gentle, acne-fighting products to your skincare routine. They have a facial wash on top of the pore treatment gel, which can be added or swapped into your current skincare routine whenever your skin needs a little extra help. Best of all, they’re designed to deliver maximum results using salicylic acid without drying out skin, thanks to soothing ingredients like aloe and chamomile.
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What’s your favorite skincare tip for preventing or fighting breakouts?
