-
3 Simple Tricks To Prevent Further Breakouts.
While there are many reasons men get acne and dozens of ways to treat it, here are 3 simple, often overlooked steps you can take RIGHT NOW to help breakouts. These tools, used in conjunction with an appropriate skin care routine, will help you prevent further breakouts.
- CHANGE YOUR PILLOWCASES FREQUENTLY - Seriously, this is the one thing people with acne rarely think about. Your face produces oil naturally, especially if you have acne prone skin. Those oils seep into the fabric of your pillowcase and over time, that comfortable pillow you rest your head on at night becomes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If you have pets and they sleep on your pillows? Bacteria! Sharing pillows with someone else? Now your sharing face oils and…bacteria! And those hair products you use? Gels, pommades, molding muds, whatever? Those get onto your pillowcase as well. Hair products are heavily fragranced and full of waxy, pore clogging ingredients that just don’t belong on your face. So… having sufficiently scared you into developing an obsessive compulsive disorder about pillowcases, how often should you change them? If you have moderate to severe acne, I strongly suggest washing or changing pillowcases TWICE PER WEEK. Yes, AT LEAST TWICE PER WEEK! When you wash those pillowcases, use FRAGRANCE and COLOR FREE laundry detergent. Remember, artificial colors and dyes can irritate sensitive/acne prone skin. If you use fabric softeners (no matter if its in the washer or the dryer) use color and fragrance free fabric softeners as well. Personally, I’d eliminate fabric softeners altogether, just to be on the safe side. They contain what many consider to be harsh chemicals that aren’t good for your face or body.
- DRY YOUR FACE WITH CLEAN TOWELS - Seems obvious, right? But this is another thing guys don’t think twice about. If you use one towel for your body AND face, and you use that towel several times before washing or replacing it, guess what? Bacteria! If you have moderate to severe acne and you are SERIOUS about getting it under control, use a CLEAN face cloth (washed in fragrance and color free detergent) EVERY TIME you wash your face. If that’s a little too OCD for you, use one clean face cloth per day. Since you should be washing your face twice a day, the face cloth you use in the morning can be used at night, as long as it only touches your freshly washed face and is hung someplace clean to dry.
- STOP TOUCHING YOUR FACE - I know. I’m beginning to sound like a hypochondriac. But I cant stress enough that for people with bad acne, bacteria is the enemy. Your hands come in contact with all kinds of things on any given day and touching your face with dirty, greasy, unwashed hands can spread bacteria, clog pores and cause breakouts. If you need to touch that handsome mug of yours, at least make sure your hands are clean, okay?
