Combating Acne
Find out exactly what is causing your acne and how to control it.
By GLOWIFY
Acne, spots, blemishes, pimples, zits… Whichever way they come, they are never welcomed with open arms.
They are painful, not the most attractive and can really get us down. I know, I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt…(and annoyingly the t-shirt still fits). 30 years old and still getting teenage acne? Who can relate?
But hey, guess what? We are human! It happens… There are so many aspects of life that effect our skin and body and we shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it. In the world of perfectly filtered photos, it’s easy to believe that everyone in the world has amazing skin except for you. Trust me, being in the industry myself, it’s NOT TRUE.
Here are a few things that I promise will really help out.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle plays a HUGE part on your skin. When I suffered from severe acne (hence my passion for this subject), I had a complete lifestyle change. I cut out sugar from my diet (don’t worry, you don’t have to go this extreme!) but my gosh did it make a difference. This is when I realised how much what you put in your body impacts your skin.
Tips:
- Be mindful of what you are putting in your body – Cut down on anything you know isn’t good for your skin. Dairy, sugar, fried foods are some of the most inflammatory ingredients.
- Drink lots of water! – I cannot stress this enough. Water is going to flush all the toxins out of your body, promoting a clearer, more hydrated skin. 2 litres a day at least.
- Eat your Veg – Green leafy veg like broccoli, kale, bok choy will help with the healing process. If you don’t like veg, there are so many recipes online to make them more exciting.
- Herbal Teas – Drinking herbal teas are also great to flush out any toxins in your body. Some of the best ones for the skin are rose, white, green, hibiscus, rooibos and ginger.
“Don’t believe everything you see on instagram. There are so many editing apps to eliminate imperfections on the skin and body.”
Routine
A good day and night skincare routine is key. This is going to make sure that you are balancing your skin well in the morning, and getting rid of all the impurities of the day at night. I speak more in detail about this in my Dealing with oily prone skin blog.
Tips:
- Give yourself just 30 mins a week (that’s all I’m asking for!) to really give your skin a mini facial. I love using a facial steamer to open up my pores before treating myself to a good face mask.
- Line up your skincare in order or steps and even put it on a pretty tray. Anything that will make it feel like a luxury and get you to put it on!
- Cleanse your skin for a minimum of 1 minute every night. – This made a huge impact on my acne as it gives your cleanser a chance to do its job.
- Clean your makeup brushes! – You wouldn’t believe how much oil and bacteria makeup brushes hold from the skin. If you have acne and you use your brushes and don’t clean them, all you are doing is spreading the bacteria from acne all over your makeup and face. Use a brush cleansing spray on they every time you use them, and a gel cleanser once a month.
- Regularly change your pillow case – Changing the bed sheets are a bit of a chore. But changing your pillow case isn’t. This will stop any bacteria from acne to spread all over the face.
Mindset
Don’t believe everything you see on Instagram. There are so many editing apps to eliminate imperfections on the skin and body, make your waist look smaller, your cheekbones higher, you can even completely change your background to a perfect sunset when its just a normal UK rainy day. It’s insane. At the same time, you need to work on the stresses that impact your life, and really make a change. Nothing really good in life comes easily.
Tips:
- Follow ‘influencers’ that don’t constantly use filters on their face and speak the truth about normal, everyday concerns.
- Write down a list of things that stress you out, that you know are bad for you and make a conscious effort to change them.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself… Spots happen! There are so many worse things that can happen and it’s reminding yourself of that. Have a look at my *Blemishes & hyperpigmentation blog* to learn how to easily cover up acne without damaging the skin.
My "combating acne" essentials:
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