Dealing with acne and breaking out.

As someone who still struggles with breaking out, I know what it’s like wanting to pick at them, and just being irritated and wishing you could rip your skin off and starting fresh. I know it’s hard and I know that sometimes it’s harder than others but remember your skin regenerates every 27 days so it’s really up to how well you take care of and manage your skin.

Some things can be out of your control but here’s what YOU can do to really help your body be it pimples on your face, body from your arms, back, butt, etc, whatever and wherever it may be:

1. You are what you eat.
   • I know people say this a lot but diet really plays a big role in your wellbeing. You might eat whatever you want and if you’re blessed with good metabolism, not have anything stick to you BUT just because you don’t gain weight doesn’t mean you should keep eating junk all the time.
   • Fill your body with things high in nutrients and vitamins so lots of fruits and veggies but as well as just a balanced diet in general.
   • There are also a lot of good anti-inflammatory foods that can help combat acne from:
     •  Olive oil
     • Berries
     • Dark Chocolate
     • Kale
     • Pineapple
     • Nuts
     • Lentils
     • Beans
     • Egg
     • Yogurt
     • Fish
     • Ginger
     • Leafy greens
     • Cucumbers
     • Avocados
     • The list can go on for ages, just look up “anti-inflammatory foods”
   • Spices can also play a role in how your skin looks, some popular ones are:
     • Turmeric contains the anti-inflammatory polyphenol curcumin, which can help regulate blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity and inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria, which may reduce acne
     • Cinnamon also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which help fight acne
     • Ginger also acts as a deep cleanser as it helps unclog pores and clears them of any accumulated dirt or grime and is anti-inflammatory as well
   • Some K E Y things to avoid that can really cause your skin to flare up:
     • Milk
       • Filled with so many hormones, there are a lot of alternatives
       • Milk is known to increase insulin levels, independent of its effects on blood sugar, which may worsen acne.
     • Canned and processed foods,
       • These have been packaged and processed ages ago and are filled with so many chemicals, preservatives etc.
       • If you don’t recognize most of the ingredients or the list is too long, try to find healthier alternatives.
       • This also includes white items which have been stripped of its fiber and nutrients
     • Oily foods
       • This also includes the oils used to cook food even vegetable oils include canola oil, corn oil, and butter.
       • Fried or fat-filled foods increase oxidation and break down the skin regenerating nutrients. These foods reduce blood circulation under your skin, prevent sweat through pores, clog pores (and your veins but that’s another health issue), and produce acne.
     • Salt and sugar (same effect as gluten)
       • Obviously, we can’t live without salt and sugar BUT we need to be mindful of HOW MUCH we consume.
       • The more salt we intake, it eats at the water we consume making us even more dehydrated, wrinkled and get more pimples
       • Salt can lead to swelling in the tissues which causes your face to swell.
       • Sugar can cause inflammation and problems related to the digestive system.
     • Carbs
       • Refined carbohydrates are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, which rapidly raises blood sugar levels.
       • When blood sugars rise, insulin levels also rise to help shuttle the blood sugars out of the bloodstream and into your cells.
       • It makes acne grow faster.
     • Vitamins
       • PROBIOTICS promote a healthy gut and balanced microbiome, which is linked to reduced inflammation and a lower risk of acne development
       • FISH OILS are filled with omega 3 and have a lot of anti-inflammatory effects
       • ZINC can decrease oil production in the skin and can protect against bacterial infection and inflammation.
       • VITAMIN B can enhance your pores and skin and can play a role in lowering stress
       • With bioflavonoids, VITAMIN C can have an additional antibacterial impact in eliminating acne.
       • VITAMIN E plays a crucial role in protecting your skin and repairing harmed tissue like acne scars. It guards against the dangerous action of free radicals caused by excess sun exposure, stopping cell damage by inhibiting polyunsaturated fats from being oxidized.
       • VITAMIN K can strengthen your skin, speed recovery and reduce the appearance of bruises. It can help in repairing skin which has been harmed by dryness or discoloration because of acne.
   • MAKE SURE TO WASH YOUR FACE.
     • I cannot stress this enough, so many people come home and just relax and go about their day. As soon as you come home, make sure to change out of the clothes you were in and wash your hands and face asap. There are so much dust, pollution, dirt, oils, sweat, and just germs and you’re going to bring that onto your living space, where you relax and sleep? Nasty.
   • Regularly change your bedding.
     • This is overlooked a ton but we literally spend so much time on our beds and over time, oils from our face, hair, dust, dead skin etc build up and as we put our faces on them, they stick to our skin and it builds up there.
     • Try to wash your bedding at least every other week. If you sweat at night, wash your bed sheets weekly.
   • Develop a good skincare routine. LESS. IS. MORE
     • You NEEEEED to be taking care of your skin. A big reason as to why people break out is because their skin is too dry. The body is like “oh no!” and sends in oils to help with the dryness (so more pimples so you get to it before it gets you) so ALWAYS moisturize after you wash your face etc.
     • Look into benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, Glycolic acid or other treatments to see what would work best with your situation (I speak more about it below)
     • Whatever you do, be consistent with it. Have a cleanser, something to help exfoliate (I use toners most times, you just need something to get rid of dead skin on your face otherwise it just builds up, clogs your pores and no product really goes in and works), moisturizer and sunscreen. If you need an extra boost, use a mask a few times a week. Here are my all-time favorites:
       •  cleansers
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       • exfoliators
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       • toner
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       • moisturizer
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       • eye cream
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       • mask
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       • sunscreen
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       • oils (despite popular belief, oils can really help get rid of acne if you cleanse and exfoliate, people with cystic acne have even succeeded with them)
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   • WATER IS SO SO IMPORTANT
     • INHALE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. USE A STRAW, IT HELPS YOU DRINK MORE.
     • The more you carry a big bottle around everywhere, the more likely you are to drink water. If you get a big one, you won’t have to get up to fill it as often. My all-time favorite is this one, the Starbucks Venti Tumbler with a straw. It’s 24 ounces so basically 3 glasses. It’s double caged acrylic (I get so scared to use glass) so when you put ice in it, it doesn’t condense up and make the surface it’s on, wet.
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     • Water regulates the digestive system and flushes toxins, pathogens, and allergens from our system.
     • You can add fruits or teabags in for a bit of flavor so it’s not as bland and you also get an antioxidant boost.
   • Dermarolling
     • Dermarolling helps heal scarring. It really help goes and pricks the deeper layers of the skin and promotes collagen and elastin production (basically your skin gets a small cut from the microneedles and is like “ohmg we’re hurt” and sends all these to help heal the skin aka stimulating cell regeneration so the darker hurt cells are removed and you get new and healthier cells and skin).
     • Dermarolling also makes your skin more receptive to skincare products so whatever you use will be absorbed more which is better for you because it’ll help your skin work harder and you’ll really get the most out of your products.
     • I got mine like for $10 at Amazon. You just pour a bit of rubbing alcohol on it to get rid of bacteria, let it dry then use it.
       • looks like this
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   • DO. NOT. TOUCH. YOUR. FACE.
     • Our phones are dirtier than toilets, our hands are always touching literally everything and then you’re gonna put all that nasty on your face and have the audacity to wonder why your skin isn’t flawless? This is massive. If you need to, hand sanitize wash your hands and try to avoid touching your face overall.
     • ALSO picking at your pimples and breakouts leaves scars which take way longer to heal so just try to avoid touching your face and picking at anything.
   • For body acne:
     • Make sure to always change out of sweaty clothes
     • Shower on a regular basis
     • Check the ingredients because you might be sensitive to a lot of scented ingredients
     • Tight clothes really can suffocate your skin and clog it
     • Use a benzoyl peroxide body wash or cleanser, it’s effective in treating both acne and folliculitis because of its antimicrobial properties
     • Find a good salicylic acid acne treatment, it’s a beta hydroxy acid and can help remove excess oils and exfoliate dead skin cells so they don’t get trapped in your pores and follicles
     • Glycolic acid helps to brighten dark spots so use that to reduce scarring.
   • Go to a dermatologist.
     • Sometimes you can have other underlying health issues and stuff that can cause you to breakout so talk to a doctor and dermatologist and see what’s happening.

Comment below with some things that have worked for you or what you hope to try.

Hope you give these a try and if you do, tag me on Instagram @justbusydreaming for a shoutout ♥️