Kick Acne For Good in 2024
Having acne means that your pores don’t fully function as they should. For the most part, you can’t change your pores, which means you will always have acne-prone skin. However, the healthier you and your skin are, the less likely you are to battle chronic acne. Try these top five lifestyle habits – they aren’t easy, but they will have excellent results.
Seriously limit sugar
When it comes to healthy foods, opinions can be very divisive. However, there is one food everyone agrees is unhealthy: sugar. Sugar causes inflammation. And if you reduce your inflammation, you’ll reduce the acne (or at least its severity). We are not saying cutting sugar will cure acne, but it is a great start. While different foods trigger acne in different bodies, sugar is a universal problem.
Unfortunately, our diets are over-saturated with sugar. It goes much further than dessert and candy. Cereals, granola, yogurt, coffee drinks and creamers, nut milks, and white bread are usually full of sugar – and that’s just breakfast! Start checking labels and cutting back sugar to the universally recommended dose. And just a heads up, a Coke has double that! Eating with reduced sugar consumption in mind can be considered a “low glycemic” approach. Dr. Fulton, Vivant Skincare founder, recommended eating this way for acne decades ago.
Start preparing what you eat
When you eat out, you have no control over what you may be consuming. There could be unknown acne-causing culprits in the form of preservatives, iodized salt, soy, dairy, vegetable oils, and many more. Once in a while, it probably won’t make or break your skin, but if most of your meals are made in a restaurant, processed, and/or frozen, that could add to your acne. We advise opting for simple whole foods and shooting to meal prep at least one meal daily. When dealing with acne, the less you put on your skin and the less you put into your body, the better.
Do your skin regimen every morning and night
If your skin is breaking out and you are not cleansing, toning, applying a corrective serum, and a hydrator twice a day, that is the first place to start. No matter how convinced you are that hormones, stress, or diet are your acne-causing culprits, topical treatments (recommended by an acne-expert aesthetician) do work with consistency. If you are inconsistent with your regimen, your skin will continue to break out!
Get facial treatments
While some facial services focus on relaxation, our sessions are more like a skin treatment – we even coined the phrase “the functional facial treatment.” Appointments should include a lot of talk about your skin, your skin history, and how to improve or maintain it based on your goals. It should also include impactful exfoliation and thorough extractions. Facial treatments are like going to the dentist. They are deep cleanings and check-ins with follow-up instructions and appointments. If you cannot afford a monthly treatment, that is ok! Always prioritize the recommended products and then try to get in every 6-10 weeks as a starting point. Some HSA accounts cover skin treatments and products as well.
Stop picking
It seems simple, but it’s not. Controlling your fingers is one of the very most challenging habits to break. There is no easy way to stop picking, but it’s absolutely making your acne much worse. All the above-listed tips will help control your acne and keep your hands busy doing your regimen. So start there, and then aim to improve. Ice your skin 2x a day when you are concerned about breakouts. Spot treat with leave-on Sulfur Clay Mask so it is impossible to pick your skin. Keep your nails short and your hands clean for when the urge gets too intense. Avoid looking too close in the mirror and ask your friends and family to kindly help point out when you’re picking and don’t realize it. And we have even more tips in this blog!
For more information on acne, check out these additional blogs in our archives:
What The Dermatologist Didn’t Tell You About Acne