Acne Around The Mouth? Here's What You May Be Missing!

The location of your acne may relate to internal health, but it can also be directly connected to lifestyle habits. If your acne is constantly around the mouth, here are the common contributors we see.

Vaping or smoking

Smoking causes the skin's oil to become thicker and stickier, which contributes to breakouts. Vaping and smoking both can have dehydrating effects on the skin, which compromise the skin's health and also lead to more oil production. Finally, vaping and smoking may lead to more touching around the mouth.  

Mouth breathing

While we are not doctors and don't fully understand the scope of mouth breathing on your health, we do know that sleeping with your mouth open will lead to more drooling on your chin and pillow, which can definitely be a culprit for acne around the mouth!

Peanut butter

Peanut butter creates more androgens, which in turn produce sebum. Eating peanut butter regularly can cause acne to appear everywhere, but especially around the mouth and chin, where we are already more sebum-rich. 

Dirty makeup brushes

These can cause acne everywhere, but especially around the mouth, where we talk, and that makeup tends to settle. Wash your makeup brushes once a week with your favorite face cleanser. 

Perioral Dermatitis

This one is a trick because it's not actually acne, but people commonly mistake it for acne. The name perioral dermatitis means irritation of the skin around the mouth. But in short, perioral dermatitis looks like little whiteheads, redness, and/or scaly skin around the mouth. The whiteheads don't hurt like a pimple, and also don't extract like a pimple. 

Surgical masks

Surgical masks create friction and lead to acne mechanica. Often, people miss the correlation between their acne, even though it hits right where their mask rubs. 

Chapstick

Many chapsticks contain pore cloggers, or they become a breeding ground for bacteria over time. Stick to simple petroleum jelly or Rosebud Salve.  

Pillowcases

Hair products, drool, dead skin cells, and so much more can build up on pillowcases and clog the pores. Change them out 1-2x per week, and never use dryer sheets or fabric softeners! 

Resting your chin on your hands

Touching your face is a great way to spread acne-causing bacteria, and it leads to breakouts. Additionally, if you frequently wear hand lotion and touch or sleep on your hands, you can spread those waxes and oils to your pores. Check in with yourself to see if you rest your face in your hand or rest your hand near your mouth while thinking or concentrating.

Your partners scruff

If you are feeling dry, rough, or pimple-y skin around the mouth AND your partner has facial hair, ask them to shave or at least keep it as well-groomed as possible. 

We know that the list of potential acne culprits never seems to end. If you find yourself stumped by your acne, sometimes, instead of thinking outside the box, you should think inside the box. 

Acne takes time to form, and all of the above-mentioned are real acne culprits. Most are easy to address or at least are goals to work towards, but if you can't change some of them, we recommend spot treating with Sulfur Spot Treatment 1-3x per day!