Taking care of our skin can be such a mystery. A puzzle where the pieces are always shifting. And the truth is, your skin is always constantly changing. Unfortunately, that means the way we’re addressing issues needs to change, too. But what’s so absolutely frustrating is when we don’t even know why something is happening.
While this list isn’t comprehensive, hopefully it can help provide a little context to ensure you feel a bit more knowledgeable next time you’re experiencing a break out. Nobody wants to feel lost when it comes to what’s happening with their own body.
Dehydration
It’s basic, I know, but it’s also TRUE. When we’re not drinking enough water, our skin gets dry, and in trying to fix that issue for us it produces excess oil.
If you’re noticing patches of dryness or roughness while also noticing fresh breakouts or sporadic bouts of oiliness that feel irregular, the answer might be simple: water. Research shows evidence that drinking more water can increase deep skin hydration and elasticity, as well as help reduce that dryness and rough texture. It’s never a bad idea for a little extra H2O.
Detoxifying
Detoxification, or the body flushing toxins that can be harmful, is another common reason for breakouts. During a detox, our skin is an easy route for our body to get rid of those toxins. As our skin “purges” them, it’s natural for a breakout to occur. But why?
This cause can be a little trickier to diagnose. There’s a range of things that can cause this reaction — fasting, certain diets or a change in diet, detox teas. It’s not uncommon to face this type of acne if you’re a gym-goer currently pushing through a “cutting” phase. While our kidneys and digestive system do a lot of the work to detoxify, our skin also carries some of the weight through purging out what our body no longer wants to hold.
How do we care for our skin through this time? Keep it clean, hydrated, and maintain a consistent skincare routine. Your skin will adjust, but be patient. This is a perfectly normal response, and the skin should find its way back to a stasis as the process goes on. In the end, this may even lead to a healthier, more radiant complexion.
Stress
It’s a classic for a reason! When a body experiences stress, it starts producing additional hormones like cortisol, which in turn tells our skin to create more oil and become inflamed. With more oil comes the chance for more buildup on our skin which makes it easier for bacterial growth and clogged pores.
The best path is continuing to respond to your skins’ needs through your skincare routine, ensuring products that exfoliate but aren’t too harsh and cleanse but are matched with hydration. Anything you can do to help get you out of a state of stress is ideal—meditation, asking for help with life tasks, setting work or family boundaries, etc. Think about what’s on your plate and what you might be able to take off to prioritize your own holistic health.
Hormonal Changes
What time of the month is it? What stage of life are you in? There are a number of moments in our lives when our hormones change, and in turn we experience a chain reaction that leads to breakouts. How fun! If you’re struggling trying to discover why your skin is doing that, it might be helpful to check in with a calendar and your body.
This breakout-style is not unlike stress, but we’re perhaps a little more challenged in preventing it. For women the experience of menopause, menstruation and the luteal phase, and pregnancy are all bodily changes that in turn cause shifts in our hormones. Things like going off birth control or for men changes in testosterone are other prime examples of how our body’s hormonal shifts can trigger acne.
Much like stress acne, we need to continue with our skincare routine and find opportunities to prevent additional factors that will compound our skin’s current challenges. Trying to reduce stress, protecting our skin from harsh factors like smoke or too much sun, and paying attention to what our body needs all benefit our skin. Using LED light therapy can be another helpful tool to combat hormonal acne.
Most of our hormonal changes are on a cycle of some sort, and as there’s a start there will also be an end. Stick through it, and your skin should calm as your body shifts again.
Friction
If you’re experiencing more breakouts on your cheeks specifically, it could be time to think about the items that regularly touch your skin. When was the last time you cleaned your cell phone? When was the last time you cleaned your pillow case? We often don’t think about these items that we are frequently coming in contact with. The possibility of friction and how this irritates the skin isn’t entirely avoidable, but that doesn’t mean we can’t set ourselves up for success.
Make sure your phone screen, glasses, or anything else that might routinely come in contact with your skin is clean. Additionally, if even a clean pillowcase is causing you issues and you don’t already own one, consider switching to a satin or silk pillowcase.
Makeup & Skincare
I know a lot of us hate this question, but… did you wash your face last night? It doesn’t matter what products you’re using if you’re not removing makeup or sunscreen from your face to bring your skin back to its natural state at the end of the day. If you notice acne breakouts along your hairline, this might even be from certain hair products you’re using or a sign you’re not reaching the edges of your face when you’re cleansing.
To prevent these breakouts, pay attention to how products react against your skin. Additionally, establish some sense of skincare routine that feels right for you. If you’re putting makeup or other daily wear products on your skin consistently, ensure you’re finding time to remove the makeup, cleanse, and moisturize at least. Even small self-care routines are beneficial for us.
Final Thoughts
The takeaway? Skin is complicated. It’s okay if it feels confusing sometimes. Often, our skin might be responding to a combination of the above reasons. Do your best to treat your skin with respect, and it will try to do the same back for you.
Plus, it’s okay to ask for help with what your skin might need. Whether that’s with one of our estheticians in a service or with our front desk team regarding skincare line questions. Nobody can do everything alone.
Our skin changes, and all we can do is our best to listen. Take a breath, and ask… what is your skin saying to you?
Written by: Annie Lindenberg, MFA Creative Writing, Menari Blogger