Top 5 things to Avoid when Managing Acne and Congested Skin
When people think of acne, they think of teenagers, but acne can affect many people through adulthood as well.
Studies have shown as many as half of all adult women experience some form of acne due to an increase in androgen and a decrease of estrogen in peri-menopause. However, just because you might experience an occasional blemish or two does not mean you have acne.
It simply means your skin is congested due to improper diet, skin care, hormonal fluctuations, etc. However, whether your skin is occasionally congested or you have struggled with acne, the following tips will help manage both.
Now for the "Don't's"...
- Don't Pick - Break bad habits, such as picking and squeezing the skin. Picking can spread acne-causing bacteria, and squeezing can spread infected material deeper into the skin, causing more inflammation and even scarring. Acne will go away, but scars will not.
- Don't over-cleanse - Over-cleansing can be detrimental to acne-prone skin as well. This can further irritate the skin, stripping essential moisture, causing inflammation and additional risk of infection.
- Don't neglect your diet - New research has found that dairy and fermented or yeast-based foods can exacerbate acne conditions. These include aged cheeses, high processed milk, wine, beer, champagne and mushrooms. Skin care experts now recommend pro-biotics to counteract unhealthy bacteria living in the stomach lining and the resulting inflammation that can increase acne flare ups as well.
- Don't tan - Avoid sunbathing, and not just because of the damaging UV light. Once considered part of an acne treatment program, UV light can initially dry up excess sebum and reduce pustules, but can lead to other reactions that actually increase oil production and sebum build-up on the skin.
- Don't forget to exercise and seek out acne treatments