There are few feelings worse in the world then waking up to an acne breakout. Not only do you feel less then your best, but you may also start to wonder if you'll ever be able to return your skin to it's glowing and youthful look that you've been working to achieve with your skincare routine. It can be jarring to look in the mirror and realize that overnight your skin didn't do you any favors.
The key here is to not panic and know that there is a path back from an acne breakout that will not require any interventions and can get you looking your best in no time. The first thing you will want to do is to make sure you address the outbreak as it has happened and then address some factors that might have led to the outbreak in the first place (more on that below.) First, you will want to address the outbreak that is staring your in the mirror.
There are a couple of steps you can take to combat this particular acne breakout. You will want to use a gentle daily vegan facial cleanser to wash your face twice a day to remove any dirt and oil that may be exacerbating the outbreak. This is a critical first step to make sure that your face is free from any factors that could make the outbreak worse. Then you will want to start with an over-the-counter treatment like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acide to reduce inflammation and redness. This will also help to unclog your pores. If none of this work, you may need to turn to a prescription medication to address the continued persistence of the breakout. For this you may need to see a dermatologist.
The key here is, don't panic. In almost every case an acne breakout can be addressed and dealt with so it does not affect your skin in any meaningful long-term way. That's the good news. The even better news is that when you get it taken care of, you can start to address some of your behaviors that may be leading to the breakout and get these under control so you don't have to deal with this type of acne again. Here are three things you can do immediately to make sure you are reducing the number of acne breakouts you are experiencing.
1.) Change your diet. If you're not eating a balanced diet you may be contributing to your growing acne issue. Eating a balanced diet will help regulate your hormones and reduce inflammation. If you want to be diligent about this you should focus on whole grains, fruits and vegetables so your diet is addressing the real needs of your skin.
2.) Reduce your stress levels. In a fast paced environment, whether you're at school or the office stress is sometimes unavoidable. There are some things you can do to change your behaviors that could lead to a reduction in stress like taking some time for a little meditation during the day or sneaking out for a yoga class at lunch. These techniques will allow you to reduce your stress which can be a contributing factor to your acne.
3.) Last but not least, the hardest one of them all, avoid touching your face. This is one of those items that people tell you to stop doing and then you can't stop doing it. Maybe you didn't even notice you were doing it before, but now someone has pointed it out and you are doing it more frequently. Be cognizant of this because touching your face can transfer bacteria and oils to your skin that could cause acne, but don't let it consume you because then you will never stop doing it. Take a slow and steady approach to trying to avoid this behavior.
No one thing or behavior is really to blame for an acne outbreak, but these combined contributing factors can result in a reduction in the number of outbreaks you might be having. Identifying these behaviors and working to change them can go a long way in your quest for glowing skin.
