5 Skincare Bad Habits That Can Cause More Acne Breakouts

Everyone makes an occasional mistake or allows for slip-ups in their skincare routine and until these do not become regular occurrences, we should not worry about them too much.

However when those occasional skincare transgressions become bad habits, they may take a real toll on your skin and increase the frequency or severity of the acne breakouts - and even increase the probability of acne scars.

So take a few minutes every day to take care of your skin, and it will pay you back with a clear complexion, less enlarged pores, less blackheads and whiteheads and even less acne scars.

Here are five of the most damaging bad habits for acne prone skin.

I'm too tired to clean my face

Cleaning your face before going to bed is probably the most important adjunct to acne treatment. A few minutes spent on removing make-up, sweat, oil and dirt from your skin may help to control and even prevent inflamation. Just remember to not strip your skin from its essential oils. Cleaning with mild cleansers and moisturizing with non-comedogenic moisturizers is essential. Use of astringent or specialty oils such as chamomile astringents or coconut oil may be beneficial for some individuals too. 

I'll just pop this zit ONLY this one time

One time may result in creating an acne scar. And many times may lead to many scars! Scars are irreversible. You can minimize the look of them (and in some instances, they can end up looking almost invisible after certain treatments), but they don't go away.

I've tried every treatment out there, and nothing really works

You need to know the difference between what each treatment does. Be an educated consumer! Many treatments will temporarily decrease symptoms. What acne sufferer doesn't want that? But sometimes, things can be too good to be true. Meaning, that if you don't break the acne cycle by both treating existing acne and preventing it from coming, you will never really get rid of acne.  

It costs too much money to treat my acne

There is no price that can be put on your self perception and confidence. So when you think you're experiencing sticker-shock, break the price down and figure out what it will cost you per day - in most cases, that could be less than a cup of coffee or a breakfast sandwich!

Sunscreen is for summer only

Contrary to popular belief, acne skin will not improve when exposed to the sun. Exposure to UVA rays is the primary culprit behind aging, and may cause inflammation.  Also, UVA rays are around all year long! And because UVA rays can penetrate glass, you're susceptible even when you're indoors. So use the right sunscreen for acne prone skin (those with zinc oxide will be certainly beneficial to your skin) and remember to chose a sunscreen atleast 20-30 SPF and labeled broad-spectrum. Use it every day. If you want to use a good make-up that contains the sun protection, that's even better.

So remember, bad habits and repeated slip-ups will only set you back on your journey to get rid of your acne.  So instead...

With a promise of clear skin,
Dr. A