June is Acne Awareness Month

Did you know that June is Acne Awareness Month?  Many people suffer from acne prone skin, June is the month to become aware of this disorder.

Acne Prone Skin

Are you prone to acne?   It’s likely that you are.  In fact, more than 3 million people in the United States suffer from acne.  That’s a lot of people.  But, what are the different causes of acne?  June is acne awareness month, so let’s find out.

Causes of Acne

Acne is caused by clogged pores.  The hair follicles get clogged with dead skin, oil, and debris.  When this happens, the pore forms a pimple / acne.  There are a few reasons why this can happen:

1. Stress
2. Food / Nutrition
3. Inflammation in the body
4. Constipation
5. Hormones
6. Cosmetics
7. Hairbrushes
8. Toxins
9. Exercise

Let’s go deeper into each one…because June is Acne Awareness month!

Stress

Stress is a normal part of life but when life gets too overwhelming, it can lead to other issues – including acne.  When we’re stressed, we may not be taking care of ourselves like we should – mainly because there are more important things we need to worry about.  That could be a job or family but no matter what it is, the acne that results could be directly or indirectly related.  We might pick at our skin more or touching our face more.  Our hands have oils and other dirt and this could transfer to our face, causing us problems.

Food / Nutrition and skin health

The types of foods we eat can contribute to our acne problems.  For some people, diet and acne can be a real problem.  If you do not eat the right types of foods and get the right nutrition, our bodies can react.  In addition, foods that are highly processed do not contain the necessary vitamins and minerals we need.

There are a lot of toxins in these foods and these toxins need to be expelled in some way.  That may mean that the toxins are being pushed out through our skin, in the form of acne.  Still, there are others that have a reaction to dairy.  Milk and acne has been widely debated and no matter what you believe about it, if you are noticing more breakouts after eating dairy, you may have a dairy allergy causing acne.

Since June is acne awareness month, I feel the need to point out the various ways that food can contribute to acne.

Inflammation

Tied to the food connection is inflammation.  Some foods react in our bodies to cause an inflammatory response.  We can become puffy and bloated or we can be prone to acne breakouts.

Constipation

OK, OK, are we really talking about not being able to poop?  Well, yes because June is Acne Awareness month so we have to talk about poop.  We’ve already discussed how stress and a poor diet can lead to acne.  A secondary cause of acne from these two is constipation.  But, why?  When we become stressed, and because our bodies are in ‘flight or fight’ response, it means that our bodies shut down certain functions – including pooping.  Plus, when we have a poor diet and not getting the nutrients we need, this can also cause constipation.  It’s a vicious cycle, I know.

Hormones

Another culprit that I’m sure you’re aware of is hormonal issues.  Who hasn’t gone through puberty – i.e. their teenage years – without seeing the hormonal effects on our face?  Those effects are ACNE!!!  But, as we age, our bodies are changing – constantly changing.  Hormones fluctuate all the time.  If we’re not taking care of our bodies by eating well, drinking enough water, and watching what is in our environment, our hormones can go hay wire, causing pimples and acne.

Cosmetics

Let’s remember that June is Acne awareness month so we have to talk about all the possible causes of acne.  Cosmetics is one of them.  Do you wear a lot of make-up?  Even if you only wear a minimal amount, there could be pore clogging ingredients that are causing you problems.  I would suggest reading the ingredients on your cosmetics’ labels and checking them against the pore clogging ingredients checker.  Eliminating these products can make a huge difference.  Hint, if you use shampoo that contains panthenol, this could be a big reason.

Toxins

Next on our list is toxins.  There are toxins that poison us, from food to the environment.  Plastics that contain BPA can be a problem for our skin.  It causes all kinds of health problems from heavy periods to cancer to acne.  Live in a crystal clean environment as much as you can.  I realize that you can’t live in a bubble but understanding the role that toxins play in our lives is important.  Remove as much as you can from you life because conventional laundry detergents and air fresheners are something to be mindful of.  In fact, make your own detergent and air fresheners.

Hairbrushes

Now, hairbrushes.  How can a simple hair brush cause acne?  You may not realize it but what you put in your hair eventually gets deposited onto your skin.  Depending on what type of shampoo you use, they may contain pore clogging ingredients.  For that reason, you should clean your hairbrushes!

Exercise

Does exercise cause acne?  First, let me start off by saying that exercise is great for you.  Getting your heart going and strengthening your muscles is wonderful and can add years to your life.  In addition, exercising promotes other good habits like eating a well-balanced diet.  Sweating removes toxins through the skin and it’s always great to get rid of any toxins that our bodies are carrying.

The problem with exercise and acne is that if we leave the sweat but don’t rinse off the sweat, it can lead to clogged pores.  That’s why it is always important to rinse the sweat off after a hard work out.  Please note, though, that this doesn’t mean taking extra showers in a day.  The last thing we want to do is wash our skin so much that it removes all of the natural oils.  These natural oils are needed so that our skin doesn’t dry out and cause other problems.  In addition, if you remove the oils, your skin will respond by making more to compensate.  So, just rinse off – that’s all that’s needed.

Famous People with Acne

Everyone gets acne, including famous people.  The link gives you a list of 5 famous people with acne including Megan Fox, Tanner Fox, Brad Pit, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears.  It’s normal to have acne.  You’re not the only one.  Don’t be ashamed of yourself or hide your body because you are beautiful and successful.  June is acne awareness month, but remember that acne doesn’t just happen to you – it happens to everyone!

Pore Clogging Ingredients

Don’t forget to check out the pore clogging ingredients list.  You might also want to check out the skin care list to get a more complete list of ingredients that are OK, others to be mindful of and ones to stay away from.

June is Acne Awareness Month – understand the causes so you can make some changes specific to what you need.  Skin care doesn’t need to be expensive and when you know what is causing your acne, you can do something about it.  Skin care isn’t just about washing your face.