Having Breakouts? Now What?

Breakouts are the absolute worst. And unfortunately for many of us, this is an understatement. Whether it is a couple of pimples here and thereafter a stressful week or a full-on acne flareup for no apparent reason, the physical and psychological toll of breakouts is truly great. 

If you are currently experiencing or anticipating a breakout, we have you covered. In the sections below, we shall take a look at skincare tips to help offer relief for the irritation, improve aesthetics, and prevent future breakouts. 

Hydrating your skin has a soothing effect

Moisture has a soothing effect on irritated skin that is breaking out in pimples. It is therefore super important to ensure that you not only stay hydrated but also moisturize frequently. This will help keep your skin hydrated from both the inside and outside. 

In addition to offering symptomatic relief, this strategy will help reduce any associated redness from the inflammation while also helping with the prevention of further breakouts. 

Avoid over-exfoliating

If you are having a serious breakout, the last thing you want to do is to irritate your skin further by exfoliating too much or with harsh products. 

We recommend that you make some temporary changes to your skincare routine as far as exfoliation is concerned. Consider cutting back to not exfoliating or only doing so once a week until the breakout clears up.

However, once the breakout and irritation stop, you will have to do a proper exfoliation to get rid of all the post-breakout debris on your skin. 

Use acne-friendly sunscreen

UV rays from the sun could easily worsen your breakout. Wearing sunscreen goes a long way to help prevent this. Just make sure to go with a light sunscreen that is free from oils and comedogenics that would clog up your pores and worsen the breakouts. 

Take shorter and cooler showers/baths

Taking a nice long bath or shower after a long day is usually very soothing. However, if you are having a serious breakout, it may be the last thing you want to do. Hot water could worsen your breakout or irritate your skin making the experience more painful than it needs to be. 

The solution here is to take shorter baths or showers with cold or at least lukewarm water. This won’t be as fun as your regular showers and baths, but it is necessary. 

Do some spring cleaning

Breakouts are often caused by dirt and grime on things like your towel, pillowcases, bedsheets, phone, and even makeup brushes and blenders. If you get a breakout, you will have to clean all these items to prevent contamination and recurrence of the breakout after your skin settles down. 

Pay a visit to your dermatologist

Finally, if your breakout is more than just a few pimples here and there on your face and body, it would be wise to consult a dermatologist. This will give you access to strong medications specially formulated to help deal with acne flareups with more long-term results.