No matter your gender or how old you are , you ’ve experience some variety of acne — and there ’s a slew of misinformation out there about the condition . In honor of Acne Awareness Month , Mental Floss pass on out to expert — Dr. Sandra Lee , a.k.a . Dr. Pimple Popper , Godhead of theSLMD Skincare Line ; Vance Soto , President ofOle Henriksen Face / Body Spa ; and Jennifer Yen , rude stunner expert and laminitis ofpūrlisse — to separate fact from fiction .
1. MYTH: GREASY FOOD CAUSES ACNE.
" I tell my patients ' The only way greasy food for thought like pizza pie give you acne is if you scratch it all over your face , ' " Lee says . " Not many foods trigger acne , apart from in sealed luck when food merchandise check hormone , such as cow ’s milk and cheese . In short : Be aware of dairy if you are breakout prone , but other than that — this is a self-aggrandizing myth ! "
That enjoin , the wellness of your body’slargest organistied to your diet , according to Soto . " It ’s so crucial to maintain a balanced diet of leafy unripe vegetables and drink plenty of water each day , " he say . " Everything in life is about a healthy balance . Beauty start on the inside , so what you rust and drink definitely plays a major role in the wellness of your skin . "
2. MYTH: TANNING GETS RID OF ACNE.
It ’s widely believed that tanning can dry out acne , and , say Yen , " pic to sun can kill regretful bacteria . " But agree to Lee , sun exposure makes acne worse , not full : " Sun picture actually darkens pigmentation , make brown spots that seem after acne prison-breaking darker and more persistent , " Lee say . " Exposing the skin to infrared heat energy from the sunlight can in reality flare up acne . " And , as Yen points out , that there are other potential consequence of flogging : sunlight damage and hide cancer .
3. MYTH: WASHING YOUR FACE FREQUENTLY WILL PREVENT ACNE.
It seems logical : Acne is get by bacteria on the cutis , so washing your typeface until it ’s squeaky clean think of you ’ll have clear pelt . But our experts all agree that this is n’t so . " Over - washing your cheek , or scratch too heavily , can make existing acne worse , or trigger a breakout , " Yen says . Washing your skin too aggressively will actually make your skin createmoresebum , which can cause more breakouts . Yen says that washing with a gentle cleansing agent ( she care pūrlisse ’s 4 - in-1 Soy Milk Cleanser ) in the cockcrow and at dark " is sufficient cleansing for acne prone skin . "
When treating your peel , Lee advises using common sense : " Wash war paint , soil , and sudate away before you go to bed , and if you feel your skin is greasy in the morning , wash it again ! But do n’t overdo it . Be blue . "
4. MYTH: SKIN IS OILIER IN THE SUMMER.
Even though your skin might appear and feel like it ’s producing acne - make oil color on overtime during the summer months , that ’s not what ’s actually happening : Yen says that being unwrap to humidity and hidrosis is what ’s making your cutis appear greasier .
" Our skin does n’t create more petroleum during the hot months of the year , but wearelikely to sweat more , which may make our cutis sense more greasy and oily , " Lee says . To keep oily skin under control , Lee recommends using salicylic Elvis - based cleaners . " Chemical peel ingredients such as this will encourage scurf of the skin , absent skin debris from within our pores , and help to clear up acne as well as prevent new acne from forming , " she says . Her ducky is the Acne Cleanser from her SLMD blood line , which helps to tame acne and also minimizes dark-brown smear .
And just because your skin is sweatier does n’t mean you should n’t moisturise ; Soto counsel using lighter moisturizers like OLEHENRIKSEN ’s Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer .
5. MYTH: TOOTHPASTE IS THE IDEAL HOME REMEDY FOR GETTING RID OF ZITS.
Toothpaste with ingredients like menthol or mintwilldry out a pimple , Lee says , and covering a pimple with something has the added welfare of reminding you to keep your hand off the bump : " If you do n’t foot a pimple , it will more probably break up without scarring , " she enounce .
But in some subject , toothpaste canoverdry the skin — so there might be a good therapeutic to reach for . " Hemorrhoid cream can reduce red and swelling consort with zit , " Lee says , " so get hold of for that over your toothpaste if you ’re looking for a home remedy ! "
Soto had another passport : " I ’d suggest take a few drops of eucalyptus oil suspend into cold water and take your hand towel for some moth-eaten towel compresses , ” he says . " The aroma is beautiful and we find wonderful results for eruption . "
6. MYTH: SUNSCREEN CLOGS YOUR PORES.
" The wrong kind of sun blocker can induce a chemic reaction on the skin , which can lead to acne , " Lee enjoin . So provided you piece therightsunscreen , you should be A - o.k. . " calculate for ingredients that will not choke off your stoma , such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide . " Sunscreens marked " noncomedogenic"—which mean they ’re specially formulated not to block pore — will work best for acne - prone tegument .
7. MYTH: ALL MAKEUP MAKES ACNE WORSE.
As with sun blocker , pick out the right kind of makeup hit all the difference . " Products that you put on your skin that are more ' occlusive ' are fatheaded , and can clog your stoma , " Lee say . " Be ingredient savvy when it comes to anything you ’re putting on your cutis , include physical composition . calculate for factor such as Ti dioxide , atomic number 30 oxide , mica , bismuth oxychloride , and iron oxides ( normally found in mineral makeup ) which will offer reportage and wo n’t choke off stoma — which in tour , will not aggravate acne . " If you ’re acne - prostrate , Lee recommends avoiding creams and using lotion or serum alternatively , " because lotion and blood serum are water- or inebriant - based , whereas creams are oil - based and can more likely make acne worse . "
8. MYTH: ACNE IS YOUR FAULT.
Lee say she hears this a lot , and she require mass do it that " in general , acne is not your fault , and it ’s not really under your control . It is largely dependent upon hormones and genetics , which is why most of us have it the defective during our pubescence years . "
But just because you ’re not to blame for acne does n’t intend you ca n’t gain control over it : " In my opinion , the unspoilt way to do this is to empathise it : What eccentric of acne you have , what type of hide you have , what makes your acne better and what makes it big , " Lee enjoin . " Learn why certain products are recommend by dermatologist . Know that retinoids like retinol assistant keep blackheads and Whitehead and be able to recognize that you have this eccentric of acne and therefore this specifically is a great treatment option for you . Youcantake control and learn how to treat your own acne . "
