Whether you get one or twenty at a time, pimples are a pain! Let’s dive into some of the reason why we get breakouts.

Oily skin: Having oily skin means that your body produces more oil than your skin can manage. Bacteria feed on oil. Dirt, dead skin and oil can combine to block pores and breed inflammatory bacteria causing breakouts.

Stress: When we are stressed our body gets out of balance. Stress hormones such as cortisol can disrupt our immune response. Additionally, there are hormone receptors within your skin that increase sebum (oil) production during stress.

Travel: When we are out of our normal environment we are exposed to different elements, e.g., dry air from airplanes, hotel sheets (new detergent), time-zone issues that cause changes in sleep patterns, various food choices, etc. All of these factors combine to increase the likelihood of having a breakout when traveling.

Relocating: If we move to a new town or country, there are a number of acne contributing factors to deal with. We have to acclimate to a new diet, different water, and weather changes (humidity), all of which can stress your body and cause a breakout. Additionally, environmental factors such as allergens and food sensitivities can further aggravate skin conditions.

Medication: Side effects change how our bodies function. Hormones play a big part in regulating the way skin behaves. Medications that affect the balance of estrogens and androgens (testosterone) can cause acne. Testosterone increases the secretion of oil throughout the body and particularly on the face. Conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) increase testosterone in women, thereby increasing acne. On the other hand, estrogen-based birth control can decrease the occurrence of breakouts.

Food: What you eat can affect breakouts as well! See my previous blog post for more information.

Next week we’ll talk about the different types of pimples and solutions! In the meantime, wash your face twice a day with our Brightening Bar. It suds up to a rich lather and you can leave it on for a few minutes as a mask.

Thank you for reading The Freckle blog! Please subscribe to stay informed of all things relating to skin care. Also, check out my website and YouTube channel for product news and recommendations.

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