5 Surprising things that could be making your skin break out

The trick, it seems, is to cut the bacteria that cause breakouts off at the source, but this can be easier said than done. We recently checked in with Jeanine Giot, owner and skincare therapist at Jentl Health & Skin Care in Cape Town to find out more about the causes of breakouts, and she had some very interesting info to share. 

There might be issues with your organs

“At Jentl, we often use Chinese face-mapping to help our clients who suffer from regular breakouts, says Jeanine. “This is based on an ancient school of thought that works on the theory that certain areas of the face represent certain organs, so if you keep breaking out in one area, you should focus on taking care of that particular organ.” 

“The forehead, for instance, correlates with the stomach, so a breakout here could point to digestive issues. This is why you will often find that people who stress from the stomach have quite a gritty texture to their foreheads. The area between the brows, on the other hand, is associated with the liver. So, if you're breaking out there you may want to limit your intake of alcohol and fatty foods. Or you may be on a type of medication that your body is struggling to digest, e.g. cortisone, oral contraception or anti-inflammatories.”

Snacking at night

“I’m totally guilty of this skin sin from time to time,” admits Jeanine. “Late-night snacking leads to poor digestion, which leads to poor sleep, which in turn leads to an overproduction of glucocorticoids - a class of steroid hormones - which has been linked to breakouts.”

Sleeping in a room that is too warm

“Our South African climate is very hot at times,” says Jeanine, “and sleeping in a room that is too warm can actually also cause your skin to break out. When you’re overly warm while you sleep, your sweat cools and hardens on your face, causing blockages. This is also why it’s so important to go to sleep with clean hair. If you use products like gel or hairspray to style your hair, or even just have naturally oily hair, this all gets transferred to your pillow, and ultimately your skin, while you sleep.”

TOP TIP: Suffering from mystery acne? Try changing your pillowcases more regularly and refrain from using softeners on your bedlinen – these residues can also clog the pores. 

Playing it fast and loose at the gym

“While going to the gym is great for your overall health, it also pays to focus on the health of your skin when you frequent these spaces,” says Jeanine. “Ideally you want to shower before you leave, but if you’re in a hurry, at least take a moment to give your face a quick wipe get rid of any errant bacteria. On the same note, if you tend to wear a sweatband or cap when you’re hiking or out and about, take care to wash those regularly – it’s a hotspot for bacterial activity due to the build up of sweat and skin particles.”

Certain spot treatments (what?!)

“A lot of benzoyl peroxide treatments can dry out sensitive skin to the point where it starts overproducing oil to compensate,” cautions Jeanine. “The same goes for foundations that aren't formulated according to a person's specific facial needs. One of the first things I address when someone comes to me due to frequent breakouts is to switch them over from foundation to a BB cream, which gives a bit of colour without smothering the skin.”

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com