10 Surprising Things That Can Make You Breakout

Posted by Louise Griew on July 20, 2017

Stress and hormones are obvious culprits of unsightly acne, but did you know that kissing, clean laundry and brushing your teeth can also lead to a spate of spots? Here are 10 surprising things that can make you breakout.

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Brushing Your Teeth

It’s something you don’t think about but brushing your teeth can lead to breakouts: even a trickle of toothpaste down your chin can wreck havoc on all skin types. Toothpaste is drying and stimulating, which can cause acne, redness and irritation. So, try brushing mindfully and keep that toothpaste dribble off your chin.
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Food Sensitivity

A sore tummy isn’t always the only sign of a food sensitivity: breakouts around the mouth and chin area often point to a food sensitivity. It could be something as simple as the acid in tomatoes or citrus fruit, or it could be something more difficult to pinpoint. The best way to figure out what’s causing your food-related acne is to keep a food journal and write down everything you eat to see what foods correspond with your breakouts.
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Natural Ingredients in Skincare

Just because your skincare is all-natural doesn’t mean it won’t cause breakouts. We love and use natural skincare but sometimes active ingredients like peppermint, grapefruit or eucalyptus can be too active for some skin types, leading in acne, spots and irritated skin. Keep an eye on what products bother your face and then narrow down and eliminate what ingredient could be causing it
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Your Man's Stubble

Who doesn’t love a bit of scruff on their guy? As sexy as it looks on him, the effects of post make out friction definitely don’t look sexy on your face. There’s not a whole lot you can do about it, other than ask him to shave, but then maybe you won’t want to make out as much.
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Using Too Much Spot Treatment Product

If you constantly dry out problem areas, your skin will compensate by overproducing oils, and alas more pimples. Go easy on the spot treatments and if they don’t appear to be working, give your skin a break – it’s possible they could just be the problem.
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Your Pillowcase

You may diligently cleanse your face every night before bed but if your pillowcase hasn’t been changed for a while, the oils, dirt and bacteria that’s lurking on it can cause clogged pores and acne breakouts. Hair products, sweat and oils pool on your pillowcase so make sure to change and launder them every three days.
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Clean Laundry

Laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain a ton of ingredients including heavy fragrances to make your clothes smell oh-so-clean. These sweet smelling products can actually aggravate skin and trigger breakouts galore. So, if you think the cause of your blemishes could be from your laundry, try using natural and unscented products, especially on your towels and sheets.
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Phones

When you think about the fact that our phones go everywhere with us, it’s not hard to believe that they are teeming with bacteria. Those yucky, invisible germs then get transferred to our faces during a call or from our hands to our face after sending a message. Wipe down your phone daily with a slightly damp microfibre cloth and disinfect it weekly using a solution of half water, half 70 percent rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth.
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Picking Your Pimples

You may think you’re a pro but picking at your spots can spread bacteria and cause scarring and other, often irreversible, blemishes. Leave your pimples alone and consider getting a facial, leaving all extraction to a professional instead.
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Touching Your Face

It’s a hard habit to break, but touching your face throughout the day transfers bacteria from your hands to your skin and can lead to breakouts. So, unless you’re washing your hands obsessively (which isn’t recommended), try your hardest not to touch your face.
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