Preventing Summer Acne

Summer is in full swing and for those of us who trouble with acne, this is the worst time of the year. The excessive heat and humidity can cause annoying breakouts. This happens when all the dirt and bacteria gets caught in the excessive oil and sweat that's produced by our skin as a result of the summer heat and humidity. When this happens, our pores get clogged and the breakouts follow.

So here are some quick tips on how to beat the summer heat and acne all together.

1. STAY OUT OF THE HEAT

I know this one sounds like a no-brainer but it is absolutely important. When the environment is hot it's a double-danger. Not only does it make you sweaty and sticky, but it also increases you stress level, both of which will promote an acne breakout.

Whenever it's possible, try to keep in cool areas. If your home is air conditioned then that's the best place to be as much as possible. For those days when the temperature gets past 85 degrees, turn on your AC and close your windows to keep the hot air out and the cool air in. Portable AC units are also very inexpensive and will truly benefit you in the long run.

2. TONER! TONER! TONER!

A toner is one of your best friend during the summer when trying to stay acne free. As we all should know by now, toner helps to balance out the PH level of the skin to help prevent the excess production of the natural oils of the skin.

Make sure to start your day begins by cleansing you face with a great cleanser (check my previous posts about cleanser) and follow up with applying your toner to balance you skin's PH level and finish off with a gentle, oil-free moisturiser that's NON-COMEDOGENIC. Do this twice per day, once in the morning and once in the night.

3. DRINK LOTS OF COLD WATER

This tips is generally for everyone during summer heat. As we all know, during summer it's very easy to get dehydrated. This can lead to breakouts and also a lot of serious health issues and in some drastic cases even death.

Drinking lots of cold water will keep your core temperature down and keep you cool and hydrated and eliminate heat stress.

4. KEEP SWEAT AND EXCESS OIL OFF YOU FACE

Since we can't constantly wash our face (this will only lead to skin irritation and over-production of natural skin oils), what I advise is to carry a clean rag with you and pat your face clean of any sweat and excess oils at regular intervals. This will dramatically reduce the chances of the sweat and oils to collect dirt and clog your pores.

5. TRY TO KEEP YOUR STRESS LEVEL LOW

Remind your self that a little sweat in the summer is normal and in most cases won't cause acne. Once you can accept this you won't have to feel so self conscious and worried. If you can achieve this, you can drastically reduce your stress level which we all know can lead to a breakout, so try your best not to get caught in the acne-stress loop (where you stress about something and you breakout, then you stress even more about your breakout and you breakout even more).

I hope these tips help you get through the summer that much easier.