Whether you have persistent breakouts or the occasional zit, acne is a normal part of life for most of us. However, what you may not know is that some of your habits may actually be contributing to your acne!
In this article, we’ll focus on the five main causes of acne that you have control over so you can see if you need to make any changes. By understanding what causes acne, you’ll be able to effectively treat it.
As someone who dealt with acne for almost half of my life, I wanted to share this information with you in hopes that it will help make your acne journey less of a struggle than mine was. If I can do it, then you can do it. 🙂
Table of Contents
5 Main Causes of Acne (That You Can Do Something About)
No Acne Mystery (QUESTION): Did you know that there are populations with NO acne? One study on the indigenous people of Papua New Guinea and Paraguay found no cases of acne across all age groups. Keep reading to find out why!
Habits and lifestyle can play a big role in acne. This is good because it means that you have the power to fix things! Before we dive into details, let’s take a look at the five main causes of acne that are within your control:
- Makeup & skincare products
- Bacteria
- Diet
- Smoking
- Stress
Remember that no single factor can predict with certainty whether someone will have acne – or to what extent. All of these factors work together to determine how likely it is for someone to get acne. The reason behind your acne is likely a combination of several factors.
1. Makeup & Skincare Products
Cosmetics can cause acne by clogging pores and trapping excess oil, sweat, and bacteria. To see if your makeup or skincare products are contributing to your breakouts, you’ll want to examine your habits, as well as the ingredients in your products.
Makeup Products
Wearing makeup is perfectly fine, even if you have acne-prone skin. However, you’ll need to follow some steps in order to avoid breakouts:
- Remove all makeup before going to bed.
- Wash your face as soon as possible after working out.
- Do not share makeup or makeup brushes/applicators with other people.
- Throw away expired makeup.
- Avoid these makeup ingredients
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Skincare Products
When it comes to skincare, you’ll need to use the right products for your skin and follow the instructions in order to get the best results. Here are my top skincare tips for those of you with oily, acne-prone skin:
- Avoid oil-heavy products. Instead, look for products labeled “non-comedogenic.” (This is a fancy way of saying that a formula won’t clog your pores.)
- Do not overwash your face. This strips the skin of good oils and destroys the skin barrier, causing more breakouts, irritation, redness, and sensitivity.
- Use a light gel moisturizer instead of a heavy cream moisturizer.
- Try an acne treatment.
- Be consistent with your skincare regimen. Generally, it takes about six to eight weeks of trying a new product to see results.
Bonus Information: If you’re interested in finding an acne treatment that works for you, check out my “Skincare Ingredients: The Best Over-the-Counter Acne Medications
2. Bacteria
Propionibacterium acnes, or P. acnes, is a bacterium that is known to cause acne. P. acnes is naturally present on the skin and normally harmless. However, certain conditions can cause P. acnes to grow rapidly. When P. acnes is trapped in the pores with excess oil and dead skin cells, inflammation occurs, causing acne to form.
If you’re more a visual learner, take a look at this brief video (4:22) that shows how P. acnes works with other factors to cause acne:
For acne that is caused by bacteria, you’ll need to use products that either kill P. acnes or stops its growth. Some options include benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and oral antibiotics.
3. Diet
Something else you’ll want to examine if you’re experiencing acne is your diet. Do you notice that eating certain foods causes you to break out? Or maybe you see an improvement in your skin on a particular diet. The relationship between diet and acne is complex, but here’s what we know.
Sugar
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), sugar consumption has been linked with acne breakouts. This is most likely due to the fact that blood sugar spikes cause inflammation and more oil production.
The main takeaway? If you’re someone who has a major sweet tooth or just loves carbs, then you should consider cutting down on your sugar intake to see if your acne improves.
Fat
Now, let’s talk about fat. You might be thinking that fat is oil, and too much oil leads to acne so, therefore, fat must cause acne – right? Wrong!
Interestingly, there has been no evidence that consuming fat contributes to acne, despite one of the main causes of acne being oil production. While oil that comes in contact with the skin externally may trigger breakouts, oil that goes through the body doesn’t seem to have the same effect.
Dairy
There’s data linking all types of cow’s milk – especially skim milk – with acne. The exact cause is unknown, but it may be due to the fact that the hormones that cows are fed end up in their milk. There’s also quite a bit of anecdotal evidence of people claiming that their acne significantly improved or even resolved after eliminating milk from their diet.
However, there is a bright side to this for all of you dairy lovers! Milk products like yogurt and cheese have not been found to cause acne. The reason is unknown.
No Acne Mystery (ANSWER): Remember how I told you in the beginning of this article that no acne
To recap, take a look at this chart that summarizes three big food categories (sugar, fat, and dairy) and their ability to cause acne:
4. Smoking
If you are a smoker, pay attention! Many studies have shown an association between smoking and acne – particularly adult acne. This is thought to be due to the compounds in cigarette smoke causing a number of things, such as:
We know that more oil means a greater chance of clogged pores and acne. However, smoking takes it one step further by increasing the rate at which oil oxidizes (chemically reacts with oxygen). This process – called sebum peroxidation – creates tiny, oxygenated environments in the skin where P. acnes bacteria can grow and cause more acne.
Hyperkeratosis also plays a role in the formation of acne. Keratin is a protein that is normally found your skin, hair, and nails. When there is too much keratin (hyperkeratosis) however, pores can become clogged more easily, resulting in acne.
On top of all of this, smoking can also negatively impact the skin by causing premature aging, reduced blood flow, and impaired healing. These are all great reasons to quit smoking if you do!
5. Stress
Last but not least is stress. While this may be the hardest to change, it’s definitely one of the most important. Speaking from personal experience, I can definitely attribute my worst acne breakouts to significant, stressful events. Even now with my acne under control, I still notice minor breakouts following periods of stress.
Stress contributes to acne in a number of ways. Studies have shown that chronic stress in particular causes the stress hormone cortisol to be released. Cortisol signals to oil glands to become hyperactive, ultimately leading to oil overproduction and acne.
Cortisol also inhibits our body’s production of hyaluronic acid, which normally works to keep our skin hydrated. By decreasing hyaluronic acid levels, our skin can become dehydrated, which means more dead skin cells and a feeding ground for P. acnes bacteria.
Fun Fact: Did you know that hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water? Its excellent water-retaining properties is why it’s such a widely loved ingredient in skincare products.
As you probably know already, some good ways to reduce stress include being active, meditating, spending time with loved ones, and practicing self-care. Getting enough sleep, not procrastinating, and decreasing workload if possible are also great stress relievers.
Conclusion
Great job on making it to the end of this article! Now, you have a better idea of what might be causing your acne. Better yet, everything that we’ve talked about are all things that are within your control so you can actually do something about them.
In the best case scenario, you’ll achieve healthier, clearer skin with just a few adjustments. If you make the necessary changes but still don’t see much improvement, then it’s likely that the root causes of your acne are things that you have limited control over.
To learn about what these factors are and how to go about addressing them, check out my “5 Main Causes of Acne That Are Out of Your Control” article. See you there! As always, stay healthy and keep learning. 🙂