The dreaded acne

Annoying. Persistent. Inconvenient. Painful. 
These are just a few adjectives that jump to mind when describing acne.

In my experience, breakouts are the single most troubling concern people have at ANY age.
It is true that as we age anti-aging becomes the front-runner of worries, however, add a bright red inflamed pimple into the mix and we are right back to being stressed and laser focused on how to zap it (literally).

I could list off a hundred little tips that may help clear your skin, but what I really want to do is list off just a handful of small unsuspecting culprits that lead to perpetuating an outbreak.

Your cellphone
Yep - Your best friend that is in arms length 24 hours a day.
This thing is touched constantly and put up to your cheek numerous times daily. But how often is it cleaned? It is bacteria central and no judgements here! But try to cleanse your phone using an antibacterial wipe at least weekly (or more), especially if you notice breakouts along the side of your face you most commonly hold it to.

Your pillowcase
If you're like me, you don't wash your sheets every-other day (hey - I am busy). Honestly, I probably wash them every-other week but tell myself it's okay since I am a night shower person. But I will say that I wash my pillowcases at least weekly, if not more. It doesn't matter if you just washed your face before bed, at night you often sweat and it may become damp and harbor bacteria.

And your washcloth
YES, first of all I do recommend you have a separate washcloth for your face. I personally have a towel for my body, one for my hair, a washcloth for my face, and a hand towel for when I wash my hands. The one I launder the most? The facecloth of course. Even though you use towels when you are already clean, they tend to stay damp and bacteria can cling and get stuck in the material. I wash this even more often than the pillowcase!

Your actual hands
So many of us touch our face constantly throughout the day whether it's to push our hair back, wipe a tear or drop of sweat, or simply because we have the habit of resting our chin in our hands absentmindedly. My husband can't stand that I won't let him touch my face during the day but..... come on! When you think about all the hands you've shaken and doorknobs you've touched that others have too, it changes your perspective. Try to be aware of how often you touch your face without thinking and make sanitizer your new bestie!

Beyond that, make sure you clean some odd-ball things that are often forgotten in our everyday lives; light switches, doorknobs, your steering wheel and shifter.
For tips on nutrition, see my You Are What You Eat post.

Stay tuned or follow my Instagram ( @savingfacespa ) for more advice you may not have considered!

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Extractions at Saving Face by Jacquelyn