Your Skincare Journey: 10 Reasons Why You Are Still Breaking Out

They don’t call it a skin care journey for nothing! The skincare journey is precisely that except with highs and lows. It’s a one-way ticket to the ultimate destination with multiple stop-overs along the way. It can be long and tedious, even exhausting, leaving you feeling defeated, depleted and a complete loss. Breakouts are sometimes inevitable but most of it can be completely within your control - and thats mostly a good thing!

So you’re doing everything to get on top of your breakouts but its still happening. It really sucks! But lets take a moment to look at why you might still be breaking out and why you haven’t been able to get your breakouts under control.

Stress management 

You haven’t been able to manage your stress levels this can definitely exacerbate breakouts. Speak to your practitioner of strategies you can implement to manage your stress. Stress can wreak havoc on your skin in various ways. When you're stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol, which can trigger an increase in oil production in the skin's glands. This excess oil can clog pores and lead to acne breakouts. Stress also weakens the skin's natural barrier function, making it more susceptible to environmental irritants and infections.

Dietary Adjustments 

Have you reduced or eliminated inflammatory and liver-burdening foods and beverages from your diet? This step is crucial for skin health. For the management of acne it’s essential to focus on reducing inflammatory foods while increasing intake of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotic-rich foods. This means cutting back on processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugary snacks, and instead incorporating plenty of fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, flaxseeds, and probiotic sources like yogurt and kimchi. Limiting dairy intake and opting for whole grains can further support skin health by stabilising blood glucose levels. Incorporating green tea into your diet can provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. It's important to listen to your body and observe how your skin responds to different foods, adjusting your diet accordingly.

Exercise Balance

Your exercise routine is either non-existent or too intensive. Ensure your exercise routine strikes the right balance—not too intense nor non-existent. Overexertion or lack of physical activity can impact skin health. When you overexert yourself through intense workouts or prolonged physical activity, it can lead to increased sweating, which can clog pores and contribute to acne breakouts, especially if the sweat mixes with bacteria and dead skin cells on the skin's surface. Overexertion can lead to oxidative stress in the body, which can accelerate skin aging and impair the skin's ability to repair and regenerate. On the other hand, a lack of physical activity can result in poor blood circulation, poor lymphatics, leading to a dull complexion and decreased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells, which are essential for maintaining healthy skin. Regular moderate exercise promotes circulation, reduces stress levels, and supports overall skin health so striking the right balance is crucial for optimal skin health.

Sleep Quality

Your sleep pattern is all over the shop! Erratic sleep patterns can disrupt hormonal balance, contributing to breakouts. When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces more cortisol can increase inflammation in the body and trigger acne flare-ups. Insufficient sleep can disrupt the balance of other hormones, such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which can stimulate oil production in the skin's glands and lead to clogged pores and acne. Lack of sleep impairs the skin's ability to repair and regenerate, slowing down the healing process of existing acne lesions and making the skin more susceptible to new breakouts. Rubbing or touching the face due to tiredness or discomfort during sleep can transfer bacteria and dirt from your hands to your skin, potentially worsening acne. Changing your pillow case often can also help reduce skin bacteria during sleep. Overall, prioritising a consistent and restful sleep and implementing good sleep hygiene practices is paramount to healthy skin.

New Skincare

You’ve introduced a new skincare protocol at home. This might initially trigger breakouts as your skin adjusts. Monitor the products you use and give your skin time to adapt. Don’t go too hard too fast. If you are using skincare from different brands/ranges speak to your skin therapist to ensure ingredient compatibility and that you’re not “overdosing” active ingredients which could be detrimental to your skins health and acne management plan.

Hormonal Imbalance

Fluctuations in hormone levels, especially during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, can trigger breakouts. Diet and supplementation can support hormone fluctuations affecting your skin.  Exercise can also influence skin health. Intense or prolonged physical activity can trigger changes in hormone levels, particularly cortisol and testosterone, which may contribute to acne breakouts. For example, excessive exercise can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which can increase oil production in the skin's glands and exacerbate acne. Intense workouts can disrupt the delicate balance of hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone, which may further influence hormonal-driven acne.

Water Intake 

Research has shown that proper hydration is essential for maintaining skin barrier function, supporting skin hydration levels, and promoting skin elasticity and overall health. Studies have also explored the role of hydration in preventing skin dryness, irritation, and inflammation, all of which are factors that can contribute to acne development. Ensure you're drinking enough water daily to support the body’s natural detoxification processes.

Environmental Factors

Pollution and harsh weather conditions can irritate the skin and lead to breakouts.  Environmental pollutants can penetrate the skin, causing oxidative stress and inflammation, worsening skin conditions like acne and sensitivities. Harsh weather elements such as cold winds and UV radiation can damage the skin's barrier, leading to dryness and increased sensitivity. 

Implementing seasonal skin care adjustments can certainly help here. Have a chat to your skin practitioner about what you may need to change. 

Professional skin treatments

Its all in the takeoff. Any journey that starts bumpy is not going to set you up for a smooth flight. Its anxiety provoking and no one likes turbulence. For smooth sailing [flying] it is definitely worth having a series of weekly professional skin treatments at the start of your skin care journey to optimise your barrier function and support healthy cell turnover. This is to compliment everything that you are doing at home and give it a boost.  Consider speaking to your skin practitioner about suitable options to cater for your individual needs and budget.

Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day

Sometimes, seeing results takes time. Stay consistent with your skincare routine and lifestyle changes; improvements may take longer than expected. Progress can be slow and feel at times disheartening. But change can be subtle and I always advise my patients to keep a photo journal to monitor skin progress over time and can  offer objective documentation of improvements or worsening of acne lesions, redness, inflammation, and overall skin appearance. It also allows for better assessment of the effectiveness of skincare products, treatments, and lifestyle changes. Seeing tangible evidence of improvements in your skin can also boost your confidence and sense of control over your acne journey and can actually feel quite empowering - Keep Going! x