3 Culprits of the Random Pimple

When we think of the causes of acne and breakouts, we generally think of things like a skincare product that is ill-suited to us, a makeup item clogging our pores, hormonal fluctuations, stress, or a sugary diet. Indeed, these things can certainly cause or exacerbate spots that appear on a temporary and even longer-term basis. But what about when a single spot just seems to erupt out of the blue? Well, the cause could be any number of things, including the ones mentioned above. But oftentimes, the thing to blame for the random, isolated pimple or set of pimples can be much harder to sus out as it can have very little to do with things seemingly related to our skin.

New Supplements: Taking any sort of new medication can cause the body to go through an adjustment period, and a lot of the time, the evidence of that can come out through our skin. Sometimes it can be in the form of extra dryness and peeling, but at others, it can mean new pimples. Dietary supplements, natural or synthetic, are no different. Particularly if you are starting a new B vitamin complex, especially ones high in Vitamins B6 or B12, the skin will often react in extra breakouts for a certain amount of time. Likewise, if you are starting to take any supplement or medicinal herb aimed at regulating the hormones, the same thing can happen as the body finds stasis again. These breakouts do not necessarily mean that the new supplements do not work for you or that you will break out forever, You will often see improvement after about a two-to-four week period. If, however, the breakouts last for longer or become painful or bothersome, talk to your healthcare provider about adjusting dosages or trying something else.

Haircare Products: Sometimes your skin acting up has nothing to do with the products you use on your face but can have everything to do with what you use on your hair. This can be true of any kind of hair product but is often related to hair products aimed at making hair stay in place (hairspray) or any kind of smoothing or conditioning item, especially leave in products. In many cases, the ingredients that cause this are either drying alcohols, which can irritate the skin by first overdrying it and then triggering the body to overproduce oil to heal it itself, or silicones that help products absorb into the hair and give it a shiny finish but also can be very pore-clogging. Coconut oil and shea butter are two other ingredients that are great for hair moisture but can be too heavy for skin contact in the long term. So if you start seeing pimples pop up on your hairline, anywhere on the forehead or temples, or even on the cheeks if you have a cut that layers in close to the face, your haircare may need some revamping,

Cellphones and Pillowcases: Cellphones and pillowcases are two everyday objects that our face comes in contact with a lot! It is very important to keep these items clean to help prevent acne from showing up on the sides of our faces. I recommend if you don't consistently use a hands-free device for calling--or if you just text a lot-- to wipe the screen of your phone with an alcohol wipe every night. And if your pillowcase seems to be a continual problem, to consider switching to a silk pillowcase which are naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial in nature, or else, switching them out and washing them more often so your skin is not being clogged with bacteria and shedding dead skin cells while you sleep.

Whether consistent or random, acne breakouts are never a welcome thing to go through. Knowing the reasons why they are, or could be happening, however, is a great step in being proactive and better reactive to knowing how to best take care of your skin going foward.