What leads to pimples? Find out the top causes of pimples and how to avoid them!

How to get rid of pimples? If you’re like me, you’ve wondered what causes pimples in the first place and how to prevent acne outbreaks before they happen.

Unfortunately, there’s no single cause of acne; instead, there are multiple factors that can lead to breakouts on your face, back, shoulders, and even your chest! In this article,

I’ll share with you what I have found to be the top seven causes of pimples (in alphabetical order) and offer tips for how to get rid of pimples naturally.

What Causes Pimples or Acne?

Stress

When your body is under chronic stress, its hormonal balance becomes disrupted. One side effect can be excess oil production. When your body produces an abundance of oil (sebum), skin cells are stimulated to produce more sebum in order to soak it up.

As more skin cells produce more sebum, a pore becomes clogged with excess sebum and dead skin cells. This blockage forms a blemish that we commonly call a pimple.

Poor hygiene contributes to acne as well. If you don’t thoroughly wash your face every day, dirt, dust, and oils will remain on your skin after you leave home.

In addition, if you don’t remove these impurities from your face often enough or properly clean sensitive areas like around your nose, blackheads or whiteheads may form.

Hormones

Pimples happen due to hormonal changes in your body. This is why you mostly notice breakouts on places like your chest, neck, or face – because it’s where hormone-rich organs are located.

Avoiding greasy foods and junk food will help keep acne at bay. Stress: Stress doesn’t just make us feel uncomfortable; it actually produces hormones that increase oil production on our faces, making us more prone to breakouts! Exercise: Exercising regularly boosts circulation throughout your body, including your face.

Getting regular exercise will keep your blood flowing freely so that toxins have an easier time getting out of your system naturally.

Washing your face improperly

In order to get rid of pimples, you must first understand what causes pimples. When people wash their face, they’re often using harsh soaps or cleansers which irritate their skin. Eventually, pores become clogged with bacteria which lead to painful zits that last for days.

If you want clear skin, make sure you’re washing your face properly and keeping it as clean as possible while still being gentle on your delicate skin. Try a mild soap or facial cleanser that is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) such as Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser.

And if you do develop a pimple, don’t pop it! Doing so can spread bacteria further into your skin and cause an infection that could potentially scar you over time.

Not drinking enough water

You already know that you need to drink plenty of water every day, but did you know it can help reduce your risk for breakouts too? Water hydrates your skin from within, giving it a healthy glow.

H2O also has natural astringent properties that help keep your pores clear, preventing dirt and oil from clogging up your complexion. Don’t know how much you should be drinking daily? Check out our guide on how much water to drink each day. It might surprise you!

Poor diet

An unhealthy diet can cause acne, especially if you’re not eating enough fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Processed foods, refined carbohydrates (like white bread), and trans fats (like french fries) often trigger breakouts.

Some researchers have found that dairy products contain a type of sugar called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose that’s linked to acne.

In fact, people who are lactose intolerant are more likely to develop adult acne than those who aren’t. And don’t forget about what you drink: A study in Skin Therapy Letter reports that drinking three or more glasses of milk per day may worsen existing pimples or increase your chances of developing new ones.

Skin-contact irritants, such as makeup and creams containing alcohol or perfumes.

Many common skin care products contain alcohol or perfumes, which can clog pores.

Wash your face regularly with warm water, use non-irritating moisturizers, and avoid anything that is likely to cause acne (for example, never apply make-up when you have an active pimple). Also, consider changing facial cleansers. Many experts recommend sulfate-free cleansers for those with sensitive skin or rosacea.

Sunlight exposure, too much

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can penetrate directly into pores and cause them to expand. Your skin produces an oily substance called sebum, which naturally lubricates your hair follicles.

If you are outside a lot or if you use sunscreen with a low SPF value, more sebum is produced than can be secreted by your hair follicles—creating clogged pores that result in acne breakouts.

Sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 should help prevent acne breakouts caused by sunlight exposure. However, even when using sunscreen, it’s important to keep your face clean and free from excess oil.

Oily skin is one of the main contributors to pimple formation; keeping it clean will reduce its likelihood of becoming infected with bacteria that lead to acne outbreaks.

You can do so by regularly washing your face with a gentle cleanser. There are also acne-fighting cleansers on the market specifically designed for people who suffer from frequent blemishes.

Keep in mind that these products aren’t guaranteed to work on everyone—and they might not work for you—but there is little risk involved in trying them out since they are usually fairly inexpensive and safe for all skin types.

Greasy foods with high-fat content such as red meat, burgers, fries, pizzas, etc.

High-fat foods cause your body to increase its production of sebum which is a natural substance in our skin that keeps it hydrated. However, too much sebum can cause acne which is one of many reasons why greasy foods should be avoided.

If you’re already suffering from breakouts, try cutting back on fatty foods for a few weeks and see if there’s any improvement.

If you don’t notice any changes then there’s no need to continue avoiding these types of food as they are not causing your acne problems. There may also be other factors involved such as stress or hormones so don’t rule out diet just yet.

Originally posted 2022-07-11 14:49:04.