Acne occurs when bacteria or dirt clogs the hair follicle. Pimples can be caused by hormonal fluctuations, overactive sebum glands or oil-producing glands, and skin that is not kept clean. Perspiration is a salty fluid excreted by the sweat glands for the purpose of cooling down the body. Despite the fact that acne and sweat are both produced by similar looking follicles, they are not related nor do they affect one another.
Misconceptions
Alan Rockoff, M.D., a member of the American Board of Dermatology stresses that sweat does not cause acne. However, if you have dirt or bacteria on your face, it’s possible that sweating can be part of a chain reaction resulting in breakouts. Kidshealth.org explains that sweat can clog pores and exacerbate existing acne.
Cleansing Effects
Although there is no foolproof guarantee of preventing acne 100 percent, it’s important to wash your skin and keep it clean. Cleansing your skin with soap and water removes excess surface oils and dead skin cells, both of which clog pores and cause lesions. Because sweat can make acne worse, according to Kidshealth.org, it’s important to wash after you exercise. Also, if you work around greasy food or oil in a fast-food restaurant, for example, it’s important to cleanse your skin periodically since sweating combined with the oils in your environment can make acne worse.
Product Types
Use soaps and lotions that are noncomedogenic or non-acnegenic. Girlshealth.gov, a website developed by the Office on Women’s Health, reports that these products are oil-free. They do not cause acne or clog pores.
Prevention/Solution
Look for moisturizers that read “oil-free” or “lightweight” on the label. These products are made to absorb quickly with water-binding agents rather than oils. For cleansing your skin, choose soaps with salicylic acid or glycolic acid, which helps by removing dead skin cells that can clog pores and slowing the process of dead skin cells shedding inside the hair follicle, where acne develops. Choose oil-free sunscreen and wash off sunblock once you’re out of the sun.
Products to Avoid
If you have acne-prone skin, there are skin care ingredients it would be in your best interest to avoid. Menscience.com, a skin care product company for men, reports that cocoa butter, pigments and dyes—especially red, coal tar, lanolin, and isopropyl myristate have a higher tendency to cause breakouts compared with ingredients in noncomedogenic products. The Beauty Brains, a website developed by scientists in the cosmetic industry, suggest avoiding oleic acid, a colorless, oily material used in some cosmetics that can cause blackheads.
Member Comments