A couple of months ago, I shared with you all that I was going through a serious skin setback. My breakouts were at the worst that they had been in years, and it was seriously taking a toll on my confidence. From there, my skin didn’t really get much better until I sat back and made the changes that I’m about to talk about. Keep in mind, that this is what worked for me based on the issues I was having at the time. This is not a one size fits all approach to dealing with acne. I always recommend speaking to a professional for your specific concerns, but hopefully this can provide some guidance in case you’re in the same position as I was.

The Cause: Picking and Popping Pimples 

We all know that popping pimples is a HUGE skincare no-no, but when I saw 3-4 new pimples emerge each day, and felt the bumpy texture of my skin, it was very difficult for me to not want to get rid of them EXPEDITIOUSLY.

The Problem: When you pick, pop, or probe at your pimples, you’re almost certainly spreading bacteria that was harbored in the pimple. Not to mention popping a pimple (as opposed to a professional extraction) causes trauma to the skin and will likely need to a worse dark spot after it heals. When I popped my pimples, I most certainly saw more emerge within the next 1-2 days in the exact same area. Once I stopped however, I noticed that the breakouts were easier to isolate and ultimately ceased.

The Solution: Of course, the solution for me was to stop picking at or popping my pimples. But I’ll be the first to admit that this is easier said than done. To help resist the urge to pop, I avoiding looking in mirrors. I know, this sounds crazy, but the more I looked in mirrors to check the state of my face, the more I’d look to see if a pimple had reached the “popping stage.”

Also, when I think about it, back during pre-COVID times when I would go out to classes and events, I rarely had mirrors around me. Now that I’m at home all day, I have easy and consistent access to a mirror which made it that much more present in my daily life. Staying out of mirrors made me obsess less about pimples on my face and in turn made it easier for me to avoid touching them. Additionally, when I knew it would be difficult for me to keep my hands away, I’d cover a pimple with a pimple patch, usually these ones from Peach Slices.

The Cause: Overloading and Over Exfoliating My Skin

When experiencing breakouts, often a knee jerk reaction is to buy and use any and all products we can find to treat the acne. I fell into this trap for most of quarantine, and only recently realized that this was the cause of my breakouts.

The Problem: When you exfoliate too much, or overload your skin with products, you run the risk of breaking down your skin’s barrier. When your skin’s barrier is broken down, it’s vulnerable and more susceptible to inflammation and breakouts. That’s exactly what was happening with my skin. I didn’t notice until I had “pimples” that were very small bumps, almost like a heat rash of sorts, on my face. This was completely new and I had never experienced these types of pimples before, which made it easy for me to figure out it was due to over exfoliating. Irritation, burning, and peeling are also other signs of over exfoliation.

The Solution: Put a pause on the exfoliating products and keep it simple with a basic skincare routine. For me, that also meant that I immediately stopped using my prescription Tretinoin and Clindamycin + Benzoyl Peroxide Mix. I’m treating my acne but not using the prescriptions that help me treat my acne? It felt counterintuitive. But within a matter of days, the small bumps on my face subsided and my skin texture improved significantly.

Despite this, I still had some larger pimples, and to tackle those I used spot treatments. To address my acne overall in a way that did not require exfoliants, I turned to my Lightstim for Acne  that I purchased during the most recent Sephora VIB sale. (I’ll be sharing more about this and other skincare devices I have in an upcoming blog post.) Finally, and I would say most importantly, I incorporated Krave Beauty’s Great Barrier Relief Serum into my routine on a daily basis, both morning and night. I truly believe every person who incorporates exfoliants into their routine should have this serum on hand, ready to go when they’ll most likely need it. If you take a look at the “who needs it” section of the product link, you’ll see that it’s pretty much a need for anyone.

As for my updated routine, I’ll also be following up with a separate post, but I kept it simple with a cleanser, hydrating toner, moisturizer, and SPF. Once it felt like I was in the clear, I incorporated exfoliants no more than once a week. The same goes for my prescription products as well.

The Cause: Face Masks and Coverings

Our new reality of wearing face masks all day has made it especially easy to break out.

The Problem: Breakouts from masks can happen due to one of two reasons. First, the friction from a mask can cause inflammation. Second, as you probably would have guessed, the mask can make it easier to trap dirt and oils in our skin.

The Solution: I’ve recently made the switch to silk masks that can be more gentle on my skin. However this means I have to be more diligent and consistent when it comes to washing them, but my skin will thank me, and my bougie tendencies live for this sort of thing. I got mine from KES NYC since they are within a (long but still doable) walking distance from my apartment. I imagine there are plenty more brands selling silk face masks if you’re willing to research for them.

I’ll be following up on this post with details on my acne clearing skin routine and favorite spot treatments for reducing acne overnight. Be on the lookout for those! 

#EniGivenSunday