How To Deal With Acne In College

By Alexia Gonzalez on August 21, 2015

Believe it or not, but getting clear skin in college can actually be harder than scoring perfect attendance for your 8:00 a.m. class.

Although many of us still suffer from the dreaded breakout, acne still seems to be a taboo subject on campus. It’s as if our zits were supposed to magically dry up when we got our high school diplomas.

Though plenty of people do outgrow their skin woes, college is a breeding ground for stress and unhealthy habits that could contribute to breakouts, leaving many of us battling more and more blemishes.

Along with making sure to remove all of your makeup before bed EVERY SINGLE NIGHT (no excuses on this one girls), there are many precautions that you should be exercising to keep your skin looking and feeling its best. From daily habits to skin care products, here are some of the best ways to get rid of adult acne for good!

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Control your stress.

Stress is one of acne’s favorite triggers. When your stress levels increase, so does sebum production. Excess sebum can clog hair follicles and cause breakouts. So keep calm whenever possible and meditate — both your skin and mind will thank you.

Get sufficient sleep.

We all have to pull the occasional all-nighter, but constantly messing with your sleep cycle can wreck havoc on both your skin and your mental health. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, and make sure you’re clocking about eight hours per night.

Exercise often.

Finding time to exercise in college is hard, but it has to be done. If you’re constantly feeling stressed, anxious, or unable to concentrate, your hormone levels will spike, which can make your skin go crazy. Exercise helps regulate those hormones, while fighting fatigue and maintaining alertness.

Clean up your diet. 

At this point it’s become common knowledge that processed foods can cause hormonal surges, which can lead to excess oil and sebum production, which in turn can cause breakouts. Keep an eye on what you eat and see if it could be connected to your breakouts, and then try to eliminate those foods from your diet.

Try to mitigate your sugar consumption and instead opt for natural foods, such as lots of fruits and vegetables that will boost vitamin and protein levels thus regulating the hormones that could be causing your acne.

Keep your hands away from your face.

This tip is pretty self-explanatory. Keep your fingers away from your face – they harbor plenty of oils and bacteria that will clog your pores and break you out. That goes for picking at and popping zits, too! Picking at a zit, especially if it’s a cyst, is only a temporary solution.

Rest assured, the zit will return with a vengeance, leaving you with a nasty scar in the process. Another way to keep your natural oils away from your face is to regularly wash your pillowcases (at least once per week), or sleep with a clean white towel over your pillow.

Use the best skincare products.

Contrary to your dermatologists’ advice, you don’t need heavy prescriptions to get your acne under control. You really only need a gentle face wash you can use twice daily, a light moisturizer that can be worn under makeup, and, of course, a topical acne spot treatment for problem pimples.

Face washes

Cetaphil is the holy grail of facial cleansers. It’s gentle but extremely effective, and removes every ounce of dirt and oil without being too drying. CeraVe (better for dry skin) and Garnier make similar cleansers.

Use a gentle cleanser that’s not specifically designed for acne, especially if you have acne that is deeply embedded in your skin. Sometimes the harsh chemicals or exfoliants in acne washes can irritate the skin further.

Moisturizers

After cleansing, you should apply a gentle facial moisturizer to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy. Though acne sufferers may be wary of moisturizers and creams, in fact, not moisturizing can cause your skin to produce even more sebum to compensate, exacerbating the problem.

If you’re prone to breakouts, you must choose a moisturizer that’s noncomedogenic. Noncomedogenic products are much less likely to clog pores and cause even more problems.

Origins makes an amazing oil-free moisturizer, while Aveeno’s Clear Complexion Moisturizer is a good drugstore alternative.

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