You may have heard a few of these statements about acne – let me tell you why they are all very untrue.
MYTH: Tanning your skin will treat acne.
FACT: Tanning will slightly dry out your skin and may make your acne appear slightly better, but the skin is actually being damaged either by the suns or tanning bed’s rays and that can actually lead to more acne. Plus the extremely high risk of skin cancer makes it totally not worth it!
MYTH: Acne is a teenage problem.
FACT: So not true! Acne has been seen in people from ages 7 to 85! It generally starts in your teenage years and in some cases clears up by the late teens or early 20’s, but many people continue to break out into their 30’s and 40’s or later. It has become more common in the last few decades to see people who had only mild acne as a teen to suddenly develop severe acne in their adult years. This is thought to be because of all the toxins we are exposed to now and the buildup in our systems.
MYTH: Scrubbing your face with a grainy exfoliator will make it cleaner and clearer.
FACT: Even if your skin is not sensitive scrubbing is not a good idea because it removes a lot of the protective oils and the scrubbing particles can rip skin, and aggravate the acne you already have, and lead to damage. It’s best to exfoliate with a soft washcloth or the ZENMED AHA/BHA Complex liquid.
MYTH: Consuming chocolate or potato chips will make me break out.
FACT: No one food will actually cause a breakout unless you have a sensitivity to it and it causes an allergic reaction in the form of acne or a rash. As long as you eat a fairly healthy diet most of the time – you can indulge in some “junk foods” and your skin will be fine. If you do suspect you have a sensitivity to a certain food – see your doctor or naturopath for allergy tests to be sure.
MYTH: Blackheads on my skin mean my skin is dirty.
FACT: Even though they look dark – blackheads are not dirt, they are a clogged pore that has oxidized. Use a gentle exfoliation routine to keep your pores unclogged and reduce blackheads.
MYTH: Popping pimples is OK.
FACT: When you pop a pimple you could actually be spreading the acne bacteria in and around the skin, which can lead to further acne. Popping pimples can actually cause more acne scarring to the skin as well.
MYTH: You have to live with acne.
FACT: There is something out there for everyone – you just have to figure out what is causing your acne. If your acne is mild and you have blackheads – you can probably treat it with a gentle cleanser and exfoliant. If your skin is extremely oily this could be leading to some acne in which case you need to control your oil problem using a product such as the ZENMED Sebum Regulating Moisturizer. In most cases acne is caused by an imbalance inside the body from hormones, or a buildup of toxins that is pushing through the skin. In these cases natural herbs and vitamins to detoxify – or the ZENMED Derma Cleanse Capsules, will be a great help to you.