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Module:5

Lifestyle Tips

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This module is all about how lifestyle can affect acne, and the changes you can make to your lifestyle to

potentially reduce acne. We’ll start by talking about exercise, with sections on how exercise affects acne,

and advice for the best exercise habits to reduce acne.

Next, you’ll learn about relaxation, how it can help to reduce acne, and various techniques you can try.

Following this, sleep will be the focus, with sections on how sleep affects acne and on advise for optimal

sleep. The next section is all about personal grooming, with sections on makeup, shaving and hairstyles.

The module will conclude with drinking habits, discussing how water, alcohol and caffeine can affect

acne.

5.1 Exercise

5.2 Relaxation

5.3 Sleep

5.4 Personal grooming

5.5 Drinking habits

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5.1 Exercise

A lot of people with acne are unsure about how exercise will affect their skin. In this section, we’ve

put together the effects of exercising on acne, and some advice for best practice for those with acne

who want to exercise.

5.1.1 How exercise affects acne

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to prevent acne or help the symptoms. Here are some

of the benefits of exercising that are likely to improve acne:

NIAMS (the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, states that exercise

increases the flow of blood to the surface of the skin. In addition, it brings nutrients and oxygen to the

whole body, including the skin. One doctor recommends thinking of exercise as ‘cleaning the skin from

the inside’

This blood flow to the skin nourishes skin cells, and carries away waste products, such as free radicals,

from cells.

Some people are unsure if exercise helps their acne or makes it worse, due to the sweat. Sweat is mostly

comprised of water, but also contains sugar, salts, urea and ammonia. Sweating flushes impurities and

toxins from the skin, which is why people, especially those with unhealthy diets, may find that leaving

sweat on the face makes their acne worse. However, if it is gently washed away after a workout, there

may be no problem. Exercise increases blood flow, unclogs the pores and reduces stress, all of which can

benefit someone suffering from acne.

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5.1.2 Advice on exercise

In this section we cover some important things to know and keep in mind for those with acne

who are going to exercise.

Firstly, you’ll want to choose the right clothes. This is particularly important for people who

suffer from acne on their body. Avoid any kind of clothing that will rub against your skin as you

work out, as this can cause chafing and rashes. In people who are already prone to acne, the

increased sweating and irritation that tight fitting workout clothes can cause may lead to a

different type of acne, known as acne mechanica. It is advised that you wear clothing that is

moisture-wicking and loose fitting, and avoid fabrics such as nylon and lycra. This will keep skin

cooler and drier.

In terms of exercise accessories, such as a helmet, hat or sunglasses, make sure to clean these

often, as they can accumulate oil and dirt that could be transferred to your skin. You’ll also want

to tie your hair back for the same reason.

Make sure your skin is clean before you start exercising, and avoid wearing makeup. If you

must wear makeup, make sure it is non-comedogenic so it does not clog your pores so

much, though even oil free makeup can clog pores in conjunction with sweat. Keep in mind

that with makeup, you would have to wash your face before and after the gym more

thoroughly, and this can lead to irritation.

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If you’re going to work out outside, wear sunscreen. There are new pH balanced sunscreens that

don’t sting. Choose a gel or oil-free product to prevent more acne developing. There are now

powders available on the market that have SPF protection and are less likely to clog pores.

Avoid touching your face while you are working out, as this can transfer bacteria and oil to the

skin. Blot your face with a clean dry towel, but avoid irritating the skin by rubbing, and don’t use

your hands or shirt to wipe, rub or blot your face.

Make sure to shower immediately after exercising, and wash your face either with water or with

a gentle cleanser. Apply a soothing moisturizer to your skin after exercising to help prevent skin

irritation.

5.2 Relaxation

Relaxation is often not the first thing that springs to mind when we think of acne treatment, but

relaxation, stress and acne are closely linked. In this section we’ll look at the science behind this

connection, and some advice for boosting relaxation for skin health.

5.2.1 How relaxation affects acne

Researchers say that relaxation, stress and acne are closely linked:

Dermatologist Sonia Badreshia-Bansal says, “Stress increases glucocorticoid production, which can lead

to abnormalities in skin structure and function.”

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Director of the Sports Dermatology Clinic at the University of Cincinnati says, “By decreasing stress,

some conditions that can be exacerbated by stress can show some improvement.” One of these

conditions is acne.

Studies show that the oil glands, which produce sebum, are highly influenced by stress hormones.

Neuropeptides are chemicals in the body, induced by stress, that cause inflammation in the skin. These

are released by nerve endings in the skin and can cause redness, bumpiness, itching, pain, sensitivity,

burning or tingling. This can lead to acne.

Our immune system’s ability to fight infections in the skin is much poorer under stress, which could lead

to slower healing times.

On studies on mice, it was found that mice under stress developed cancer within 8 days of being exposed

to ultraviolet radiation, where mice not under stress took 21 days. This shows that stress can make

other conditions worse.

Studies have shown that if you are acne-prone, you will experience more breakouts under

stress. These breakouts will be more severe and will take longer to heal.

One reason why stress makes acne worse is because it forces your body into a kind of ‘panic

mode’. The body becomes focused on slowing your heart rate and pumping blood to the heart.

This diverts it away from the tasks of repairing skin cells, keeping collagen high, and reducing

inflammation. That is why stress can lead to acne and premature ageing.

Another benefit of being relaxed is the effect it has on the way we treat our acne. For example,

when we are relaxed, we take better care of ourselves and have more energy. This means we’re

more likely to use the products we’ve been prescribed carefully, to wash our faces, and to take

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the time to remove makeup thoroughly. In addition, when feeling relaxed, we are much less

likely to scrub our faces too hard, or to pick at acne, both of which can aggravate our skin and

make acne worse.

When under stress, our body secretes stress hormones, one of which being cortisol. These travel

through the blood stream, signalling the blood pressure to rise, as part of the ‘fight or flight’

response. But because our modern day stressors are usually long-term and our problems cannot

be solved through fighting or running away, our stress is often chronic. This means that the

hormones will be continuously released, and our immune system moves into overdrive, causing

inflammation.

5.2.2 Advice on relaxation

Doctors recommend taking up stress management techniques. These can include yoga, hypnosis,

tai chi, progressive muscle relaxation, massage, or a guided imagery relaxation program. There are

many other free options, too, such as deep breathing, meditation, taking time out of the day to listen

to music and lie down, taking a bath, or taking a relaxing walk. Anything that reduces stress will work

to reduce breakouts, reduce breakout severity, and increase your response to any other acne

treatments you may be taking.

Other ideas you can try to decrease stress include:

Leaving your desk at lunch time and going to a park or other relaxing place to eat

Fitting short walks or relaxation times in relaxing places into your schedule

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Making sure you’re eating at regular intervals

Seeing a counselor, therapist or other professional to make sure you’re feeling supported emotionally

Learning how to give yourself a head massage

Taking time off from work to go on a relaxing vacation, even if it’s only close to home

Incorporating comedy into your life. Researchers have found that laughing has massive health benefits

and reduces stress significantly.

Listening to calm music. This can help to lower high blood pressure and stress hormone cortisol.

Using affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements you say to yourself to program positive

thoughts about yourself and life into your thought patterns.

If you find yourself entrenched in negative thinking patterns, you might want to try NLP (neurolinguistic

programming) and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), which help you to change your thought patterns

and create more happiness and relaxation in your life.

Drinking hot drinks, especially green tea. Researchers have found that warm drinks improve our sense

of wellbeing. Green tea contains theanine, an amino acid that soothes the nervous system, as well as

healthy antioxidants.

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5.3 Sleep

Lack of sleep is widely thought to be a contributing factor in the development of acne. In this section we

examine the evidence and provide guidelines on the best sleep habits to avoid acne.

5.3.1 How sleep affects acne

During the day, our body is exerting itself in all sorts of ways – we’re busy using energy for processing

and thinking, for moving, digesting and talking. And the list continues, with so many functions and tasks

the body has to carry out during the day. When we sleep, our body has time out to relax, and to

regenerate itself.

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During the night, our bodies work on recharging the brain, releasing toxins and processing wastes in

the body. Sleep is absolutely crucial for our wellbeing and health, so much so that without sleep, we

would die. Interestingly, death by sleep deprivation is actually faster than death by starvation!

Without adequate sleep, our bodies have less time to repair themselves, meaning we’re stuck with

backed up toxins, and stress. In addition, the immune system is weakened, which makes us more

susceptible to the bacteria that cause acne. Without good enough sleep, the body cannot work

enough to reduce inflammation. This means the skin will remain inflamed and cause more

breakouts. In addition, sleep deprivation increases insulin resistance, increasing the turnover rate of

skin cells. This glut of dead skin cells can block pores and lead to more acne.

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It is important to know that even if you’re getting a good amount of sleep, it still may not be classed as

good-quality sleep.

The body has a built in circadian rhythm, as with all animals and plants. This is matched to our

environment and triggered by external cues, the most important cue being daylight, to create

a circadian clock, which tells us, by regulating our body processes, what we should be doing at a

particular time of day.

This circadian clock regulates our body temperature, brainwave activity, alertness, hormone production,

regulation of insulin and glucose levels, cell regeneration, and feeding and sleeping patterns.

In relation to sleep, the circadian clock affects the release of melatonin (produced in the pineal

gland, lowers body temperature and causes drowsiness), and cortisol (which is produced in the

adrenal gland, and regulates stress and inflammation in the body). A growth hormone, which helps

restore and repair the body, is released during sleep, particularly during non-REM deep sleep.

For sleep to occur at the ‘correct’ time in the circadian cycle, we would have to go to sleep around 8-

9pm, when melatonin begins to be produced, and wake at around 7-8am, when melatonin is no

longer produced. Sleeping at unusual times, such as going to bed very late and waking up very late,

can result in a poorer sleep quality. Going to sleep not in tune with the circadian cycle can affect

metabolism and hormones, both of which can play a role in the development of acne.

5.3.2 Advice on sleep

Make sure you’re asleep by 10pm if at all possible. At 11pm to 2am, the body goes through a repair and

detoxification process.

Turn off bright lights when it gets dark outside. If you do not, this can lead to less melatonin being

released in your body, disrupting your circadian rhythm.

Try to be outside during the day as much as possible, to expose yourself to natural light.

Do not eat in the three hours running up to sleeping. When you eat before you go to sleep, your body has

to work hard on digestion, preventing it from the repair work it needs to do. In addition, it is unlikely

your food will be digested properly, which is not good for your body.

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Exercise during the day to expend energy and make yourself tired. Try to complete your exercise at least

three hours before you go to bed, though, to ensure your body and mind has had enough time to calm

down. This is particularly relevant if the exercise has been strenuous.

Establish a night time routine. It is a good idea to limit screens a few hours before you go to bed.

Activities that tax your brain should also be avoided. You might include a routine of having a bath,

listening to music, having a warm drink and relaxing.

Make sure you stay organized with your work and studies. This will prevent you having to stay up late to

play catch up and meet deadlines.

At around 2-3pm, you may have an energy slump. If your circumstances allow it, and if you want to, you

might choose to have a nap at this time. 45 minutes is optimal, but even 15-20 minutes can make a

difference. Not only can it have benefits for your skin, but scientists from Germany found that a nap of

45 minutes can make your memory five times more effective.

5.4 Personal grooming

Personal grooming can often be a contributing factor in the formation of acne, through makeup,

hairstyling and shaving. In this section we’ll investigate how personal grooming can cause acne, and

best practices to avoid acne being caused.

5.4.1 Makeup

Most people are in agreement that makeup does cause acne. In a Brazilian study, 14% of women

had acne lesions because of the cosmetics they were using. Acne cosmetica is the official name for

cosmetic-induced acne, and it occurs mostly on the cheeks and the chin rather than the forehead.

These can be red pimples or small bumps in a whitish color. Unfortunately, many women can get

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stuck in a cycle where they try to cover the breakouts with acne, but this only leads to further

breakouts.

In light of this, it is advised not to use makeup too often, and to use it as sparingly as possible.

When choosing makeup, look for products that offer light coverage or sheer coverage. You will want to

choose products that are labeled:

Non-comedogenic

Fragrance free

Water-based

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While you will want to avoid:

Sponges and other applicators

Thick, creamy foundations

Makeup you have to stick your finger in to pick up, as this can breed bacteria

Greasy concealers

Liquid blush

Bizmuthoxychloride, often found in bronzers

All the ingredients listed on the comedogenic list in Module 2

Breakouts can also be applied when makeup is applied or removed too roughly. Here’s how to apply it

properly:

Foundation/tinted moisturizer– Wash and dry hands first, with a non-irritating cleanser. Apply the

foundation with bare hands, as lightly and gently as possible. Do not massage in too much.

Pressed powder/blush – Use a clean, dry brush/puff, and apply as quickly and lightly as possible.

Concealer – Use your bare hands and a very light touch if you want to use concealer to cover particular

areas.

Removal of eye makeup - To remove eye makeup, add jojoba oil or baby oil to a cotton pad or ball and

swipe it over the eye gently. Using harsh chemicals like those contained in makeup removers can be

damaging to the skin. Avoid scrubbing the skin around the eye as much as possible.

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Removing face makeup – To remove foundation, blush, and other face makeups, wash with a gentle

facial cleanser for 10 seconds or less, using your bare hands. If your makeup does not come off

easily this way, consider switching to a lighter makeup product. An alternative is to rub moisturizer

onto your face with your fingertips to remove makeup. Avoid using scrubbers, washcloths or wipes to

remove makeup.

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Shaving can cause acne, and acne-like bumps, but there are techniques and practices you can use to

avoid this.

Shaving causes acne and bumps because:

Multi-blade razors cause problems. These give you a smooth feel, but cut the hair from under the

skin. The skin then grows over it, and when the hair tries to push back through it irritates the skin

and forms a bump.

Friction from shaving can irritate the skin.

Shaving cream can cause irritation or even allergic reactions.

Acne experts have advised getting rid of multi blade razors and instead using either a safety razor or an

electric shaver.

Electric shavers don’t shave as close to the skin, and don’t cut the hair below the skin line. Gently

slide over the skin to avoid irritation. Choose a foil razor, with a thin layer of metal that covers the

blades. This makes it more gentle for sensitive, acne prone skin.

A safety razor comes with disposable blades (that last for around five shaves), that are inserted into

the head of the safety razor. There are many brands and different degrees of sharpness for you to

choose from. Once inserted, you shave with one edge, then flip the razor and shave with the other

edge. Shaving in this style can eliminate irritation. When shaving with a safety razor, you should

pass two or three times to reduce the length of the hair gradually. The first pass should be in the

direction of the hair growth. The second should be across the grain (i.e. at a 90 degree angle to hair

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growth). If you choose to do a third pass, shave in the opposite direction of hair growth. You may

choose to skip this step, as it can be irritating to the skin.

In addition, you will want to follow a pre-shaving and post-shaving routine.

1. Gently exfoliate the skin. This helps the hair to stand upright and make shaving easier.

2. Canned shaving creams are one of the main culprits of causing irritation. Purchase an all-natural

shaving soap and a brush to lather it up.

3. Shave.

4. After shaving, rinse with warm or hot water.

5. Rinse with cold water.

6. Apply toner with witch hazel in it.

7. Apply a gentle moisturizer.

5.4.3 Hairstyles

Hairstyles can also be a factor in aggravating acne. When hair touches your chest, back or face, the

natural oils and hair products you use could transfer from your hair to your skin. Hair products often

contain comedogenic (pore clogging) ingredients, such as silicones, oils and plasticizers. Even

without these products, the natural oils in your hair, plus sweat on your skin, combine together to

create a breeding ground for acne bacteria.

Here are some tips you can follow to ensure your hair is not contributing to acne:

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Consider tying long hair back into a high ponytail, topknot or bun.

If you have bangs and find you are getting breakouts on your forehead, you might want to pull them

back with a braid or a clip.

Check the ingredients lists on your hair products. If you find comedogenic ingredients (like those listed

in Module 2), look for alternative products.

If you wear a braid or ponytail and you find where it touches your back is getting acne, consider a bun or

chignon style.

5.5 Drinking habits

5.5.1 Water

Many people have found that drinking water has helped them improve the condition of their skin.

Though no scientific link has been proven, anecdotal evidence points to here being a link between

dehydration and acne. Some people have reported increasing their water intake has had a beneficial

effect on their acne, reducing lesions and improving skin condition.

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Colombia investigated water’s effect on the body and found

that taking in two cups of water significantly boosted blood flow through the body and skin. This could

potentially mean that drinking water allows for the flushing out of internal toxins and the rehydration of

the skin cells.

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In addition, dehydration is known to cause inflammation, which is a prominent cause in the

development of acne. With up to 75% of Americans potentially suffering from chronic dehydration, this

is likely a large contributing factor to skin conditions such as acne.

5.5.2 Alcohol

There is probably no harm in drinking a moderate amount of alcohol from time to time, but heavy

drinking can cause problems. There some connections between acne and alcohol, including:

Regular alcohol drinking takes its toll on the immune system. A weakened immune system will not be

able keep acne bacteria under control, and will make it easier for bacteria in the pores to build up.

People often drink heavily in an attempt to deal with stress. Stress has a negative effect on acne.

Alcohol can cause an overgrowth of candida, which can lead to skin problems.

Alcohol leads to liver damage. Liver damage is one of the most important organs in maintaining clear

skin, as it regulates hormones, blood sugar levels and toxin removal.

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Drinking alcohol lowers the body’s water content, meaning the water will not be able to remove toxins

as efficiently from the skin.

Heavy drinking also leads to spikes in blood sugar levels because of their sugar content, leading to

excessive insulin release and a compromised immune system.

The high sugar levels in alcohol can lead to inflammation.

5.5.3 Caffeine

Coffee has the potential to worsen acne, in the following ways:

Caffeine increases your response to stress by triggering hyperadrenalism. This means that when you

come across stressful events after drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks, your adrenal glands will

produce more stress hormones than usual. One study found that a person who drank coffee had a 211%

higher cortisol release than a person that did not drink coffee. We already know that stress has a

negative effect on the skin and should be avoided where possible.

Coffee stimulates cravings for calorie-dense sweet foods and high-carb, salty foods, which are both bad

for acne.

Caffeine increases insulin resistance, which can lead to heightened inflammation, and overproduction of

sebum and skin cells.

The milk and sugar in coffee are bad for acne because they spike the blood sugar and boost

inflammation.

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