Avoiding Acne Like a Pro: Here's How...

Acne got you down? Ugh I feel ya! 'Tis the season for dry skin and breakouts! 

Here's how to keep the acne away, so you're ready to slay.

Change your pillow case.

I mean, like really change it. I change mine once a week, maybe twice if I feel some breakouts comin' on. Your dead skin cells shed-- and it sheds everywhere. Even when you sleep, your dead skin cells, the makeup leftover from the day, and the dirt in your pores seep into your sheets and stay there until you wash your sheets and change them out! Since I read that a while ago, I have been changing my pillow case about once a week and I've already noticed a huge difference! I never get breakouts anymore, just little pimples here and there. 

Sleep naked.

Your face!! What were you thinking...?! Take that makeup and daily grime off your face so you go to bed fresh-faced and wake up with a little extra glow. I used to be really bad about this and sleep in my makeup almost every night. That was such a bad habit, and I pretty much was always guaranteed acne following up that night's sleep every time I did that. Don't make the same mistake! Use an eye makeup remover with a cotton ball for your eye makeup, and a wipe to get the foundation and powders off! I love Neutrogena products for this purpose! 

Wash on the daily.

Washing your face is super easy, and it's also something that you should do every day. I usually just use a face scrub in the morning when I take my shower. Sometimes, I'll also do a night wash with a lighter scrub from Clean & Clear to get the excess grime off my face that has been collected throughout the day. Here's two facial scrubs I love: 

Moisturize.

Take care of your skin and keep it moisturized, especially as we get more and more into the cold weather this winter. I recommend Nivea cream. It's thick and unscented, meaning it won't sting your skin if your skin is too dry. As a swimmer, I had a hard time finding a good moisturizer that didn't sting upon application. I tried everything. Eventually, I was introduced to Nivea, and I don't go anywhere without it! It's awesome because the cream comes in different sizes. You can pick from a small travel size tin, to a big glass container! 

I use Nivea once in the morning after I shower, and once at night again before I go to bed. I also use a moisturizer that has built in sunscreen into the formula in the mornings after I both shower and apply Nivea. This ensures my face has protection from the sun throughout the day! 

Take a day off.

Give your face some time to breathe and unwind. Go at least a day or two each week without makeup! I only wear makeup around 4-5 days of the week just that my pores have time to recover from the days that I do wear makeup. Never undermine your natural self :)

Try Lush.

Lush Cosmetics is one of my favorite places to shop! I love trying out new masks--from face masks to hair masks. I've had some great luck with their Magnaminty Face Mask. Not only does it smell ah-mazing, but it's the first mask that I've tried that actually proves to be effective for me. I love popping this mask on once a week!

What tips do you use to combat acne? Let me know in the comments! 

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XOXO,

Mattea