Image: Unsplash via Curology
As someone who suffers from acne more than just my time of the month, my skincare product cabinet is pretty much just as big as my hair product one. But what do you do when your hair products are the cause of your acne? After fighting with my skin for so long, only to realize it was probably freaking out because of 1. My face cleansing only happened in the shower after washing my hair and 2. Lack of ingredient knowledge and best practices altogether, I may have found some workaround to help this bacne go away for good. Check out these top tips for keeping clogged pores at bay and say hello to clean hair and flawless skin!
Swap out your products
Clean up your regimen as much as you can if you are experiencing body or face breakouts. Often times, when we are using products that contain synthetic fragrances, any kind of silicone or sulfate, propylene glycol, etc, while it may create a bomb wash & go, it is clogging up your pores and could definitely lead to an overnight pimple too. Make the ingredients list on the back of the bottles your thing and really dive deep into finding out which ingredients are great for your hair, but not so great for your skin.
Wash Your Hair First, Then Wash Your Body
Now I never thought I would take advice from Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but in one episode Khloe talked about how she washed her body after she washed her hair, and the skincare goddess’ started singing. GENIUS! The advice is super straightforward and makes a ton of sense because you definitely want to cleanse away the oil, dead skin cells, & product buildup from your hair off of your skin and it would be a little counterintuitive to do it the other way around.
Wash your face last (or even better, outside of the shower”>
One of my major takeaways throughout this skin journey has been to wash my face last (in the shower”> if I’m in a hurry or if I have some time, to do my face regimen outside of where I washed my hair. When washing your hair, just imagine all of that buildup you’re rinsing from your scalp is going right down to your cheeks, eyebrows, etc and just sitting there and the steam from the shower is letting it sink in even deeper into your pores. I recommend washing your face outside of the area you shampooed and conditioned, using a clearing face wash (urban skin Rx has me right!”> and then heading into the rest of your skincare regimen.
Scarfs are your best friend
When I rock my curls loudly and all over the place, they tend to drop in front of my forehead and my eyebrows. After doing this for a couple of days, eventually little white bumps start to form in those areas and then I have to pull my hair up. One of the ways I can combat against these small breakouts is by tying my hair with a scarf or putting on a satin bonnet at night. I’ve also started wearing my hair up a little bit more often and putting tea tree oil in the front section of my hair to help combat any bumps that may appear.
Double-Duty Products
Finding double-duty products that take care of both the skin & hair can really be a gamechanger. Some of my favorites are Apple Cider Vinegar (for removing buildup in the hair and as a face toner”>, tea tree oil (clears dry scalp & fights breakouts”>, & anything with salicylic acid. Looking for something to try? Check out Acure, Neutrogena, SEEN, & Innersense!
Have you been experiencing body or face products and think it could be from your hair products? We want to know your story! Share your tips with us below :”>
