Breakout Emergency? Here’s a Calming Routine That Works
Noticed a new breakout on your face? While you could ignore it and wait for other spots to join the show, turning to this Vivo Per Lei skincare routine will enable you to quickly calm your complexion, relieve the look of inflammation, and prevent the appearance of future acne breakouts.
Thoroughly Cleanse Your Skin…But Don’t Overdo it
You probably already know what the first step of this routine entails: cleansing. It’s a must for everyone, but it becomes even more important when you have acne-prone skin. If you want to see improvements in your complexion, you’ll need to first clear away the oil, dirt, and other impurities that coat your skin’s surface. If you don’t, they’ll work their way into your pores, exacerbating your current breakout while bringing new pimples into play.
With that said, since your skin is already dealing with inflammation and breakouts, you’ll need to be gentle when cleansing. The last thing that you want to do is further irritate your skin, as this will only make everything worse. Foaming cleansers are great for dealing with acne-prone skin, but pick one that doesn’t contain any sulfates or other harsh surfactants, just like the Vivo Per Lei Collagen Foaming Cleanser.
One mistake that people sometimes make is cleansing their face with dirty hands. There’s no point cleansing your skin if you’re immediately going to transfer oil and dirt back onto it, so make sure that you’re cleansing your hands too!
Purify Your Complexion With Charcoal
Now that your face has been cleansed, it’s time to focus on drawing out any deep-seated impurities from your pores. Exfoliation is usually the most common way of doing this. However, if your breakout is quite severe, this runs the risk of making things worse.
What’s the alternative? Charcoal. It binds itself to oil, toxins, and other impurities, pulling these away from the skin. Like clay, it has a purifying effect on the complexion, except that charcoal is even better at leaving the skin feeling deeply detoxified.
The issue with charcoal is that it needs to have extended contact with the skin in order to work. This is why charcoal face masks are more effective than charcoal cleansers and other products that are removed almost straight away. The Vivo Per Lei Activated Charcoal Facial Mask, which is designed to sit on the skin for 10-15 minutes, is great for this. This mask has also been formulated with a blend of hydrating ingredients, vitamins, and antioxidants, enabling it to leave irritated, acne-prone skin feeling much more balanced.
Spot Treat
If the breakout you’re experiencing is a rare occurrence, then this is a step that you could skip. Following the rest of this routine will likely be enough to calm down and clear up your complexion.
However, if breakouts are the norm for you, a dedicated acne treatment could be useful. These products usually contain a high concentration of an acne-fighting active, like benzoyl peroxide or sulfur. They’re very harsh ingredients, which is why they should be avoided if possible. It’s also why they should only be used to spot treat, as opposed to being applied all over the face. Applying a spot treatment to healthy skin will only cause that skin to end up inflamed and irritated.
Soothe and Support
A breakout occurs when dirt, dead skin, sebum, and bacteria come together in the pores, with the resulting inflammation causing the breakout to erupt. The cleansing and masking part of this routine will help by removing all of those impurities and leaving your pores feeling deeply purified. This means that it’s now time to tackle the inflammation side of your breakout.
How? By turning to ingredients that diminish the feeling of inflammation in the skin. There are plenty out there, with some, like aloe vera, being famous for having these effects. Aloe vera is particularly beneficial, with research showing that this extract could help to inhibit the appearance of acne-causing bacteria.
One great way to add aloe vera to your skincare routine is with the Vivo Per Lei Aloe Soothing Facial Serum. It has a short ingredient list, which is great when it comes to minimizing the chances of your skin ending up even more irritated. However, the ingredients that it does contain are also known for soothing the look of inflamed skin and keeping the skin barrier feeling supported. It will also give your skin a boost of hydration, which will help to keep your complexion balanced.
Moisturize…But Keep it Lightweight
While the thought of moisturizing when you have a breakout and your skin is feeling greasy may not seem appealing, it’s more important than many realize…
Moisturizing not only gives your skin some extra hydration, but it also locks that hydration in. Without a moisturizer covering your skin, moisture loss will occur at a much faster rate. Is this really a big deal? Yes, because it means that your skin will quickly end up dehydrated. This causes various problems, one of which is that it stimulates your skin’s sebaceous glands to produce more oil. This will then leave your skin even greasier in the future, meaning that it will be even more prone to clogged pores and breakouts.
So, while moisturizing shouldn’t be skipped, you do still need to be careful that your moisturizer doesn’t end up clogging your pores. A lightweight formula is essential. A silky-textured cream, like the Vivo Per Lei Pumpkin and Collagen Day Cream, would be a good choice. Alternatively, try a moisturizing gel, like the Vivo Per Lei Marine Sensitive Facial Hydro-Gel. It feels even lighter on the skin than a cream, yet still packs plenty of hydrating power.
Finish With SPF
If you’re following this skincare routine during the day, make sure that you don’t forget about SPF. Sun protection is vital at all times, but becomes even more so when your skin is already struggling with a breakout. Not only do UV rays increase oil production, but they also exacerbate inflammation. They damage the skin barrier too, meaning that your breakout will most likely end up even angrier and more inflamed.
However, again, pick a lightweight formula. A water-based sunscreen that doesn’t contain any heavy emollients or oils is what you need. Gel-based formulas can be useful too – they provide a beautifully sheer finish.
Preventing the Appearance of Future Breakouts
Now that you have your current breakout under control, it’s time to turn your attention to preventing the appearance of future breakouts so that your single breakout doesn’t end up joined by others. Here’s how:
Be Careful Not to Over-Cleanse or Over-Exfoliate
As we discussed earlier, it’s important to be gentle with your skin when cleansing, and this applies to exfoliation as well. Over-cleansing and over-exfoliating are both notorious for triggering breakouts because of the damage that they cause to the skin barrier. Not only should you avoid aggressive products, but don’t exfoliate too often – three times a week should be sufficient!
Use the Right Skincare Products
If your breakouts are a new occurrence, then your skincare products could be to blame. Yes, you may have been using them with no problems up until now, but don’t forget that your skin’s needs, as well as your skin type, change over time. Have a look through the ingredient lists of all of the products that you use – if any contain any particularly pore-clogging ingredients, it may be time to swap that product for a lighter alternative.
Stop Touching Your Face
Do you often find yourself touching your face throughout the day? If there’s a particular area of your face that you touch more often than others, then there’s a good chance that this is also where your breakout happens to be!
How did we know? Because each time you touch your face, you’re transferring oil and bacteria from your hands to your face. As we explained earlier, both of these are key parts of what triggers an acne breakout. Stop touching your face, and you’ll immediately reduce how much oil and bacteria the skin on your face comes into contact with.
Keep Everything Clean
Of course, it’s not just your hands that are dirty. Plenty of other items come into contact with your face, too, meaning that these need to be kept clean as well. From your phone to your pillowcase, all of these surfaces harbor oil and bacteria, so you don’t want them anywhere near your face when they’re dirty.
Learn How to De-Stress
People underestimate the impact that stress can have on their skin. Long-term stress causes damage in a number of ways, and it could even be responsible for your breakout. Whenever you’re stressed, a hormone called cortisol is released through your body. It interferes with your sebaceous glands, causing them to produce more oil. It also increases inflammation, making breakouts more likely to occur if your pores happen to end up clogged.
Learning how to de-stress can put a stop to all of that. Sure, stress may be near impossible to avoid, but consciously lowering your stress levels when they start to rise is definitely possible. There are plenty of stress-busting techniques out there, so figure out which works best for you. Whether it’s listening to some soothing music, going for a run, talking to a friend, or doing some painting, make an effort to keep your stress levels low, and your complexion should start to improve.
Summary
If you’ve noticed a breakout on your skin, don’t panic. Simply follow the calming routine that we’ve shared above, and your skin won’t look quite so angry and inflamed before. Pair that with the acne-prevention tips that we’ve shared, and this breakout will hopefully be your last!
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