The only thing worse than the horrifying itch before a pimple sprouts its ugly head is the next day when you see the giant red zit on your face. Even worse is if it’s in the middle of your forehead or another obvious spot. Learning how to prevent pimples can guarantee that you never have to go through that again.
I do participate in affiliate programs, including Amazon Affiliates, and may earn a small commission if products are purchased through links on the site.
How To Prevent Pimples
If you’re wondering how to prevent pimples, you’ve come to the right spot. Preventing pimples is key to making sure that you don’t roll out of bed to see a horrendous zit on your face again. With the proper products, lifestyle changes, and some of these natural ways to prevent pimples you won’t have to worry about your skin again. These are also wonderful ways to prevent acne breakouts too!
1. Stop touching your face
Your fingers touch everything. They are loaded with bacteria and other toxins by the middle of the day. When you touch your face, all of that dirt and bacteria get on your skin. Then, it can make its way down to your pores, resulting in pimples. Prevent pimples by not touching your face if you don’t have to.
2. Daily cleansing can prevent pimples
Even if you don’t wear makeup, you must wash your face daily. You should wash it twice a day with a gentle cleanser. This removes dirt and environmental toxins that get on your face.
Our Recommendations
Enigma Balancing Charcoal Cleanser($38)
An activated charcoal cleanser that leaves your skin balanced, silky smooth, and kissably soft. This gel-like cleanser removes excess oil and impurities while it feels gentle on the skin
Why You’ll Love It
- A little goes a long way
- Aloe juice helps calm down irritated skin
- Promotes healing of your skin
3. Avoid using cleansing wipes in place of proper cleansing
Cleansing wipes seem like a great substitute. They clear the makeup off of your face. However, these wipes get everything you can see off the surface of your skin. They do nothing to get dirt and makeup residue deep out of your pores. They are better than nothing, but should not be used in place of regular cleansing.
4. Stay hydrated to prevent pimples naturally
As you drink water, your body flushes the toxins out of your body. That includes toxins that are buried deep beneath the surface of your skin. Help your pores properly cleanse themselves by drinking plenty of water. If you don’t like water, check out these tips to learn how to stay hydrated without drinking water.
5. Take a break from makeup
I love makeup. I mean, this is mainly a makeup website! However, it does have its drawbacks. One of them is that it can be awful for your skin to wear a face full of makeup every day. If you’re noticing more breakouts than usual, take a break. If you have sporadic pimples, try to prevent pimples by giving your skin a break so that your pores can properly cleanse themselves. Up your skincare while you’re at it.
6. Watch for skin allergies
Skin allergies are a big cause of pimples and breakouts. If you suddenly change your entire skincare routine and have noticed that you’re getting pimples, it’s time to take a good look at your products. Make sure you only use one new product at a time to prevent pimples caused by skin allergies.
7. Don’t wipe your face on your shirt
I see a lot of people do this, especially men. The upper lip or forehead sweats, and then they lift their shirt to wipe it off. Some people use their sleeves to wipe off their faces. When you do that, all the dirt on your shirt gets into your pores. Instead, head to the bathroom and use a damp paper towel.
8. Wash your pillowcase
You should wash your pillowcase at least once a week. If you’re prone to breakouts, pick a few extra pillowcases to make sure that you’re sleeping up against a clean one every night. This can help reduce the number of bacteria that wind up on your face.
9. Eat more fruits and vegetables to prevent pimples
Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and nutrients that are wonderful for your entire body, including your skin. Making sure that you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables can help your body fight free radical damage, expel environmental toxins, and much more.
Foods from these food groups are also known for having more water than processed foods. For example, watermelon is primarily water! That means they help you fight off pimples in more than one way.
10. Wash your face twice if you wear makeup
While you don’t want to over-cleanse your face, you want to ensure that you wash your face twice on the days it’s covered in makeup. The first wash gets all of the makeup off the surface of your face. The second wash helps deep clean your pores for a fully clean face.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to do this every time you wash your face. For example, you probably don’t need to do this in the morning because you don’t wear makeup to bed. Washing your face too much can dry out your skin and do the opposite of preventing pimples.
11. Moisturize
I grew up in the era when it was believed that moisturizing your face could cause pimples. Since then, that theory has been proven to be a myth. In fact, not moisturizing your face can cause pimples! When your skin is dry, it tends to produce more oil. That oil then clogs your pores and causes pimples. That’s why you can prevent pimples by moisturizing.
Our Recommendations
Paula’s Choice Oil-Free Moisturizer For Acne Prone Skin ($29)
Mattifying Hydrator by Dr. Brandt ($48)
Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion by Clinique ($20)
12. Know what your skin type is to prevent pimples
It doesn’t matter if you have dry, oily, combination, or normal skin, you can still get pimples. However, it’s very important that you use a proper skincare routine and the right products for your skin type.
Let’s say that you have oily skin. If you accidentally use a product for dry skin, it can make your skin produce excess oil. That can lead to more pimples. You can prevent pimples by knowing your skin type, using a skincare routine for your skin type, and using the right products.
13. Keep your hair washed
Overwashing your hair is bad for it, but you shouldn’t have greasy hair either. When you do, and your hair is down, it rubs against your face. The extra oil on your face from your hair can cause pimples.
14. Prevent pimples by not over scrubbing
Using washcloths and other exfoliating products can make your face feel amazingly clean. However, it’s bad for your skin in the long run. Excessive scrubbing can make your skin dry. Then, it attempts to restore itself to its natural state by producing more oil. That oil can clog your pores.
15. Limit exfoliation
Exfoliating your face is great for getting a deeper clean. The same applies to face masks! Too much of anything is a bad thing, though. Like over-scrubbing, over-exfoliation can dry out your skin, producing more oil than it normally would.
16. Not exfoliating enough
Too much exfoliation can be a bad thing, but so can not enough. Instead of avoiding exfoliating your skin or using other methods to get a deeper clean, do it in moderation. When your pores are full of makeup, you need that deeper cleaning every once in a while. Just make sure that you stick to it once or twice a week. Everything is good in moderation.
Our Recommendations
Era Organics Facial Scrub and Exfoliator ($24)
Propolis and Minerals Facial Scrub ($29)
17. Clean anything else that touches your face
It’s common for people to clean their pillowcases and wash their hair. Consider everything else that touches your face if you experience breakouts in a certain place. For example, your cell phone. Other examples are your makeup brushes, blankets, or if you lay your head against your purse on long flights.
18. Learn how to prevent pimples before they start
This is especially true for whiteheads. Pimples can be a bit difficult to treat once they are already there. Instead, it’s essential to make sure that you take steps to prevent pimples before they rear their ugly head. That means coming up with a skincare routine that works for you and sticking to it, learning your skin type, and ensuring that cleaning things that touch your face becomes a part of your weekly routine. Check out this article to learn more about having healthy, clear skin!
Related Articles