Why is my face breaking out all of a sudden?

Are you wondering why your face is suddenly breaking out with acne? First, deep breaths.

Second, let’s quickly discuss how acne forms: Typical breakouts result from hormones and the overproduction of oil. Essentially, your body’s androgens—aka “sex” hormones, like testosterone—trigger your oil glands to overproduce sebum, which can then clog your pores and lead to the growth of acne-causing bacteria called C. acnes (formally known as P. acnes). This bacteria growth creates inflammation within your skin, eventually forming a whitehead, cystic zit, or blind pimple.

But don’t be discouraged: A dermatologist can help you determine the causes of your acne and create an effective treatment plan for your skin. But before you make that appointment, let’s look at the most common contributors to adult acne:

1. Junk Food: If your skin is acne-prone, dehydrated, or suffers too much redness, inspect your diet. Slowly reduce your consumption of junk food, simple sugars, and carbohydrates. Eat more colorful (and fresh) fruits and vegetables, which have potent antioxidants and other nutrients that provide more moisture from within.
2. Hormones: Hormonal acne is caused by changes in hormone levels, most commonly testosterone during puberty or progesterone and estrogen in adult women. These hormonal changes cause your skin to produce more of an oily substance called sebum, which is created naturally by the body to protect and lubricate your skin. This results in comedones, or clogged pores.
3. Stress: Stress acne is caused by a mix of bacteria, oil, inflammation, and hormones. To prepare ourselves for a stressful environment, our bodies overproduce certain hormones like cortisol. These hormones stimulate your oil glands and put them into overdrive. This overproduction of oil then clogs pores, which is what’s actually causing you to break out, not the stress itself.
4. Dirty pillowcase: Acne mechanica is any type of acne that is the result of material or objects touching your face. When your pillowcase isn’t laundered or changed regularly, a build-up of dirt and oil from the environment as well as your skin and hair touching the pillow is transferred back to your skin. This can clog pores and cause blemishes.
5. Dirty makeup brushes: Every time you use a dirty makeup brush, acne gets a chance to set up shop. Unwashed tools breed bacteria and trap dirt. Each time you “put on your face” with a dirty brush, you’re putting all the old makeup and little microbes that live on your skin back where they don’t belong. A little elbow grease and the right tools are all it takes to protect them.
6. Improper Cleansing: To properly wash your face, wet your face with lukewarm—not hot—and use your fingertips to apply cleanser in a circular motion. Make sure to wash the T-zone and U-zone (around the jawline), as these are areas people tend to ignore. Once you’ve built up a nice lather, rinse and carefully pat dry with a soft, clean towel.
7. Dirty Phone: Every time you put the phone on your face, you are exposing your face to damage. It’s true that in this day and age, we cannot function without our phones. However, with little care, we can definitely make sure that our dependence on smartphones doesn’t damage our skin or health. This goes without saying that you have to clean your phone at regular intervals.