“When a pillowcase isn't laundered or changed regularly, a build-up of dirt and oil from the environment as well as the skin and hair touching the pillow is transferred back to your skin. This can clog pores and cause blemishes.” Obviously, there are ways to prevent pillowcase-related breakouts.
"Dirty pillowcases may cause acne in people who are prone to breakouts," Lian Mack, MD, board-certified dermatologist at GlamDerm Gramercy Laser and Medical Dermatology in New York, tells InStyle. "Over the course of a few days, dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria can build up on the pillow's surface.
Regularly washing your pillow case as well as sleeping on your back can help eliminate acne caused during sleep. Specifically sleeping on your back can keep pores open and refreshed, preventing angry breakouts and flare-ups the next day.
Green says, “Cotton is best if you are acne-prone, as it will absorb moisture, reducing sebum buildup, which will minimize acne breakouts.”
Try misting your pillowcase with a spray containing tea tree oil, lavender or another natural antibacterial agent each day. Tea tree oil also has anti-inflammatory powers to help calm the skin. According to VanHoose, these sprays can even extend the life of your pillowcase. Wash your face at bedtime.
To prevent new breakouts from developing overnight, she recommends switching your pillowcase anywhere from every few days to daily (more often if you regularly wear makeup or are particularly acne-prone.) And yes, these guidelines apply even if you wash your face right before bed each night.
Given the increase in oil production, she says your skin will usually look greasier and slightly more inflamed. Zeichner adds that stress acne can also look like a combination of blackheads, whiteheads, red bumps, and pus pimples.
It's likely due to a combination of hormonal changes, stress and what we're eating. Dr. Whitney Bowe, a New York dermatologist, calls it an "epidemic." According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne has the dubious distinction of being the most common skin condition in this country.
If your sheets are bacteria ridden, they can cause acne breakouts on your skin. Normal cotton sheets are woven in a way where the fibers can trap sweat and bacteria. As your body expels heat when you are sleeping, the fibers catch the heat, which promotes your sweat glands' activities and often produce more sebum.
Pillows & Bedding
Facial oils, skin cells, and hair products can accumulate on unwashed pillows. Combined with pressure on your sensitive skin, these can cause blockages and infections that lead to acne.
Most experts recommend replacing pillows every 1 to 2 years. Doing so helps to ensure that you're using pillows that are supportive, clean, and free of allergens. It is also important to care for the pillows you use to ensure their longevity. Generally, you'll be able to tell when it's time to replace your pillows.
If you're acne-prone, avoid memory foam pillows. "When you sweat in memory foam, it has no place to go, and you basically sleep in it," warns Breus.
Acne may worsen if you: Get too little sleep. Eat certain foods. Use oily makeup and skin care products.
Cheek acne may be due to one or more of the following: makeup, your phone spreading bacteria, dirty pillowcases, touching your face, or hormonal changes. The good news is there are several steps you can take to prevent it or reduce the severity of your cheek acne. See a doctor to get your acne treated.
Stress pimples will usually pop up in the oiliest areas of the face, like the forehead, nose and chin. Your T-zone might look greasier and more congested too. Doctors say that if you're getting clusters of pimples all at once, stress can be a factor—hormonal pimples happen one at a time.
The acne-anxiety relationship has been a crucial part of various medical discussions for decades. Some researchers suggest that acne has a direct impact on a person's emotional well-being while others suggest that high levels of stress or anxiety may lead to the increased production of oil, resulting in acne breakouts.
What does hormonal acne look like? Whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, cysts and nodules are all common hormonal acne symptoms. Normally, whiteheads and blackheads do not cause pain, inflammation or swelling, but if they do, then they are most likely forming into cysts and pustules.
If you are prone to oily skin, face touching can aggravate the presence of skin oil. Every time you touch your face, you are spreading oil from one part of your face to the other. The act of face touching can also clog your pores, which can lead to an outbreak of acne.
Although some articles say that satin can cause breakouts, this may not be true. It doesn't really matters what material your pillowcase is made of, if it is not changed regularly, then it can have more grime, dirt and sweat.
For stomach- and side-sleepers, they do crease the skin less and don't absorb as much skincare product off the face. If you're worried about acne, though, silk pillowcases most likely won't help, and compared with cotton, silk pillowcases are expensive and more finicky to care for.
According to Gagliardi, a good rule of thumb is to wash your pillowcases every time you wash the rest of your bed sheets, which you should do at least once per week.
"The most common way to address these issues is to use benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, tree oil, or salicylic acid products before you go to bed," says Dr. Patel. Benzoyl peroxide is a bleaching agent that kills microbes and dries up oil in the follicle.