If you over-moisturize, the leftover moisturizer just sits on your face. With nowhere to go, this extra moisturizer will eventually fill up the pores on your skin and clog them, resulting in the production of acne, whiteheads, and blackheads.
"Heavier lotions and creams can worsen congestion of pores and lead to increased oil production that can exacerbate acne breakouts," Dr. Hartman said. "The label should say oil-free or non-comedogenic to be sure."
You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
Many of us suffer from too much sebum (oil), which is an inflammatory agent. Acne and rosacea are two classic oil-related conditions, both of which occur after the onset of puberty with the production of sebum. Moisturising creams can aggravate these conditions, cause an oily appearance of the skin and worsening pores.
"Maintaining a hydrated skin barrier without adding excess oil is always a fine line with acne-prone skin," New York-based dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum explains. "I highly recommend moisturizers that are water-based and more of a gel-cream consistency rather than a thick emollient or ointment.
One thing you shouldn't do to deal with acne scars is load up your face with masks or fancy lotions — these won't help and may irritate your skin further, making the scars red and even more noticeable. If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade.
Dermatologists recommend CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for people with acne as it works to cleanse the skin and remove oil, without disrupting the skin's protective barrier. It won't clog pores or dry the skin out, and contains niacinamide and ceramides to help calm and moisturize irritated skin.
According to famed esthetician Renee Rouleau, skipping moisturizer can cause breakouts, rather than the reverse. Go for something light and oil free if you're worried about aggravating your pores, but it's not something you should let fall to the wayside.
If you are using multiple products on your face as part of a “12-step skincare routine,” you may be combining too many different products. Using too many products can definitely cause your skin to breakout. Not to mention that many skin care ingredients can lead to irritation and thus more breakouts.
Your skin is very smart; it regulates itself and produces only as much sebum as it needs to stay healthy, hydrated, and youthful. However, when we wash it too much, it first becomes overly dry. This leads to a backup of dead skin, and in turn triggers an overproduction of sebum.
Too much moisturiser or heavy formulations can clog your pores, because of which you end up with blackheads and whiteheads.
All the same, body lotion isn't meant for facial skin, so it could make some skin concerns worse. Sticking to products specifically formulated for your face will generally do more to benefit your skin in the long run.
If you're dealing with acne, the right moisturizer serves 2 roles. First, it can help regulate oil production, which may help decrease breakouts. Second, it can help combat some of the negative side effects of the active ingredients in your acne-fighting products, like cleansers or spot treatments.
Most pimples take 1-2 weeks to go away on their own. Some can take up to 6 weeks. Although they can't be cured overnight, they can be treated with many different methods that have been proven to work such prescription acne treatment like tretinoin and topical antibiotics.
Also your product should last you a few months not a few weeks — running through product quickly indicates you might be using too much of it. Some signs you may be over-moisturizing are clogged pores, blackheads, bumpy skin and excess oil.
Skin purging typically looks like tiny red bumps on the skin that are painful to touch. They are often accompanied by whiteheads or blackheads. It can also cause your skin to become flaky. The flare ups caused by purging have a shorter lifespan than a breakout.
Sudden acne breakouts can be because of numerous reasons, including hormonal changes or hormonal imbalance, an unhealthy diet including lots of deep fried and junk food, release of cortisol hormones because of excessive stress, excessive production of sebum and much more.
When your skin becomes dry, your body makes more oil. The extra oil can clog your pores, which may lead to more breakouts. The right moisturizer can prevent your skin from becoming dry and irritated.
Washing your face several times a day can further irritate your skin, leading to more breakouts. What to do instead: Wash your face twice a day — when you wake up and before you go to bed. You'll also want to wash your face when you finish an activity that makes you sweat. Dry out your skin.
You might have heard that one way to kill acne is to dry out the oil on your face. That's why so many online "hacks" recommend putting toothpaste or even rubbing alcohol on a zit. Actually, drying out your skin too much is going to backfire. Too much dryness will cause irritation and could make acne worse.
Cerave Moisturizing Lotion
The combination of ingredients like polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate and cetyl alcohol both can contribute to some pretty serious breakouts.
Overall, there is no clear winner. It just depends on the needs of your own skin. If you experience dry skin, oily skin, acne-prone skin then CeraVe might be the clear choice. However, if you experience sensitive skin the Cetaphil is the better option.