5 Possible Reasons Why Your Acne Creams Aren’t Working

So it’s been a few weeks (or months) since you’ve bought a hot new acne cream that has received a ton of positive reviews from people claiming that it’s worked wonders on their skin; but your skin hasn’t changed at all – in fact, it may have even gotten worse.

You start to wonder if you’ve been bamboozled because all those people had clear skin in no time; so your face should AT LEAST be a little clearer, right?

Well, the truth is that sometimes the problem isn’t in the cream itself. Instead, the issue could be external factors such as those listed below:

1. You’re not following a proper skin care regimen

Proper skin care includes daily cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection at the minimum. You should wash your face when you wake up, after you’ve sweat from activity and before you go to sleep.

It is also recommended that you apply a sunscreen of at least 30 SPF every day before you head outdoors, no matter your complexion or climate because UV rays can still penetrate clouds on overcast days, and even people with dark skin are still at risk for sun damage and skin cancer.

Sticking to the basics of a skin care routine will help clear your skin by keeping it free of irritants and helping to balance your skin’s sebum levels.

2. You have bad skin habits

Some habits you might have could be making your acne worse.

For instance, if you apply acne medication only to your blemishes, it is likely to make you break out more. When applying acne medication, you should spread a small amount evenly over your acne-prone skin.

Another bad skin habit is sharing makeup with another person. You should never share your makeup or brushes and applicators with someone else because oils and bacteria can be transferred from their skin to yours.

It is also highly recommended that you avoid scrubbing the skin clean. As tempting as it is, it will do little more than irritate your already inflamed skin, worsening your acne.

3. Milk doesn’t agree with you

For years, many experts asserted that diet had little to do with acne. Thanks to studies in recent years, people are beginning to understand that this is not true – diet influences acne, at least to some degree. Studies have indicated that milk, especially skim, can lead to breakouts in those with sensitivities to dairy.

A Cosmopolitan beauty editor was actually able to drastically improve her adult acne by reducing the amount of dairy in her diet.

If you’ve dealt with acne for a long time despite proper hygiene and care, and you also frequent sinus or digestive upsets, it may be time to get tested for lactose intolerance.

4. Your gut biome is out of balance

With the popularity of foods like kimchi and kefir, you’re probably familiar with the importance of gut flora. What you might not know is that if your gut flora is out of balance, it may result in skin issues such as rosacea, eczema, and acne.

Ways to balance your gut bacteria include drinking bone broth and increasing your probiotics intake.

5. Your blemishes aren’t actually caused by acne

Many skin conditions cause red blemishes and pustules that look similar to acne but aren’t. If you have a condition like rosacea, prickly heat, or folliculitis and don’t know it, you might think you’re struggling with acne. Because conditions like rosacea and prickly heat are not caused by bacteria, the ingredients in most acne products will only irritate those conditions more.

If you’ve been struggling with acne-like symptoms but aren’t seeing an improvement with acne treatments, see a dermatologist. At the very least, he/she will recommend something if you do have acne.