5 rules every teen should follow to prevent breakouts

Put down the facial scrub and quit picking! Pimples can set up camp on your complexion for several reasons—from stress to a surge of hormones—but you can have clear skin. Here, we reveal the top rules for preventing breakouts. Hint: they weren’t made to be broken.

Rule #1 / Keep your hands off your face

Are you guilty of resting your face on your hands while you’re sitting at your desk? Or constantly rubbing your forehead? Stop touching your face immediately. Your hands carry all kinds of bacteria and dirt which can seep into pores and clog them.

If you’re struggling to stop these bad habits – try keeping an antibacterial gel on your desk and use it regularly throughout the day to keep your hands as clean as possible.

Rule #2 / Don’t skip out on your skin care

Late nights out, or in the office, leaving you so tired that when you get home you only have sleep on your mind? Before you snuggle under the covers, put every last bit of energy you have into washing your face. Your skin needs to be washed and moisturised morning and night –even if you don’t go out or do anything. Maintaining a regular and regimented skin care routine goes a long way to avoiding blackheads and breakouts.

Rule #3 / Keep up the good foods

Look, we are 100 per cent not going to tell you to ditch all the junk food and less-than-perfect snacks, but if you overdo the bad stuff it’s highly likely your skin will suffer as a result. Try and break up your indulgences with at least a couple of healthy meals a day and if you love to snack, keep some nuts on hand – they’re full of skin-loving ingredients like zinc and magnesium.

Rule #4 / Take time to chill out

Yup, stress is a big cause of breakouts and it’s pretty unavoidable when you have deadlines, an over-packed social schedule or you're not talking to your bestie. But there are ways to lower your stress levels. Try taking a short break every hour, scheduling some ‘me’ time, and get outside if you can – going from computer screen to TV screen isn’t as effective as playing ball with your dog in the sunny backyard.

Rule #5 / Give your skin some TLC

If you work in a closed-in room with a heater or air con on full blast, your skin is going to be dehydrated. Combine your relaxing time (see Rule #4) with some skin-love by using a hydrating mask while you unwind in front of the TV. You’ll be replenishing your skin’s moisture levels and also chilling out.

Tool kit:

Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash: Lavender is calming on the senses, so try switching your shower gel to one with a scent like this.

Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimising Daily Hydrator: This product fights to prevent other skin issues caused by stress, like blotchiness and redness.

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Scrub: Works to remove dead skin cells and pore-clogging dirt that can make your skin look tired and dull.

Main image credit: Getty