Your pillowcase could be contributing to acne

The easiest way to improve acne

Here's what to do about it

Beauty Crew Beauty Writer / March 03 2020

If you’re struggling with acne and breakouts, chances are you’ve tried nearly every skin care product and magical remedy under the sun. Why is it so damn hard to banish? Well, this could be one of the easiest solutions you’ve heard yet.

On a recent Reddit thread, a user who goes by the name of christwists shared his experience with acne, and the one thing that has worked to clear his skin.

He wrote, “I'm a 22 year old male who until recently had some pretty stubborn cystic acne. I did everything to treat it, ranging from half a course of Accutane, oil cleansing, antibiotics, Differin, Azaleic acid, AHA, BHA, buying and returning various cleansers...nothing worked well!” 

UNTIL...the magic of clean pillowcases!

“I just went backpacking through Europe for a month and stayed in a new hostel every couple days, so I was sleeping on a fresh pillowcase every night. My acne just melted away, and by the end of the trip all I was able to stop doing my typical routine: all I needed was water to clean and a dab of Differin at night. My skin looked the best it had in years.”

While we all know switching up your pillowcase on the regular helps prevent nasty bacteria, dirt and sweat from having a field day on your face as you snooze, apparently changing your case every night can really do your skin a solid.

“I've been back in the US and have been using only water, Differin, and moisturizer- along with a fresh pillowcase every night,” wrote christwists. “I have ZERO acne and my face is radiant! I'm just so relieved and happy and motivated now!”

“I had known you were supposed to have a clean pillow, but I didn't take it seriously and cleaned mine maybe monthly. Don't make my mistake! Change your pillowcase often, it might save your face!”

Not up for washing a heap of pillowcases every day? Kovrd Pillow Slips is a brand that makes disposable (and biodegradable) pillowslips that last for up to four nights. Alternatively, you could just be more mindful of washing your pillowcases once a week – set up a reminder on your phone if you tend to be a bit on the forgetful side when it comes to doing laundry

Looking for the best makeup products to conceal and reduce acne? Check out the best foundations for acne-prone skin.

Do you have any secret weapons for clearer skin? Let us know in the comment section below.

Main image credit: Getty

Erin Docherty is a Beauty Writer for BEAUTYcrew, Beauty Editor for Women's Health magazine and a Grooming Writer for Men's Health magazine. She has a keen interest in cosmeceutical skin care and is currently working on minimising her 9-step skin care routine – because ain’t nobody got time for that. When she’s not writing about the latest beauty news, or applying copious amounts of serum, you can find her spending all her money in Sephora.