Acne—one of the party-poopers of our teenage years. Not only does acne impact your skin, but it can also affect your self-esteem at social events, school, or maybe even on social media. It may feel embarrassing—and that's completely okay! Everyone goes through this awkward phase; and we're not going to let a few pimples ruin it!

Skincare and beauty has been so accessible lately; literally, you can just browse an ideal skincare routine, or search up trending beauty tips on social media or the internet, and in just a few seconds, you'll have the world's hottest, aesthetic trends at your fingertips. But, hold up—what if that's the sole problem? What if these make-up trends are what's causing the irritations that your precious skin has to bear?

From slick-backed hair, to DIY fads, these TikTok trends may seem cool; but they're secretly clogging your pores, and causing the oh-so-unwanted breakouts. But don't worry, knowing the ones which are right for you, and the ones to avoid; will help you stay glowing, feeling fresh and confident.

So, here’s a list of viral beauty trends that might be causing breakouts—and the steps you can take to fix them.

1. Sleek Hairstyles and Using Hair Gels

Image Credit: Ihssan Rami Azouagh from Unsplash

This is definitely one of my favourite hairstyles—and slick-backed hair is the epitome of sharpness, elegance and those effortlessly cooler vibes. But the thing is—these type of hairstyles can contribute to acne in several ways. Let’s break down the factors that contribute to acne when using these products and styles:

Excess product-use:

Using oils, hair gels, hair waxes and other styling agents can travel to your forehead and face, especially if your hair touches your skin. These products often contain heavy oils and other chemicals which can clog your skin pores, which leads to pimples and rashes. This kind of acne is often called pomade acne.

Perspiration:

Sweating under this tight hairstyle can lead to irritation and discomfort, and can stimulate the sebaceous glands as well—which leads to excessive oil production, ultimately resulting in a perfect breeding ground for bacteria to thrive.

Comedogenic Ingredients:

Comedogenic ingredients are the ones that have a high chance of clogging up your pores. Some hair products contain these, for example, certain silicones, alcohols or other heavy oils and chemicals. When these substances come into contact with your skin, especially the surfaces usually exposed, like the hairline, forehead, back of the neck, etc., leading to the formation of pustules and whiteheads.

How to Treat It:

• Morning and Evening Cleansing: Always wash your face twice every day—one after waking up and before going to bed, with a non-comedogenic solution, and converge your focus on your hairline and forehead, because pomade acne is most likely to occur in those areas.
• Shampooing regularly: Shampoo your hair thoroughly to remove any residue that might trigger your skin and scalp.
• Maintain Proper Skin Hygiene: Don’t touch your face often, and change pillowcases or opt for the silk ones.
• Adjust Your Hairstyle: Cut down the use of heavy hairstyling items, and instead try a free, lighter, look instead.

Take the Quiz: What’s Your Perfect Skincare Product for the 'Clean Girl' Look?

Take this quiz to discover the perfect skincare product for your “clean girl” routine!

2.Glossy Lips (which often spread to your skin):

Image Credit: Lana Graves from Unsplash

A Y2K must-have, glazed, glossy lips are all the new rage. But, since the skin around the mouth is super delicate and vulnerable to clogged pores, the thick lip gloss which spreads outside your lips often is the culprit of pimple formation.

Here are some ways on how to fix acne around your lips.

• Take care of the lip gloss spreading beyond your lips..
• Make sure the gloss doesn't have pore-clogging substances, and prefer not to use the ones which have glitter in them, because they block the pores.
• Opt for the products which are non-comedogenic, and keep in mind that the thick glosses don't allow your skin to breathe freely.

3.The Quick Beauty Hacks For Acne

Image Credit: Bermix Studio from Unsplash

TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are full of quick style and beauty tips, tricks and tutorials. But just like a coin has its two sides, these hacks and fast tutorials may or may not be beneficial. While some may truly be useful, others are completely ineffective or may even irritate your skin.

Using DIY unusual products found in our homes commonly has become a popular trend on the Internet—such as toothpaste, lemon juice, or even vinegar and baking soda as treatments for acne. Here's why they may worsen your skincare, instead of aiding it.

Lemon Juice Spot Treatment

It contains citric acid, which people hype as a natural bleaching agent for dark spots, but its acid content may damage your skin's natural protective barrier, making it even more prone to irritation and breakouts. Moreover, this increases your skin's sensitivity of sunlight, and temperature, which may also cause some blemishes.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a well-known alkali, which many consider as a quick fix for pimples, toothpaste contains ingredients like menthol and baking soda which may temporarily dry up your acne and soothe it, but the harsher chemicals may worsen the intensity of the breakouts, and cause even more redness. As someone who has experimented with this trend, I urge you not to.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is often told to help with disappearing the acne scars and pigmentation, but if its not suited to your skin, it might even worsen the inflammation. In addition to this, if the concentrated vinegar isn't diluted properly, the acid is most likely to cause burns.

Now that we've learned that these fast-trends may not be everyone's cup of tea, let's talk about how to aid your skin suitably:

• First and foremost, follow a proper dermatologist-prescribed skincare routine for your skin-type, instead of blindly trusting these quirky fads.
• To keep your skin-barrier intact, moisturised, and healthy, use gentle hydrating serums that feel lightweight, or moisturisers that soothe suitably.

4. The Slugging Trend

Image Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels

This is the trend where you criminally coat your entire face with thick layers of petroleum jelly—and I've been seeing this trend everywhere. This may work for people with severely dry skin who want to nourish theirs, but it can cause major problems for those with oily or combination skin-types. The sticky vaseline does trap the moisture and the hydration, but along with that it also traps dead skin cells, sweat, bacteria, and makes your skin even more oilier, which can lead to more clogged pores.

To avoid your face from breaking out due to this, here are some simple tips:

• Avoid slugging at all if you have the acne-prone skin-types.
• If you DO want to keep your skin hydrated, opt for moisturisers and lotions that feel light as a feather on your skin, such as the non-comedogenic, gel-based moisturised, or the thinner options.

5. Over-Exfoliation

Image Credit: Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

Exfoliating your skin is an important part of any skincare routine. The aim of any good exfoliation is to achieve smoother and feel-fresh skin, but TikTok has gone too far with the trends around exfoliation. Products like sugar scrubs and other physical scrubs are praised for their smoothening effect, but they even cause microscopic tears in your skin, if over-used, making it more susceptible to breakouts and microbes entering them. Some even recommend layering multiple exfoliants or exfoliating acids, but this can potentially, again, disrupt your skin barrier.

Here's how to mend it:

• Try exfoliating lesser, preferrably 2-3 times per week.
• Choose gentler exfoliants like PHAs (Polyhydroxy Acids), these help improve your skin's overall texture and tone.
• Allow your skin to rejuvenate and repair between exfoliation sessions.

Conclusions

It's fun to experiment and play with these trends, but it's also integral to listen to what your skin says first. It is the largest organ after all, so it deserves to be taken care of, right? So, stay hydrated, focus on your skin type, and be mindful of what is put on it and what it absorbs.