During the summer, our skin tends to get angry with us. We’re sweating a lot, we’re clogging our pores with sunscreen, and shhh — we might accidentally go a little overboard on the sun exposure. But there may be another culprit that’s causing our skin to break out like nobody’s business: our fan. Although we thought we had a great relationship with our old pal “Three Blades,” it turns out that our fan could be causing our acne to flare up.
According to SleepAdvisor.org, if you sleep with your fan on full blast during the night, you’re putting your skin at risk for dehydration.
When your body is being pummeled with dry air for hours on end, your skin can get extremely dehydrated. To make up for the loss of moisture, your body produces excess oil, also known as “sebum.” If too much sebum is produced (which happens when the skin is totally parched), the sebum can trap the dead skin cells in our pores, which would normally be shed at the surface of our skin, thus leading to breakouts.
To prevent this mega-drying from happening, the first and easiest step is to ditch the fan altogether or switch it to the oscillate function. Remember: the fan at full blast is your skin’s worst nightmare.
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Next, even though you’re sweating, your skin still needs hydration.
For acne-prone skin, Dr. Sandra Lee — aka Dr. Pimple Popper on YouTube — recommends investing in a gel moisturizer or serum. Dr. Lee said via Women’s Health, “[Gels and serums] have a lighter consistency, are typically non-comedogenic (meaning they won’t clog your pores), and they absorb into your skin rather than sitting on top of your face the way a traditional cream or lotion might.”
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And finally, if you can’t quit that fan life, invest in a humidifier. Pumping a bit of extra hydration into the air all year round will greatly enhance your overall well-being. Our bodies are made up of 70% water, after all, so do your insides and outsides a favor.
Amazon sells a simple and much-loved humidifier for only $16.99.
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As always, if you have any concerns about your pimples or anything regarding your skin, consult your doctor or a dermatologist. These fan-related tips might lessen the breakout burden, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.