Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

If you have acne, then you know how important it is for your face to remain as free from bacteria as possible, especially since those of us with  acne problems tend to secrete much more sebum (oil), on our faces and other acne zones, and this tends to attract more bacteria and debris that is pore clogging and acne-triggering.  One of the things we need to be careful of is what we are putting on our faces.

What I mean is we need to be careful how often we touch our faces with our hands and fingers, since they are basically breeding grounds for bacteria because we use them for everything and touch a million door handles and other germy surfaces every day, but we also need to be mindful when we are applying makeup, moisturizer, or anything else that the instrument we are using to apply it is germ and bacteria free, so we minimize the risk of a clogged pore.

If you’re like me, you use a makeup pad to apply your foundation.  These makeup pads, of course, over time, build up not only the liquid foundation in their sponginess, but they can also begin to breed bacteria if they go too long without being either washed thoroughly or replaced. 

Because foundation is a liquid, the pad does stay moist for a while after we have swiped it over our faces, and because of that moisture, bacteria and even mold can grow in it very quickly.  You want to make sure you are consistent in replacing them, maybe every week or so, or I know that many of them now are reuseable because you can wash the foundation out of them and reuse them. 

While using bacteria-filled things on our faces is not the main reason for acne, it’s really mainly a hormonal and inflammatory issue, it can most definitely aggravate the condition, and as a staunch acne-fighter, I’m sure you want to do everything possible to avoid a breakout!