Great Ball Of Fire: Could the sun be causing you to break out?

Ever wondered why the sudden breakout? You’ve not reached the time of your month but all you can see in the mirror is the sudden acne outburst. You’ve tried everything, from avoiding chocolate to oily food, however, your acne problem doesn’t seem to go away. While it is a myth that chocolate and greasy grub causes acne, they could exacerbate the problem. But if it’s not what you’re consuming, could the sun be causing your acne?

When sun meets Skin

While it is a common myth that sun will improve acne, sun exposure can actually make breakouts worse in some people who are prone to acne or suffer from sensitive skin. Like a great illusion, the reason why people believe the sun clears skin is due to the fact that the sun actually causes a tan, thus darkening the skin around pimples, making them less obvious. Sun also dries out the skin. Fancy looking like an aged prune, anyone? Also, UV rays are released from the sun so, when it hits your skin, it naturally damages it by weakening the natural barrier, causing it to lose moisture. While your oily zones may dry up at first, your skin tries to fix it by producing more of its own oils instead. Hence, instead of preventing breakouts, sun exposure worsens it.

Now what?

The immediate thing for you to do when you have a breakout is to whip out your collection of acne-busting creams right? Stop right there! Many of these creams are loaded with a truckload of chemicals – such as benzoyl, peroxide and salicylic acid – in other words, they make your skin more vulnerable to UV-related aging and damage. Sunlight also causes inflammation which causes hyperpigmentation or the darkening of an already existing acne scar. It is advisable to put on sunscreen before you step out into the sunny world, everyday. A product with SPF is designed for sensitive, acne-prone skin, meaning it is important for protecting your skin from the sun and will not cause further irritation and breakouts.

A recommendation of at least SPF 15 has to be applied at all times and always remember to reapply if you’re going to be out in the sun for long periods of time. Remember to choose the right product for your beautiful skin. Stay safe, ladies!

Sonia Lourdes

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