Safe Summer Swimming For Acne Prone Skin

Of course, we need to get the bad news out of the way first. Have you ever noticed those persistent breakouts that pop up after swimming? You may have seen them on your face, chest, back or shoulders. Plus, if you are acne prone you may have also experienced the more often you hit the pool, the more the blemishes begin to multiply. This can be quite frustrating however, if you follow our tips you can prevent this type of acne trigger easily.

Swimming pools need disinfectants to keep the pool safe for the public. Unfortunately these disinfectants contain iodides, chlorine and other chemicals that can dry out and irritate the skin which increases oil production in your pores. And we all know what excess oil production in the pores leads to…can we say it together…”break outs.”

Another often over-looked acne trigger is sunscreen. You would be surprised at how many sunscreens on the market that splash terms like “non-comedogenic” (which is suppose to mean no pore clogging ingredients) across the label when in reality they can actually be very comedogenic. As we tell our clients everyday, never believe the marketing, the truth is in the ingredient deck. If your goal is to achieve clear skin and keep it – check the ingredient decks to verify your sunscreen does not have acne triggers. Don’t know how to read the ingredient deck? We can show you how!

Now for the good news! To enjoy an acne safe summer of swimming just follow our easy tips to help keep your skin clear.

1. If swimming pools are your acne trigger try moving your swim time to a lake or ocean if you can.
2. When getting ready for a dive into the pool don’t ditch the sunscreen. Just be sure to apply a truly acne safe sunscreen that you have verified. Here comes a very important detail, apply a product like Aquaphor over the sunscreen to create a protective barrier, this helps to prevent the chemicals in the pool from irritating your pores.
3. Swim caps can also wreak havoc on the forehead as well. Just apply your Aquaphor to the area before putting the cap on to protect your skin.
4. Then, have fun!

Learn more about acne at the ABQ Acne Clinic. Call us today! 505.369.1680.