As tends to be the case in our society, women get the short end of the stick when it comes to acne. Our very culture seems to be set up to make women overly susceptible to this annoying affliction. For that reason, I believe all women should read through this article so that they understand how everyday customs can actually be causes of acne. First, it’s important to understand the natural causes of acne, namely hormones and pore obstructions. For most people, acne develops when our pores become clogged with dirt and grease. Once clogged, the pore is unable to do its natural job of cleansing the body and toxins become backed up, created an infection which then causes acne.

Why, you may be asking, does this make women more likely to develop acne?

Well, it is a social custom for women to intentionally clog their pores with makeup. The cosmetic manufacturers do what they can to ensure that your pores are able to breathe through and around the concoctions we’ve convinced you to put on your face, but doing so can be expensive which cuts into profits. Generally speaking, cheaper cosmetics are more likely to clog up pores and cause acne.

Because their very nature is to clog pores, it is especially crucial for women to thoroughly clean and exfoliate their faces on a regular basis. The perfect solution, obviously, would be for our society to get to a place where women weren’t expected to paint their faces everyday, but that’s an entirely different discussion.

Most women wear cosmetics and so it would be worthwhile for them to explore cosmetics that are designed not to cause acne. These tend to be higher priced but, realistically, they are worth while. Cosmetically, it seems that women are caught in a catch-22 because the cosmetics are one of the causes of birth control and then women attempt to use cosmetics to hide the blemishes which rarely works.

The sad fact is that it tends to make the blemish more visible, not less, and obviously it further blocks the pores and lays the groundwork for future breakouts. Pay attention to the cosmetics you use and look for those that allow your pore to breathe and remain unclogged. Don’t wear your make-up any longer than you need to and, as I mentioned above, make sure you thoroughly wash and exfoliate your face regularly.