People of all ages suffer from acne at some point in their lives. Many known factors play a significant role in causing breakouts. This includes hormonal changes, genetics, diet, and more.
What we do daily also has an impact. One of the most notorious habits is touching your face without any reason. Many people develop this habit to the point where they do it unintentionally throughout the day.
Today, we’re diving into a common skincare myth: Does touching your face really cause acne? The straight answer is yes. Touching your face often contributes to the development of unwanted acne.
The reasons are simple. Your hands carry oil, dirt, and bacteria that usually clog pores and trigger breakouts — especially if you already have acne-prone skin.
While it’s not the sole cause, frequent face-touching can definitely make things worse. So, hands off for clearer skin!
Let’s dive deep into the science behind this claim, how face-touching affects your skin, and what you can do to maintain a clearer complexion.
How Does Acne Form?
Touching your face fits into the acne equation. Acne forms when your skin’s pores become clogged with sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria.
These clogged pores can further become inflamed, leading to pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, or even cystic acne in severe cases.
Common factors, such as hormonal fluctuations, stress, and poor skin care practices, are known to aggravate acne. However, external elements like dirt, oils, and bacteria from your hands can also play a significant role.
Why Touching Your Face Can Cause Acne?
Many people don’t notice, but touching your face can add to your skin problems and may lead to breakouts. Here are some of the main reasons that touching your face can be the source of your acne.
1. Transfer of Dirt, Oil, and Bacteria
Your hands are some of the dirtiest parts that come into contact with everything you touch. As the day goes on, you come into contact with bacteria- and grime-filled surfaces like door handles, keyboards, telephones, and many others. If your hands are not clean, you can put bacteria and other germs onto your face when you touch it. It can block the pores and provide bacteria with a suitable space to thrive, leading to acne.
2. Excessive Oil Production
Even though your hands may seem free from dirt, they create oils that can touch your face. When you stroke your face, the oils might meet your skin’s natural oil and clog your pores. This issue is particularly pronounced for individuals with naturally oily or combination skin.
3. Skin Irritation
If you touch, rub, or pick your face too often, it can irritate your skin. Such irritation may cause inflammation, which is a primary reason for acne. If you already have acne, avoid touching or picking at it, as this may worsen the condition and cause scarring.
4. Spreading Acne-Causing Bacteria
When you have a breakout, avoid touching or popping your pimples, as this can transfer bacteria to other parts of your face and exacerbate the problem. Doing this may result in bacteria reaching a deeper layer of the skin. This can cause even more painful pimples.
Is it Really That Bad to Touch Your Face?
In short, touching your face often isn’t helpful, and it’s even worse for those who get acne. A few times, touching your face probably won’t cause acne immediately, but doing it often can collect bacteria and oil on your skin, which increases the chance of acne.
Touching your face too much can damage the skin’s natural layer, even if you have clean hands. It exposes your skin to more problems because your defenses become weaker, increasing your chances of experiencing redness, irritation, and spots.
How to Stop Touching Your Face
Most people find it difficult to resist the urge to touch their faces because it has become a habit. Still, with consistent effort, you can break this habit and maintain healthy skin. Some valuable tips you can follow are:
1. Be Mindful of Your Habits
To quit any bad habit, you first need to realize that you have it. Be aware of how many times you put your hands on your face during a regular day. Whenever you notice the urge, take a moment to think about it and use reminders if necessary.
2. Keep Your Hands Busy
If you tend to touch your face whenever you are bored, stressed, or anxious, focus your hands on something else. Playing with a fidget toy, a stress ball, or even a pen can help your mind wander from the problem.
3. Wash Your Hands Regularly
It’s better to avoid touching your face, yet in some instances, it’s not possible to do so. You should try to wash your hands multiple times a day with soap and water to keep them clean and reduce the number of bacteria that can remain on them.
4. Use a Tissue or Tool
When you need to change, correct, or remove your makeup, use a clean tissue or a tool that has been cleaned rather than your hands. It adds protection and limits your skin’s contact with the surface.
5. Tie Your Hair Back
Hairs falling onto your face may be the reason why you touch it. It helps to tie your hair back if you want to avoid touching your hair, thereby reducing the amount of oils that pass to your skin.
Additional Effective Tips for Preventing Acne
Prevent acne and other skin problems by avoiding facial touching and adopting good eating and skincare habits. Your skin will thank you if you take care of these simple things on the go:
1. Cleanse Your Skin Regularly
Wash your face 2x every day with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt, oil, and impurities. Overwashing strips your skin of its natural essential oils, so avoid cleansing more than necessary.
2. Use Non-Comedogenic Products
Choose quality skincare and makeup products labeled “non-comedogenic” or “oil-free,” as these are less likely to clog your pores.
3. Avoid Picking or Popping Pimples
While it’s tempting to pop a pimple, doing so can even push bacteria deeper into your skin and cause inflammation, scarring, or more breakouts.
4. Exfoliate Wisely
Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells that can clog pores, but over-exfoliating can irritate the skin. Stick to your gentle exfoliation 1-2 times a week with a suitable product.
5. Keep Your Environment Clean
Regularly clean things that come into contact with your facial skin. This includes your phone screen, pillowcases, and makeup brushes to reduce the transfer of dirt and bacteria.
The Role of Stress and Awareness
Stress also plays a vital role in the development of acne. Many people touch their faces as a nervous habit during stressful moments, which can exacerbate breakouts.
Incorporating stress management techniques, such as walking, meditation, exercise, or journaling, into your routine can help reduce this habit and improve your skin’s overall health.
Conclusion: Don’t Touch Your Face!
All in all, touching your face can result in acne because you may transfer germs, oils, and bacteria to your skin, and it also irritates your skin. Although it’s difficult to stop touching your face, paying attention to this habit and making an effort to reduce it can really help your skin.
Always remember that clean hands, regular skin treatment, and avoiding touching your face support better skin health. If acne is still troubling you, consider visiting a skin specialist at Cheeks Luxury Skin Clinic for personalized advice and care tailored to your needs.
Sticking to the simple steps covered in this post, will make your skin glow like never before.
FAQ’s: Does Touching Your Face Link with Acne?
1. Is it possible that touching your face leads to cystic acne?
That is possible in some situations. Although mild acne occurs more often, repeatedly touching your face can add bacteria inside the skin, mostly if you squeeze your pimples. It may result in cystic acne, characterized by severe, painful cysts that may require medical care and guidance.
2. Can touching your face lead to more problems for those who have sensitive skin?
Absolutely. Mild contact on your reactive or sensitive skin can trigger irritation, inflammation, or redness. Since you are constantly touching your face, the likelihood of developing acne and damaged skin increases over time.
3. How does touching your face contribute to getting a mask (mask acne)?
Wearing a mask can lead to maskne when moisture, heat, and friction are trapped on the skin. You may keep touching your mask to change it, which adds extra bacteria and oils to the area, leading to worse maskne.
4. Is touching your face while performing your skincare routine allowed?
Yes, but only when your hands are clean is it permitted. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before applying skincare products. Using unclean hands will make your food dirty, and it can also transfer bacteria to your skin, rendering your actions pointless.
5. Besides causing outbreaks of acne, can face-touching also result in other issues for the skin?
Yes. Everyday touching can sometimes trigger dermatitis, a worsening of rosacea that affects over 16 million people in the U.S. alone, or a skin infection. It can also pass on substances that cause allergies to your skin, especially when you use cleaning or cleaning-related products.
