7 Everyday Things That May be Causing Your Breakouts (2025)

The key to successful troubleshooting is to target the problem, not the symptom. This is universal, whether you’re assessing a malfunctioning piece of technology or your own physical, emotional, or mental health.

Unfortunately, when it comes to acne, most people go straight for the spot cream. Perhaps you assume this is just part of your life; you’re just a gent who breaks out often. Allow me to give you some hope.

It’s highly probable that there are everyday things causing your acne that you can easily change.

And by the way, there’s nothing wrong with targeting symptoms in the moment. If you’ve broken out the day before a professional headshot, then, yes, go for those spot-treaters.

In the long term, though, it’s important you consider the following lifestyle choices that may be keeping your skin from being its best.

Dirty Pillow Cases, Towels, Sheets—You Get It

Since I have a pretty solid skincare routine (and have been made aware of the acne culprits I’m about to reveal to you here), I rarely break out. However, I once went to bed after a late night with a ton of product in my hair. Two days later, I had two spots on my face.

You absolutely must clean any piece of cloth that regularly touches your body. A dirty pillowcase could accumulate dirt, bad bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells. This is the ultimate recipe for acne. Even more, your pillowcases and towels rub up against your face. These bad actors aren’t just touching your skin, they’re getting downright intimate with it.

I get it. There are some nights when you just need to crash. That’s fine, once in a while. But if you do have anything in your hair or on your face that could dirty your pillows, just replace them immediately the next day.

Wash your bedding once a week. I know this sounds like a lot, but at least replace it once a week. Make sure you have enough extra sheets and pillowcases to accommodate your laundry schedule. Meanwhile, you want to wash your towels every three to five uses.

You might even consider silk bedding. I know this sounds extra, but silk contains amino acids and natural proteins that accelerate cell turnover. I’m not saying silk pillowcases on their own will solve your skin issues. However, as with anything in life, multi-pronged approaches are often the most effective.

Using the Wrong Products

I’m going to task you with something. Look in your bathroom. Do you use any face washes containing crushed nuts or other large, sharp exfoliating agents? Toss them. Are there any alcohol-based toners in there? Well, that’s not a toner, it’s an astringent. Say bye-bye. Any washes or moisturizers with parabens and phthalates? Out the window (just kidding, don’t litter. Put them in the bin).

Aggressive scrubs can damage your skin, astringents can dry them out, while parabens and phthalates disrupt your hormones. All of these can cause acne.

Finally, benzoyl peroxide isn’t the best zit-zapper. Those who grew up in the aughts might find this shocking, but it’s too aggressive and can cause dryness and skin scaling. Who wants a toxic, on-again, off-again relationship with acne?

Find a gentle, exfoliating wash and a moisturizer that really moisturizes. Yes, even if you’re excessively oily. Drying out your acne-prone skin will just cause your oil glands to work overtime.

You want a skincare system that considers every step of the problem, not just when you’ve already broken out. For example, Geologie’s Acne Control Superclean Body Wash has salicylic acid, which delicately exfoliates and soothes redness, irritation, and swelling.

Meanwhile, both moisturizers in their acne-targeting system feature salicylic acid as well as niacinamide. Niacinamide increases the skin’s fatty acids, ceramides, and collagen, which protects from irritants while improving elasticity.

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Their Retinol Skin Repair Moisturizer is a testament to choosing the right ingredients, and also, using them properly. It contains retinol, which purges the bad bacteria and grime out of your skin. However, if used incorrectly, it’ll take all of that bad stuff up to the surface too quickly, causing a pretty bad adjustment period. Fortunately, Geologie only uses .2% retinol, ensuring a less painful break-in period that doesn’t include a major break-out period.

Touching Your Face Too Often/Inopportune Times

There’s actually nothing wrong with touching your face—if your hands are clean. Were you just in the kitchen rolling up some meatballs? Perhaps you just got done throwing a football around. Even worse, you might be in the middle of eating a greasy finger food.

Well, don’t touch your face until you’ve washed your hands. No, using a dry napkin doesn’t count. You want soap and water. And don’t pick up your phone with your sullied hands and hold it to your face either.

Along the same lines, remember to clean your hands before you wash your face. Sure, the cleanser may clean everything at once, but you might be adding bacteria to the cleanser’s dispenser.

Washing Up Incorrectly

Don’t wash your face too often, don’t be too aggressive, and don’t use extreme water temperatures.

People with acne-prone skin often think that they need to take a face brush or a loofah and go to town on their body and face. In reality, this can damage your skin, cause it to get super dry (which we now know is the enemy), or strip away all of the good, natural actors protecting your skin.

Don’t wash your skin too often. Like washing too forcefully, this will strip you of your important oils and good bacteria. No one wants flaky and itchy skin that even the best moisturizer can’t handle. In the same vein, make sure you pat yourself dry after your wash; don’t grate the towel against you.

And finally, stick to lukewarm water. Water that’s too hot also destabilizes your skin’s protective barrier. This leaves you susceptible to itchiness, dryness, irritation, and vulnerability to environmental stressors like heavy metals and pollution.

The occasional “cold plunge” can reduce inflammation and boost circulation. However, don’t use ice-cold water too often or for too long. Freezing is just as bad as burning, after all.

Your Lifestyle, Stress, and Sleep Management

Sleep, along with water, is a major contributor to good health. When you sleep, your body is very literally recharging. Your muscles and cells repair, including the cells on your skin. Cell regeneration is a key part of clear skin. The older you get, the slower this happens, and the more sleep you need.

When you don’t get enough sleep, all of these health engines are compromised, leaving you vulnerable to breakouts—among so many other things. Life is busy. There will be times when you won’t get enough sleep. Just make sure those times are far outweighed by times of proper rest.

High stress levels may also indirectly cause acne. Remember that mental health and physical health are inextricably related. Stress can weaken the immune system or disrupt your skin’s bacteria balance.

Stress can also affect your hormones since the brain releases more adrenaline and cortisol. This may have been helpful when we were hunters and gatherers. In the modern age, though, it doesn’t always aid you in getting that deck done faster.

Your Hormonal Cycle—Yes, This Applies to Men Too

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A post shared by Dr. Shannon Curtis | Holistic Acne Doctor (@dr.shannoncurtis)

It’s not just stress that can affect your hormones. Your hormones cycle throughout your life, throughout the year, and throughout the day even. For example, did you know your testosterone peaks in the morning and tapers off by the evening?

While most guys want higher testosterone, one unfortunate side effect is that the male hormone does, in fact, cause acne. So many tweens and teens break out often because testosterone starts to climb during puberty.

Keep your hormonal cycle in check by getting enough sleep, by avoiding hormone-disrupting chemicals like phthalates and pesticides, and by living as organic and natural a life as you possibly can.

Your Diet (Sort of)

Many of us have been told that greasy foods cause acne. That’s not exactly it. The oil and sugar that you consume don’t have a direct pathway from your digestive tract to your pores.

However, health is holistic. High sugar and refined carbs can increase insulin levels, which can also trigger inflammation and oil production. The same is true for foods high in bad fat and oil. Also, not to state the obvious, but your mouth is on your face. It’s easy for the grease on your food to end up somewhere that might cause a breakout.

Vegetables, fruit, omega-3 fatty acids, and grass-fed and wild-caught meat promote overall health, including skin health. The healthier your skin, the better it can combat breakouts. So while your diet is indirectly connected to acne, it’s still an important consideration because it’s something you have complete control over.

Keep your skin clean and moisturized, and keep your towels and bedding clean as well. Get enough sleep, take a long vacation after a stressful work project, and watch what you eat. That pretty much sums up how you can combat everyday things that might be causing breakouts.

Remember to use the right cleansing products, too. Choose a system that fights acne while also strengthening your skin to prevent future breakouts. Boost that confidence by making these easy life choices.