Face Mapping Your Acne

We all hate those pesky acne bumps. They always seem to pop up at the absolute worst times! Other factors, like summer heat and sweat certainly seem to play a role as well. You may have also noticed more pimples on your jawline and cheeks (maskne, anyone?) that have shown up since wearing masks became a thing. No matter where they pop up or how you got them, zits can sure be a bummer. 

Maybe your breakouts are trying to tell you something. Acne in certain areas can indicate underlying health or lifestyle issues. This concept is known as face mapping. It is very prevalent in both Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. 

Hairline + Forehead

Acne in your hairline could be caused by pomades and hair gels. Many pomades are made using comedogenic ingredients. This means that they are more likely to clog your skin and cause acne. Some ingredients to look out for are lanolin, olive, avocado and coconut oil, as well as cocoa butter. Look for pomades with noncomedogenic ingredients like jojoba oil, castor oil and kukui nut oil instead. Always wash out hair gel before bed, and use a good skincare routine to make sure you're cleaning away the dirt and oils.

According to Chinese medicine, the forehead is linked to the digestive system. It is believed that acne in the forehead area could represent digestive imbalances, like poor diet, improper digestion, or irritable bowel syndrome. Increase your water intake to flush out toxins and help with digestion. Try and avoid caffeine as well as overly processed drinks. Keep hair clean and free of oil, especially if you have bangs, as those lay across your forehead. Lack of sleep, stress, and a poor diet can also lead to forehead breakouts.  

Eyebrow Line 

If you have a breakout between or around your eyebrows, it could indicate a stressed liver. The liver works hard to filter out toxins from your body, and helps the small intestine break down and absorb fats, cholesterol, and some nutrients. Fatty, greasy foods and alcohol make the liver work overtime. This could all show up between your eyebrows. To help combat this, increase your water intake and decrease the consumption of fatty foods and alcohol. 

Acne in your eyebrow area could also come from ingrown hairs caused by plucking or waxing your eyebrows. Additionally, many styling products and cosmetics contain ingredients that can irritate or clog pores.

Ears

The ears are closely related to the kidneys. Pimples can appear on your ears if your kidneys are not functioning properly. Avoiding excess caffeine and salt, plus drinking enough water, can help you avoid this. 

Another cause for ear acne could be an allergic reaction to cosmetics or hair care products. Just like acne in other areas, acne on your ears can also come from stress or hormonal imbalances.

Cheeks

If you tend to get acne on one cheek more than the other, this could be due to a dirty pillowcase or cellphone screen. Ways to combat this are to clean your smartphone regularly with a disinfectant wipe, and switch out your pillowcase at least once a week. Make sure to clean your makeup brushes as well, as they can harbor acne causing bacteria too.  

Your left cheek is more connected to your liver. Avoid alcohol & greasy food and maintain a healthy diet. On the other hand, your right cheek is more connected to your lungs. To take better care of your lungs, make sure to do some cardio exercises and avoid smoking. 

Nose 

Breakouts are common on your nose and T-zone area due to greater amounts of sebum, or face oil. Face mapping matches acne on your nose to poor diet, constipation, indigestion, bloating, and poor blood circulation.

Additionally, this can correlate with your heart. The right side of your nose is linked with the right side of your heart, and vice versa. The nose area can tell a lot about the condition of the heart. Blackheads mean heart congestion, redness indicates blood sugar/blood pressure issues from excess alcohol, sugar, and processed foods. 

Maintain healthy cholesterol levels and watch your blood pressure. Diet and exercise will go a long way here. Consume more essential fatty-acids like omega-3, found in things like salmon, flaxseed, walnuts, olive oil, chia seeds, egg yolks, and green leafy veggies. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fats, as they tend to clog up your system.

Jawline + Chin

Hormonal imbalances are typically the culprit for jawline acne. You may see breakouts more often around your menstrual cycle, or after starting a new birth control medication.

Gut health can also affect acne. High carb food, dairy with added hormones, and greasy foods are some of the things that can add to this. Take a look at your diet see if cutting back on sugars, processed food and dairy clears up your acne.

Just like with your jawline, acne on the chin can be linked with hormonal imbalances. Other associations include the kidney, food intolerances and stress. 

Keep hydrated to keep your kidneys in check. While food intolerances are mainly seen as a digestive issue, sometimes acne can be a symptom of a food intolerance. 

Now you know a little bit more about how your acne can mirror things that are affecting you environmentally or internally. Remember that having a good face care routine will help as well. Our Face Glow Discovery Kit is packed with products that are carefully crafted and formulated especially for the face. Using a konjac sponge, one of the best beauty secrets to amazing skin, will help exfoliate and gently polish your face.  Cleansing, toning and moisturizing are all important steps to having a radiant glow and clearer skin.

It really doesn't have to be a ton of effort, expensive, or overwhelming.  Once you understand your specific needs a little better, it can actually be as simple as 3 steps with affordable, effective organic products.

Hope this helps!