Face Mapping Your Breakouts

Eastern tradition of face mapping combines modern dermatology with ancient Chinese medicine, it is the idea that there is a correlation between your internal organs and different zones of your face. Face mapping makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact your skin is the largest organ of the body.

Is face mapping a definite science? It is important to keep an open-minded view on this philosophy as saying something is 100% true is almost impossible to prove, especially when it comes to the difficult condition of Acne. After all, acne can be triggered by skin problems such as dead skin cell buildup, clogged pores, and excess bacteria and oil production.

Different people experience different types of breakout due to many different reasons, but the idea of face mapping does give us a good starting point when digging into the reasons for one's breakout.

Forehead: Digestive System

Breakouts across the forehead tend to be hard clusters or more cyst like. They are often caused by stress, lack of sleep and poor diet. Breakouts that are smaller, red bump like pimples can be from hair products or frequent hat wearing.

Above the Eyebrows: Immune System

This area is directly correlated to your immune system. Breakouts will pop up here when you are sick or about to get sick. This area is often affected with breakouts due to stress.

Between the Eyebrows: Liver

Breakouts in this area can be caused from eating sugary or greasy foods as well as processed foods, drinking alcohol in excess. Food allergies are another trigger for breakouts in this area.

Cheeks: Respiratory System:

This area is affected by smoking, air pollution, stress, and poor circulation. It is also the "dirty" trigger zone; cell phone use, touching your face and wiping perspiration can cause congestion and breakout on the cheeks.

Chin & Jawline: Hormones and Stomach

The lower areas of the face tend to be triggered by hormonal imbalance. Breakouts here usually occur around menstrual cycle for women or as hormone fluctuation begins during perimenopause or due to conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (to find out more about PCOS check out our blog)

One of the most important things to remember is that when it comes to breakout, less can sometimes mean more.

• Less Scrubbing – be a little more-gentle when cleansing, do not use harsh, abrasive scrubs as it can inflame breakouts and spread bacteria.

• Do not over do it with the "anti-acne" treatments – treat the skin as directed, once or twice a day. Using a strong spot treatment or even all over treatment can lead to drying of the area and irritation, which can lead to more breakouts.

• Another important thing to remember is that skin balance is EVERYTHING!

• Don't forget to hydrate – oil-free moisturizer or hydrators are key to balancing the skin. If the skin is not hydrated, especially when using topical products that can sometimes dry the skin, your skin may produce more oil leading to more congestion and more blemishes. Look for a product with a hyaluronic acid base or an oil-free formulation like Probiotic Instant Refreshing Gel Hydrator and Probiotic Clarifying Lotion

• Balancing skin with healthy probiotics both topically and internally is important. Studies have show that probiotics can help to reduce inflammation and balance both good and bad bacteria that is found in the body and topically on the skin.

Take away from skin mapping, pay attention to what is happening on your face, it could be telling you that there is something going on inside as well as outside.