Our faces accumulate dirt everytime we go out, and it’s our cheeks that are exposed the most. As such, people often experience breakouts in this area.

Cheek acne is one of the more notorious acne breakouts as the blemishes appear on the face so obviously and are difficult to get rid of.

Cheek Acne
Cheek acne is usually caused by environmental factors and dietary choices. Bacteria from your phone and your pillowcase, which are two things that come into frequent contact with your cheeks, could be to blame for this sort of acne deanjames938 / Flickr

This appearance of acne on the cheeks is caused by various things, ranging from environmental factors to dietary choices. Everyday things such as your phone, pillow sheet and even touches on the face could all be contributing to this sort of breakout.

In line with this, we’ve compiled this list of preventive measures to take for those of you who are prone to getting cheek acne. Check it out below.

Phone
Your phone accumulates dirt and oil, and is one of the things that comes into contact with your cheeks frequently. Be sure to disinfect your phone regularly to prevent cheek acne caused by bacteria found on your phone. Jan Vašek / Pixabay

Clean your phone regularly

One of the largest contributors to cheek acne is, believe it or not, your phone. Phone screens are notorious breeding grounds for bacteria as they are exposed to nearly everything and rarely ever cleaned. Oil can accumulate on the screen from pressing it to our faces and dirt can attach onto the screen and build up, among others.

To fight against this, clean your phone regularly with a disinfectant wipe to ensure that any oil, dirt and bacteria buildup doesn’t come anywhere near your cheeks.

Pillowcase
Your pillowcase could be contributing to your cheek acne. Be sure to change them frequently and ensure that they are properly washed Claudio_Scott / Pixabay

Change your pillow sheets often

Much like our phones, our pillow sheets also accumulate dirt. Prolonged exposure to this buildup of dirt and bacteria could also be contributing to your cheek acne. To prevent this, make sure to change your pillow sheets often.

Avoid touching your face without cleaning your hands

Our hands are also notorious breeding grounds for bacteria as they come into contact with a plethora of items. Additionally, we do not think twice before touching our face with our hands, and this is another contributing factor to cheek acne.

To prevent cheek acne caused by bacteria on your hands, make sure to wash your hands as often as possible and avoid touching your face after coming in contact with items you know to be dirty.

Reduce sugar intake

Too much sugar could be causing your cheek acne. High sugar consumption not only affects the elasticity of your skin, it could also be what’s causing your cheek acne. Too much sugar in your bloodstream could make insulin levels spike and increase oil production, thus leading to clogged pores and eventually, acne. To prevent this, be sure to consume sugar-rich foods in moderation.