YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    The Easiest Way to Prevent Breakouts

    By | Fashion – Thu, Oct 6, 2011 4:34 PM EDT




    By Kate Sullivan, Allure magazine

    Living with my dude friend from high school has led to a number of interesting exchanges. Sure, we've known each other since we were fourteen, but you get to know each other in a completely different way once you're sharing a refrigerator and shower.

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    For example, he thinks I eat an insane amount of yogurt; I can't believe he buys the crappiest discount safety razors ("This touches your face?!") when he uses a $23 moisturizer. Our most recent "WTF?" moment occurred when, while chit-chatting in the kitchen, I proceeded to clean my phone and headphones with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. His mouth was actually agape. "What are you doing?" he asked.

    To me, it was obvious: I was disinfecting something that comes into frequent contact with the inside of my purse, my fingers, and my face. As someone with a history of acne-that's just as long as our friendship-I have anecdotal evidence that my precautionary measure has helped: I've had fewer breakouts on my cheeks and chin since I started cleaning my phone a few times a week. (And the headphones I do after every workout.)

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    But don't just take my word for it, New York City dermatologist Patricia Wexler agrees: "Phones are a breeding ground for bacteria-we touch them repeatedly with dirty hands and often hold them to our faces for long periods of time, " she says. "That could certainly cause breakouts." She recommends cleaning your phone daily with Purell hand santizer or Lysol disinfectant spray. Ha! Who's crazy now, Bro-Bro?

    Readers, do you have beauty tricks that your friends think are nuts? How do you prevent breakouts?

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    Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio