How to get rid of acne around the mouth

Acne usually appears on the forehead, cheeks and chin and is caused by hormones over stimulating the oil glands in those areas, which then blocks the follicles, allows bacteria to grow there and causes inflamation.

However sometimes you get acne around the mouth area, which is unusual. This page is a resource for dealing with acne around the mouth area.

Acne is caused by oil blocking the follicles which then get inflamed, but there isn't much oil production around the mouth area. So why does the acne manifest?

It's usually caused by the person adding oil to this area by the over-use of lip-balms. Some women get used to the slippery feeling that a lip-balm provides on the mouth and continually reapply it. The lips themselves then lose the ability to moisturise themselves, so that when you don't use the lip balm, the skin feels chapped and dry, which stimulates you to apply the lip balm again.

The problem with over-use of lip-balms is that the oil from them travels to the area around the mouth via the tiny lines around the lip area, which then clog up your follicles and pores, causing acne. This is particularly the case when people use Vaseline as a lip-balm - it melts easily and moves to area around the mouth, and it is based on mineral oil, which is a major irritant to the follicles on the face.

Sometimes the acne around the mouth is caused by a reaction to the toothpaste that you are using.

Stop using lip balms immediately. Your lips will feel chapped without them, but within a few weeks they will learn to remoisturise themselves naturally. You can help yourself by making sure you don't lick the lips (which dries them), ensure you take the recommended amount of vitamins A, B and C, and stop smoking.

If you find it hard to cut down on the application of the lip-balms, at least try to stop reapplying them so often. Women often reapply balms constantly as an unconscious habit. Pay attention to your habits and try to develop self-awareness and prevent yourself from over-doing it.

Use an anti-bacterial soap around the mouth area to reduce the chances of bacteria causing inflamation. Make sure you stay away from any use of lanolin and mineral oil based products (like Vaseline) which irritate the skin. Don't touch your face or the area around the mouth (you will just be transferring bacteria and grease from your hands to your facial skin).

If you've given up lip-balms for three weeks and have been diligently cleaning the area around the mouth with anti-bacterial soap, but the acne still hasn't cleared up, consider that it might be your brand of toothpaste that is causing the problem. Change brands and make sure you don't get any of it on the skin around your mouth and make sure you've rinsed all trace of it from your mouth and lips completely.

If the condition persists after that, try one of the over-the-counter acne remedies, and if it still won't clear I recommend seeing your doctor to see if he can prescribe medication that will help deal with the problem..

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