Acne can be extremely frustrating, especially if you feel like you are doing everything right but still aren't seeing the results and changes you've been waiting for.
Hormones, stress, and bacteria can all cause acne, but there is another trigger that could be sleeping next to you every night: your pets.
Our animals play a huge role in our lives, and often act as a comfort blanket, but your late-night cuddles with your dog could be doing your skin more harm than good.
One pup responsible for their owner's skin taking a turn for the worse is Reuben, a Lagotto Romagnolo known on TikTok as @veryawkwarddog, whose owner, Samantha Hall, was shocked to find had been using her fresh pillows as a dog bed.
Hall had been trying to figure out what was triggering her acne and caught Reuben redhanded when she found him curled up on top of her silk pillowcase.
The onscreen text, as she flipped the camera to the snoozing pup, read: "Not me wondering if my pillowcase is giving me acne to then walk in on my dog exclusively using my pillow as a dog bed."
To find out more about looking after your skin while caring for a pet, Newsweek spoke to skincare expert Fiona Brackenbury, who said: "Pet hair carries more allergens than you would expect.
"Not only is pet hair typically greasy, which alone is not something you would want to be transferred to your skin, but their fur is also a magnet for trapping pollen, dust, and pollution, all of which will be extremely irritating for your skin."
If you've got a 'Velcro pet' who won't survive a night out of bed with you, you can still enjoy their company without compromising your skin.
Brackenbury said: "If your pets insist on sleeping on your pillow, either change your pillowcase before bed or cover the pillowcase with a blanket, and don't forget to double cleanse to ensure your skin is free from irritants."
What Do the Comments Say?
Pet owners shared their own accounts of skin and health troubles caused by their animals, as one user shared: "I kept getting pink eye then realized my cats were laying their lil bums all over my pillow."
"LOL [laugh out loud] I had the exact same thing happen to me. Now I keep my pillows in the closet and have decoy pillows for my dog to sleep on in the daytime hahaha," commented another.
Other dog owners had been better at setting early boundaries for the sake of their skin, as one wrote: "I cuddle with my dog every night but she's NOT allowed on the pillows."
"That's why my dog has his own pillow on the opposite of the bed and he knows he can only sit on that side," posted another.
Newsweek has contacted Hall via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Lollie is Newsweek's Beauty and Self Care Reporter based in London, U.K. In her role, she covers a range of ... Read more
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