My skin was suffering from the notorious ‘boyfriend air’ – my problems cleared up when he went on vacation without me
AFTER fighting acne and rosacea, one woman decided to get to the bottom of her skincare woes — and learned her love life was to blame.
She realized that once her boyfriend left town for five days, her face began clearing up.
Redditor explained the situation in a post on the social media platform.
"My skin was clearing up super fast when my boyfriend left for vacation," she said.
"My acne was healing with no new breakouts and my skin was visibly less red."
However, when her boyfriend returned, so did her skin conditions.
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"I thought it was the minor change I made in my routine, but I'm not sure anymore."
At first, she thought the culprit could be foods containing gluten or dairy.
"Could this be a case of the notorious 'boyfriend air?'" she asked.
"Now that I think about it my skin got super bad when I first moved in with him, too.
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"He has a beard and he says he washes it with bar soap."
THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
Several Redditors commented with their own theories on why her skin reacts around her boyfriend.
Many pointed out that his beard could be a possible trigger for her issues.
"I had an allergic reaction on my face when I first started dating my boyfriend," one wrote.
"[I] went to a dermatologist and that's basically what he said.
"[It] doesn't mean he's dirty, people apparently just have different kinds of microorganisms on their faces, and sometimes your skin reacts to theirs."
What is "boyfriend air?"
"Boyfriend air" is a concept, mostly spread on social media platforms like TikTok, referring to a decline in a woman's appearance after spending time with her boyfriend.
Some attribute this to an adjustment in self-care routines such as speeding through skincare and makeup. New relationships could also cause women to stress out more than usual or spend less time on choosing an outfit in order to match their boyfriends' (usually) shorter routines.
Another said it wasn't the bacteria, but rather the hair itself.
"His beard is aggravating your skin," they said.
";He can wash it three times a day, but it’s the mechanical aggravation, not a germ/bacteria one, that’s likely causing your skin problems."
Others pointed at stress from her boyfriend causing the flare ups.
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"When he was gone it was quiet and peaceful and everything was in order," the original poster said in response.
"It was nice not having to worry about caring for another human or being overly smothered."