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Acne occurs when the pores of the skin was clogged with dirt. During our daily activities our skin is expose with dirt, oil and toxins, and for all we know bacteria can survive in our skin for a long time and only a portion of will be removed when we washed it.
So when we are sleeping, our pillowcase will became filled with bacteria and oil coming from the hair, skin and mucus membranes of the mouth and nose. These bacteria can multiply on the pillowcase night after night of use and this will cause the skin to clog and will lead to acne breakouts.
But, just to remind you, dirt is not the main cause of acne. Washing your skin and hair daily just prevents the oil buildup causing the skin pores clogged with dirt and changing your bed linens regularly can also helps prevent acne breakouts. Still the best treatment to prevent acne is good hygiene practices, since acne breakouts may sometimes occurs due to hormonal changes and diet.
In choosing linens it is more comfortable to use those that contains high thread counts, these restricts oxygen to the skin, that causes increase of oil production, pore swelling, night sweats and irritation.
It is recommended for those with dry or normal skin to wash pillowcases and bed linens at least once a week in a liquid, non-irritating soap to reduce skin inflammation and irritation from the buildup of particles on the fabric. While those with oily skin and hair or for those who experience night sweats changing sheets two to three times a week and better use anti-microbial cotton or specialty allergen-reducing pillowcase may be helpful if changing lines is not enough way to prevent acne breakouts.
Dust mites are tiny bugs that lives in the pillowcase and bed lines this cause the skin to get irritated and they are feed of by dead skin cells. Allergens occur as the mites produce the waste during its digestion and process the cell. Allergens lead to allergic reactions like eczema. Bedroom is where more dust mites live as proven by studies, and thus causes year-round allergy symptoms since this is where we spend most of our time. Frequent washing of bedclothes and removing excess dust can reduce the number of dust mites in the home.
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, simply known as dioxins, irritates acne. Dioxins are common in cigarette smoke and a known irritant to the skin. Overexpose of the skin in dioxin causes chloracne. Avoiding smoking inside the home, particularly in the bedroom, can help you achieve a positive effect on reducing skin inflammation and acne breakouts.
Source:
Denise Reynolds RD (with materials from American Academy of Dermatology) | 
