Acne Skin Care: Five Tips for Great Skin

Pimples, blackheads and other blemishes are the bane of many teens (and adults too). These are known as acne. Skin care should be a daily priority for those who want to be acne free. Here are five tips to give you the clearest skin possible.

1. Wash daily, but don’t overdo it. Wash your face twice daily, using warm water and a mild cleanser made for acne. Follow the product’s directions carefully. Twice daily cleansing should be enough to keep your face free of oil-build up, so don’t clean it more often than that. And don’t scrub: Use gentle circular motions to avoid irritating your sensitive skin. Don’t share or re-use acne skin care products.

If the particular cleanser you are using doesn’t seem to be working, stop using it and try something else. Don’t mix treatments unless directed to do so by a dermatologist or risk causing further skin damage.

2. Don’t touch your face. It’s very tempting to keep touching your skin to ensure that your cleaning regime is working. However, the oil from your fingers will make your skin more prone to breaking out. Keep your hair out of your face too, for the same reason. Clean your glasses daily as well.

3. Watch what you eat: choose a healthy diet. While there is some dispute as to whether chocolate, pizza and other junk food causes acne, at least one study seems to indicate that there is a correlation. Professor Neil Mann of Australia’s RMIT University and staff at the Royal Melbourne Hospital studied forty-three young men, between the ages of 15 and 25. One group was given foods whole grains, legumes and protein. Another group was fed a more “typical” teenage diet consisting of white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks and snacks. After 12 weeks, acne in the first group reduced by 50 percent. The results seem to suggest a link between diet and acne.

4. Go natural. There are several natural remedies you can use to cure a breakout. These are convenient and will save you money. You probably have many of them in your house right now. Try rubbing garlic over a pimple or making a mask with any of the following: honey; pureed onions; sea salt mixed with egg white; or yogurt.

One note, however: While tanning is natural and many people feel that it dries up acne, tanning can actually cause your skin to produce more sebum, the oil on the surface of the skin. Thus tanning can make acne worse and possibly lead to skin cancer in the future.

5. Learn how to handle stress. Anger, anxiety, depression and other negative emotions can trigger chemical reactions that end up irritating your skin. By learning healthy ways to manage stress, such as journaling, deep breathing exercises, listening to music, walking etc., you’re actually doing your skin a favor as well.

Acne skin care may seem complicated but soon these common-sense tips will be second nature. Your skin will thank you.