Seven Ways to Conquer Acne

The topic of ‘acne’ has undoubtedly been debated for a very long period of time and still continues to be an actual concern of more than 90 percent of all adolescents and about 25 percent of all adults. The causes, nasty effects, both physical and psychical, over-the-counter medication, dermatologists’ treatments or home-made remedies, these are all subjects that are more or less familiar to those who have acne.

Of course the best thing to do is to go see a dermatologist if you suffer from a severe case of acne; if this is not the case and you have breakouts from time to time, you should create your own daily routine to take care of your skin, a routine including prevention methods and solutions to get rid of your pimples.

Here is a series of things you should closely observe regarding your lifestyle, eating habits or personal hygiene and, if needed, you should change them: Firstly, watch out for possible causes of skin irritations, overproductions of oil or clogged pores. These are the results of inappropriate washing techniques or habits, such as over-washing or harsh scrubbing. Your ‘skin care corner’ should contain products with gentle exfoliation ingredients, but not products containing alcohol.

Secondly, and this goes for women especially, be very careful with what you put on your face. Make-up can be a serious cause of acne, clogging pores, causing skin irritations; therefore, make sure you use oil-free products, hypo-allergenic perfumes and cosmetics if you do not want to end up with allergies, also avoid coal tar derivates, heavy cream, carmine in blushes.

If you are a fan of shimmering facial colors, remember that these contain “mica”, a flaky mineral known to be responsible for irritations and clogging of pores. Your lip gloss should have a matte finish for less pore-clogging, because really shinny lip gloss contains a big quantity of comedogen.

Thirdly, about half of all women experience hormonal acne during the week before their menstruation. This can be fixed using retinoids, Benzoyl Peroxide, oral antibiotics, oral contraceptives. Fourthly, although there is no direct connection between food and acne, “you are what you eat”, and your skin is also affected by what you consume. Get plenty of vitamins, minerals, supplements to prevent breakouts.

Fifthly, do plenty of work-out to help ease up stress, avoid wearing lycra, nylon outfits, wear cotton and natural blends and clean your sports equipment. Sixthly, stress is a significant acne cause, both external and internal stressors harm your skin by compromising it’s ability to heal or by triggering chemical reactions inside your body resulting in acne flare-ups and irritations. Some examples: oily make-up, sun over-exposure, anxiety, depressions. Sleep and rest as much as you can, find relaxing activities.

Seventhly, your shaving habits are also important; if you use sharp twin-blade razors, gentle swipes and go with the grain, you could exfoliate your skin or remove dead skin cells, whiteheads, blackheads, preventing the apparition and spreading of acne.