If you are plagued with acne, it may seem like you will never have the clear skin you have always dreamed of. Months or even years of trying this soap and that cream can leave you feeling defeated. Acne does not have to rule your life, though. This article will provide some simple, easy-to-follow tips to help you get your acne under control once and for all.
To properly treat acne, look for a face wash or exfoliator with salicylic acid in it. Salicylic acid, while it may dry out your skin slightly, avoids oil from building up in your pores, which is the cause of acne. To reduce the incidence of dry skin, choose an oil-free moisturizer.
You can use over-the-counter acne treatments to help with your acne. These are mainly topical and generally include popular acne ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. You must be careful with these though and follow the directions on how much to use and how many times to apply them. Also, these may be too harsh for some, so if you have doubts, ask a physician or dermatologist.
Chamomile tea is proven to act as a very good herbal remedy for acne because of the herbs. Using cooled tea bags on problem areas can reduce swelling and redness in a few hours.
Here is a way of treating acne that is a little bit off the wall. You want to mix cut up strawberries with sour cream and make sure it is blended well. Then apply the mixture to your face like a beauty mask. This mixture will cool your face and clear up problem areas.
If you get acne easily, prevent the acne bacteria from spreading. This means washing your clothes and pillow cases regularly, but also avoiding contact with people who also have acne. Do not share a towel with anyone, and if you date someone with acne make sure to wash your face often and help them get rid of their acne.
Avoid pore clogging and oily cosmetics when fighting the battle against acne. These types of products can create an environment on your face conducive to break outs, and cause flare ups to become worse when they do happen. Instead, choose products labeled as “non-comedogenic,” “hypo-allergenic,” or “oil-free,” which can help you to avoid those adverse reactions and skin irritations.
If you have any toothpaste lying around the house, try applying a dab directly to the site of a pimple. Toothpaste helps to dry your pimples out, and can be used as an overnight solution. Make sure that you apply in moderation, as too much toothpaste can irritate your skin.
If you wear glasses or even sun glasses, it is very important that you keep them clean. Wearing dirty glasses will clog the pores around your nose, causing you to break out. Clean your glasses before you wear them each day, and you won’t have to worry about them causing you any breakouts.
Remember that natural or organic products are not necessarily better at helping acne. Sometimes these natural ingredients are just as irritating to the skin as their man-made counterparts. Although organic products are often environmentally safer, many of them do not contain any proven abilities to prevent acne. Always check the labels carefully to find out what is actually contained in these natural products.
Keep your face moisturized while using topical acne products. Most acne products contain ingredients that will dry out your skin. A gel-based moisturizer will work well for those with oily skin, whereas cream or lotion moisturizers work best for dry skin. Some skin types (such as a combination of oily and dry) find using more than one moisturizer achieves the greatest results.
Keeping your face clean is of vital importance in the fight against acne. Washing your face daily removes dead skin, excess oil and bacteria that can build up and cause break outs. Make sure to use warm water and a mild cleanser that is designed for use on the face.
Avoid caffeinated drinks to improve the effects of your acne-fighting regimen. Stress aggravates your acne condition. Whether you are stressed or not, though, drinks with caffeine in them cause your body to release the same hormones it produces in stressful situations. These hormones are behind stress’s acne-inducing effects, so cutting caffeine out of your diet will reduce the impact.
Eat plenty of nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit. A great idea is to combine them into a delicious smoothy. These help you balance your diet, and certain nuts and seeds have even more benefit. For instance, brazil nuts have selenium in them and pumpkins seeds contain zinc. Acne has been linked to shortages in these minerals.
Be careful when shaving. If you are shaving and have an acne breakout, you can nick the acne, irritating the skin and potentially spreading bacteria to surrounding areas. To avoid this, moisten your beard thoroughly with soap and water prior to using shaving cream, use a sharp blade and shave slowly.
To keep from making acne breakouts worse, avoid popping pimples. If pimples get popped, the newly freed bacteria-filled substances can spread to surrounding areas of the skin and create new pimples. In addition, popping pimples simply creates more inflammation and redness in the area. Applying excess pressure can break delicate blood vessels, which leads to redness.
Now that you are armed with some proven tips and tricks and have some good, solid advice, you can begin the journey to clear skin. It takes a bit of time and commitment to get your acne under control, but if you stick with the process, you can have the clear skin you dream of.
