Cleansing Your Skin

Wash your face twice a day with a gentle soap or special acne skin cleanser, using a gentle, circular motion of the fingertips. Do not scrub, since this can aggravate acne. Moisten the face with warm water, then apply cleanser from the hairline to the neck. Rinse with lots of water and pat dry with a soft towel.

Those with especially oily skin may need to use an astringent, but it must be alcohol-free, and used with care. Apply it only to the oiliest parts of the face and discontinue use immediately if your skin becomes irritated. If you feel you need an astringent, you may need to see a dermatologist instead.

Hair care is also important — shampoo twice a week to as often as daily, keeping the shampoo away from your face as much as possible.

Protect Your Skin From The Sun

A suntan may dry your skin, making the acne less noticeable, but this is only temporary. As your skin becomes accustomed to sun exposure, the acne will flare up again. Meanwhile you are risking skin damage that can cause premature aging and skin cancer. Many medications that treat acne cause the skin to become more sensitive to sunlight and more vulnerable to burning. Whatever the weather, you should wear sunscreen on your face and any other exposed skin when outdoors.

Choose Makeup With Care

The best choice for good acne skin care is to wear no makeup at all. But if you feel you must wear makeup, choose products labeled noncomedogenic — that means they will not clog your pores. Be aware that these products may still cause acne in some people. Above all, avoid makeup with an oil base. Read the labels carefully and use sparingly.

Shaving

Try both electric razors and safety razors to see which causes the least irritation to skin blemishes. Always use a sharp blade in a safety razor — change the blade every 2 or 3 shaves. You may have to shave around blemishes to avoid cutting them. Be sure to soften the beard as much as possible with warm water and shaving cream before starting. If your skin is covered with blemishes, perhaps it is best to skip shaving that day.

No Touching

As tempting as it may be to squeeze pimples, don’t! That invites more trouble by spreading the bacteria which cause pimples. It can also lead to permanent scarring.

Try to avoid touching your face as much as possible because the hands carry dirt, oil and germs.

Rest assured that acne can be brought under control. Medications will go a long way toward clearing your skin of acne. Your job is to help the healing process along as much as possible by taking good care of your skin.

You can make a more informed choice about which product to try just by knowing about the active ingredients in the various acne medications.

Benzoyl Peroxide

1 of the most popular ingredients in acne medications, benzoyl peroxide is available in gels and ointments. It kills the bacteria that causes pimples and helps remove dead skin cells that build up on the surface of the skin. These dead skin cells, when combined with sebum (oil), create blackheads and whiteheads. Dry skin is the only side effect, which can be minimized with less frequent application. It has a bleaching effect, so avoid hair and clothing when applying it.

Salicylic Acid

This is a popular acne ingredient which clears up dead skin cells that clog the pores. Continued use  even after the skin has cleared up is necessary to avoid future acne outbreaks. Again, the side effect is dry, irritated skin.

Resorcinol

Resorcinol causes the top layer of skin to peel, which removes the dead skin cells that clog pores. It is often combined with sulphur.

Sulphur

Because of a strong, unpleasant odor, sulphur is usually combined with other ingredients. How it works is unknown, but it’s been used effectively for decades. Sulphur is often combined with salicylate acid and benzoyl peroxide.

Products

Of all these ingredients, benzoyl peroxide is probably the most versatile. It can be made into cleansing liquids, bars, gels, lotions and cream, all of which are applied directly to the skin. Cleansing products are usually used once or twice daily, with creams and lotions applied as needed. They are most effective when rubbed on the area surrounding the acne, as well as on the pimples themselves.

It’s always a good idea to discuss acne with a doctor before self-treating with any of these medications. Even though acne is a fairly harmless condition, a doctor can often offer better suggestions and explain the best way to handle your condition based on your particular kind of acne.

Myth #1: Acne only affects appearance
Acne can also cause deep psychological distress. Severe acne can lead to low self-image and feeling depressed. There is a strong link between severe acne and social withdrawal.

Myth #2: Acne is caused by poor hygiene
While skin infections are associated with acne, lack of cleanliness is not the reason for acne outbreaks. The combination of oil and dead cells which produce acne is located beneath the skin’s surface where it is impossible to clean it away. Gentle cleansing with soap and water once or twice daily will keep your skin as healthy as possible. Scrubing too hard may worsen acne.

Myth #3: Acne is caused by specific foods
Chocolate has long had a reputation as a pimple producer. Studies have shown no scientific evidence that this is true. The same holds true for potato chips and sugar. There are some foods that do seem to aggravate (not cause) the condition: milk and foods high in iodine, such as seafood.

Myth #4: Acne has to run its course
There are many acne treatments available both over-the-counter and stronger medicines from a dermatologist.

Myth #5: The more acne medicine the better
Some people believe that if their acne gets worse they should just use more medicine. That’s a bad idea because medicines can be dangerous when taken in large quantities. Excess use of acne ointments may just irritate the skin further.

Myth #6: Sunbathing is good for acne
Exposure to the sun dries out excess oils, so it does improve acne short-term. However, long-term the skin adapts and the acne is unfazed. Worse, there is scientific evidence that sun exposure damages the skin and increases the chance of skin cancer.

Myth #7: Makeup causes acne
Some makeup products can clog the pores, which is bad for the health of your skin. Cosmetics that are labeled “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic” are safe to use. Some brands are made with ingredients that actually treat acne.

Myth #8: Acne is only a teenage condition
While most teens have acne, so do many adults. Acne generally clears up by the early 20s. But some people experience acne for the first time as late as their 40s. And for the most unfortunate of all, some people endure acne flare-ups their entire lives.

Myth #9: Acne is related to sex
We’ve probably all heard that either celibacy or too much sex causes pimples. There is no evidence for this. There is a link between sexual activity and hormone production, but the relationship between sex and the production of sebum (the oily substance which combines with dead skin cells to cause acne) is not known. Stress and anger also affect hormone levels.

Myth #10: Popping pimples is the best way to get rid of them
The fact is popping pimples may worsen acne by spreading the bacteria that is causing it. Popping can also lead to eventual scarring, which in severe cases, can be permanent.