Acne is something that everyone, and I mean everyone, has had to deal with at one point or another, no matter the intensity. Some people are blessed with overall naturally clear skin, and others may suffer with acne caused by a variety of reasons, such as hormones. But if you ask around, it is likely that no one has escaped the experience of having a nasty break out at least once. And no matter who you are and what your skin may naturally give you, everyone must follow basic rules in order to keep your skin looking its best. You can spend hours on the internet reading articles and watching YouTube videos that all say different things about how to clear your skin, and those are great! But here are some tips that I learned from my personal experience with acne that I only found out through trial and error, and realized that there is no way around them.
1. Over the counter acne products you see at stores do not work, so invest in better products.
I can tell you this from experience, please stop wasting your money on acne face washes and masks that are advertised on TV to solve all your acne problems and are sold in stores. You'll realize in a couple of months that they are all lies and you'll be left feeling disappointed and discouraged. What you need to do is invest and save up your money to buy a medicated and more powerful product. These products can be pricey, but they truly have the right ingredients and formula that have the power to actually go deep and clear skin. They are usually recommended, prescribed, and sold to you at dermatologist offices and skin care clinics or spas.
2. Get an acne facial or see a dermatologist.
Apart from investing in the right products, the best thing you can do is also invest in an acne facial or visit the dermatologist, or both if you can afford it. With an acne facial, the esthetician will do a deep cleansing of your skin and safely extract all the different types of acne pimples that you may not be able to squeeze out on your own. At a dermatologist's office, the dermatologist will be able to run tests to figure out exactly what is causing the acne, and be able to prescribe you the appropriate products and treatments.
3. Do your skin a favor and don't wear makeup.
I know many girls feel self-conscious without their makeup, especially with acne. But during the time frame when you are under treatment and trying to improve the overall quality of your skin, it is best to go through your day by day with a bare face. Going without makeup will allow your skin to breathe and recover from any damages. This will also allow your products to have a greater impact on your skin without the interference of pore clogging makeup seeping into your pores and erasing what your products are trying to fix.
4. Revolutionizing your diet and drinking more water really does work.
This was probably the hardest part for me, but again from experience I tell you, don't undermine the power of your diet on your skin. While medicated products and facials are good, your skin wont clear up if you don't clean up your diet. Your skin is a reflection of your health on the inside, and no matter how strong your face wash is, the effects of junk food will most likely reveal its self on your skin. Trust me, there is no way out of it. Another thing that you must do, is drink plenty of water. Drink lots of water allows your body to flush out toxins quicker, thus minimizing the changes of allowing those toxins to affect your skin. At first, forcing yourself to constantly drink water can be a pain, but after a while you won't even notice and drinking the recommended amount of water per day, even more, becomes second nature.
6. Exercising will do more than just help clear your skin
Exercising is not only good for your health, but it can also greatly improve your skin. Exercising makes your body release the hormones that might be bundled up inside and causing minor to even major breakouts. Stress is another factor that might be causing your acne, and exercise is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety, and help your body relax easier. If your kind of lazy like I am, then you'll probably avoid this step, but I promise that exercising is a crucial step to helping your body get rid of acne. Exercising can also be fun if you find the type you enjoy, my favorites include Pilates, kickboxing, and just going for a walk.
No matter how hard it may be to follow a lifestyle that rewards clear skin, or how bad we want a one miracle $8 face wash to work, just know that it won't and that it takes time and perseverance with these good habits in order to continue to truly improve our skin. After years of struggling and months of following these basic tips, my skin is still not perfect but it has improved more in a couple of months than it has in years. Just remember that no one, not even celebrities and models have perfect skin, and its not about having perfect skin, its about improving your skin and maintaining it at the its healthiest and best!
