Effective Acne Control

Having good acne control is all about good consistent habits and being aware of the things that cause an acne flareups. Some people wash and cleanse like crazy but forget to eat well, drink water, and wear good, breathable clothing. Others follow all the acne tips on clothing, nutrition, and avoiding touching their face with greasy hands, but have trouble following a set regimen when it comes to using their acne products. All of these things have to come together in order to have a fast acne treatment and maintain solid acne control.

Cleanliness

Keeping acne infected areas of the body clean is very important. Excess dirt and oils cause pores to clog up. Clogged pores can't breathe and are a haven for acne causing bacteria. Added to that is the danger that you may touch an area of your body that isn't clean with your hand and then touch your face or other areas infected with acne, and bingo, you've just spread oil and dirt over a possibly freshly cleansed area. This is why it is so important to shower daily, shower after you workout or sweat for any reason, and to dry off thoroughly. Using a loofah to help scrub away dead skin cells is also effective. Make sure you rinse all of the shampooo and soap off before getting out. Even if it means you're having showers 2-3 times a day sometimes, so be it. Just make sure you use a moisturizer so your skin doesn't dry out from all those showers.

Proper Clothing

Make sure you always wear clean clothing for starters. Nothing spreads dirt and oils and dead skin cells that can clog up pores like putting on yesterdays clothes, even for an hour. Stubborn body acne or back acne will flourish if you constantly expose it to fresh oil and dirt. Try not to wear tight or restrictive clothing over areas with acne. The constant rubbing as the clothing shifts across your skin is irritating and causes acne to get worse. Wearing light, breathable clothing (even clothing made of fibers that wick away moisture from the skin) are the best way to avoid further acne problems.

Proper Nutrition

Although diet is not touted as an effective acne treatment, there is enough patterns to do with diet and acne to keep it in mind and do what you can. Avoid excessive fatty and greasy foods. When you do indulge in these types of foods, make sure to wash your hands before touching your skin. Nothing gets an acne flareup going better than spreading all kinds of oil and grease from eating pizza onto the infected areas. Drinking lots of water can help flush your system of toxins that participate in clogging up your pores from the inside. If you ever find yourself constipated, make sure to deal with it ASAP, as that can also cause toxins and poisins in your body to be realeased through the skin, making acne worse.

Acne Cleansers

Using a good acne cleanser formulated for your skin type is one of the best acne treatments you can do. When I say skin type, I mean whether you have oily, dry or normal skin. Most acne cleansers on the market make it clear on the bottle what skin type they are designed for. Of course, buying an acne cream is no good if you don't use it. So many people fail to follow a good regimen when it comes to applying their acne products. Make sure you use them at least once a day, and try to do it at the same time each day so you don't forget. After washing and drying thoroughly, apply the acne cleanser with a soft washcloth, a soft cotton pad, or your hands. Do not rub too hard as this will irritate your skin. Simply scrub gently to remove any dead skin cells, old makeup, oils and dirt. This will do the job.

Acne Moisturizers

Using an oil-free moisturizer after showering and cleansing is sometimes necessary for people with problem or sensitive skin. Make sure you choose one for your skin type, just like the acne cleanser. Some lines of acne products have a moisturizer that works in tandem with the cleanser, so thats a good choice. Excessive dry skin can lead to acne breakouts, so even if you don't have sensitive skin, using a moisturizer is smart. Just make sure you don't use the same washcloth or pad to apply this as you did to apply your cleanser.

Acne Medications

There are prescription acne medicines you can turn to if none of the over the counter treatments seem to be working. Accutane, stronger benzoyl peroxide creams, and other treatments for acne scarring is available if you take the time to talk to your doctor or better yet, a dermatologist. Although some of these might be a tad pricey, it's worth it if none of the less expensive treatments are working.

Acne Home Remedies

I've left these to last because most people will have some success using the types of products that are common for how to get rid of acne. For those that have super sensitive skin, or perhaps skin that is just not reacting to traditional acne produts, I suggest trying a few of the natural home remedies out there. Some people swear by oatmeal. Others say applying crushed mint leaves helps. Lemon juice is another common home remedy, along with apple cider vinegar. Rubbing toothpaste on acne before bed is said to help, and applying crushed garlic to acne is said to help reduce swelling and repel vampires! Whatever you try, be sure and share your successes with others online, and read about what works for others online to get some ideas of what may work for you.

As you can see, strong acne control is a result of a multi-faceted campaign to wipe out acne at all levels, preventative and symptomatic. Although there may not be an easy way to get rid of acne overnight, following all of these acne tips as well as others you may read elsewhere will make it much more probable to retain some control over your stubborn acne problems.