7 Ways to Help the War Against Acne
I have had acne all of my post-pubescent life. And it sucks. How do you properly get rid of those things? How do I do all of the stuff others get to do without screwing up my skin? I have found some ways to win the war against acne that definitely reduce the appearance and amount of blemishes and some products that don’t mess up the skin. Note that I am not a doctor, and all information has either been absorbed from my dermatologist, magazines or is experiential in nature.
#1. DON’T PICK.
It’s difficult, sometimes, to not just want to get the little things off right here and not, but think of everything that you are doing to your skin when you pop/ pick a pimple. You are damaging your skin by ripping, causing yourself pain, making it more difficult for the skin to heal, opening the wound to all sorts of other bacteria, and pushing the bacteria that was inside to outside and to all of the surrounding pores.
Next time you pick, notice if soon after, other pimples show up around the area. Just touching your skin, or in this case, pushing on it, with your fingers and nails will push the dirt and bacteria from your hands onto your skin. Most blemishes take about three days to go away, but it is better to have it on there and cover it up with makeup than to pop it and face getting more zits later, as well as the fact that now you have a huge red wound that will take longer to go away than the zit would have.
#2. Sneaky Pimple Treatment.
Some makeup can double as a salicylic acid treatment for your skin, as well as covering up offending blotches. A common blemish fighter, salicylic acid kills the bacteria of the pimple, and companies like Almay have put it into some of their concealers to further help the skin. A lot of the problem with other makeup is that it may clog pores and cause more breakouts, but this will do the opposite. In fact…
#3. There are a Lot of Different Kinds of Makeup for Acne-Prone People.
Physicians Formula is a company devoted entirely to make up for sensitive skinned people, and many other brands have lines of their make-up that won’t clog pores and is free of oil. Words like “hypoallergenic” and “non-comedogenic” are keywords to look for in any product that you will be putting on your face. The other great thing about makeup, as if I have to say it, is that it covers up blemishes and evens skin tone.
#4. Sweat.
There have been some that say that sweating will clog pores and cause pimples, and it can seem to be the case. Often in the summer, my acne is worse than in the winter, but it’s not because of sweating, it’s because of oil. In the winter, your skin is dryer and doesn’t produce as much oil as it will in the summer when the weather is warm and your pores are more open. Sweat is sterile since it’s basically water, and it can help clear your skin. Sweating clears out your pores and promotes your pores to work as best they can. And, sweat can make your skin soft. Speaking of which…
#5. … Keep Your Skin Moisturized, But Use Appropriate Moisturizer.
Remember those keywords when looking at makeup? Look for them on moisturizers, too. And avoid petroleum, which is common in lotions, as it can clog pores. That’s actually its purpose – to clog pores. For a normal skinned, not acne-prone person, this is fine, but not if your pores like to rebel against you. Make sure to look at the ingredients. Sometimes additives that are fine for your hands aren’t good for your face. Perfumes and dyes can cause allergic reactions and are in no way necessary for the health of your skin. “But what,” you may be saying, “if my skin is oily?”
You may not even need moisturizer, true, but sometimes the skin will overproduce sebum (the oil that skin produces naturally to keep it soft and can clog pores) to make up for too dry skin after a face wash or very cold day. If this is not the case, then moisturizers may just be redundant.
#6. Remember Sunscreen.
Sunscreen is always necessary, but it can help against acne scaring since overproduction of melanin can cause the scars on your face to become darker, and seriously, who needs that? Of course, as with the makeup and moisturizer, you can’t just pick up a bottle and use anything. Look for those keywords and go for sun lotions that specify “face”, as they will be gentler.
#7. Birth Control.
This won’t help the males, but hormonal birth control can seriously help skin clear up. While most do something to balance your hormones and reduce acne, there are some such as Yaz, Yasmin, and Ortho-Trycylin that are best known for reducing acne. As I am not a doctor, though, I must advise you to talk to one about your health and other issues before getting a prescription.