Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Treat acne by making lifestyle changes
• Method 2 of 3: Treating your acne at home
• Method 3 of 3: Get treatment at a dermatologist or spa
• Tips
• Warnings

Most people have blemishes at some point, whether caused by hormones or stress. Contrary to popular belief, you don't necessarily have dirty or unclean skin when you have blemishes. Cleaning your skin too often can irritate it even more. However, you can control your hormones and there are some simple changes you can make so that you don't get new acne. In no time you can have shiny, healthy skin without blemishes again.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Treat acne by making lifestyle changes

1. Exercise regularly. Exercise can help reduce acne in a number of ways. Exercise releases endorphins in your body, reducing stress and causing your skin to produce less sebum. It also makes you sweat, which rinses away dead skin cells. Try to exercise for at least half an hour every day so that you have less acne not only on your face but also on your chest, shoulders and back.
2. Don't touch your face. This is very difficult, as people tend to touch their face regularly. Scratch your face as little as possible, do not rest your head on your hands and do not pick from pimples. Don't squeeze pimples or do this with those nasty blackheads, as this will only increase the amount of bacteria on your skin and make your acne worse.
3. Shower often. You may prefer a low water bill, but showering regularly will cause your skin to produce little sebum, kill bacteria and rinse away dead skin cells. Wash your entire body with a mild shower gel and use a shampoo that keeps your scalp from producing a lot of sebum. Make sure to always take a shower after exercise to rinse away dead skin cells loosened by sweating.
4. Eat healthy. Highly processed and very fatty foods make acne much more likely. By getting the right amount of nutrients by eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables and proteins, you ensure that your skin renews itself faster and does not produce unnecessary sebum. If possible, avoid processed and sugary foods such as junk foods.
5. Get at least eight hours of sleep. Sleeping kills two birds with one stone, because sleeping helps to relax and detoxify your body. If you don't get enough sleep, chances are your skin hasn't had the time or opportunity to renew your skin cells. Control your sleep cycle by going to bed at the same time every night and sleeping for at least eight hours.
6. Drink lots of water. We've all heard that we should drink eight glasses of water a day, but there is no rule that says how much water you should necessarily drink. Water helps to detoxify your body and purify your skin, so make sure to drink water often during your day.
7. Relax your body and mind. When you're under a lot of stress, your skin makes more sebum, so please your mind and skin by taking the time to relax. Take a bath, read a book, meditate or practice yoga and watch your skin change as a result.
8. Wash your bedding, linens and clothes. All fabrics that regularly come into contact with your skin, such as clothing, towels, pillowcases, and sheets, should be washed at least once a week to remove oil and bacteria that accumulate on them over time. Use a mild cleanser for sensitive skin to get rid of acne.
9. Use oil-free makeup. If you use makeup, you may be stuck in a vicious circle. You cover your acne with makeup, but at the same time make your acne worse. Look for oil-free mineral acne-fighting makeup to keep your acne from getting worse while just trying to hide the spots. It is also recommended to use powdered foundation. If possible, don't use makeup at all as it will clog your pores over time.
   • Clean your makeup brushes regularly to prevent bacteria growth.
10. Use sunscreen every day and don't sit in the sun to get a tan. UV exposure is the main cause of premature aging skin. You can also get skin cancer if you spend too much time in the sun. The sun is dangerous and so you have to be careful. By exposing your skin to harmful UVA and UVB rays, you damage your skin and you suffer from post-inflammatory erythema (PIE) for longer. These are red spots of acne caused by sunlight stimulating pigment-producing cells.
    • The sun can not only make you suffer from PIE for longer, but also cause your skin to age prematurely and you get sun spots, fine lines and wrinkles, among other things. UV damage is also DNA damage. Sun lotion is a means of preventing aging and skin cancer for young and old. It is the fountain of youth in a bottle. Prevention is better than cure. It is not possible to sunbathe safely, but sun damage does exist.
    • That is why it is very important that you use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30 every day. Products with a higher sun protection factor do not protect the skin much more than products with a protection factor of 30. into a graph, you get a graph that resembles a graph of a logarithm. With a sun protection factor higher than 30, the percentage of UVB protection does not increase much anymore. Therefore, in terms of sun protection, there is not much difference between a product with a protection factor of 40 and a product with a protection factor of 50. In some countries, sunscreen products with a protection factor higher than 100 are prohibited.
    • To protect yourself against UVA rays, it is recommended to use a product with a high protection factor such as PA +++, PA ++++ or higher. This is especially good when treating PIE. PPD indicates how well a product protects against UV rays. It is the counterpart of SPF, which indicates how well a product protects against the sun. You should use a sunscreen with a PPD of at least 20. The PA + system uses plus signs to indicate strength and these correspond to PPD values. However, the PA system may vary by country. For example, in Taiwan and Japan the system has changed to a system with four values ​​(plus signs), while in Korea a system with three different values ​​is used.
    • If you spend long periods outside in the sun, you should stay in the shade as much as possible, wear a wide-brimmed hat, and wear light clothing with long sleeves. Wear sunglasses. This is especially recommended for people who have less melanin in their eyes. Consider bringing an umbrella. In Asia, the parasol is a popular fashion accessory.
11. Avoid toothpaste, lemons, and baking soda. If you are not careful with its use, it can irritate the skin on your face or cause chemical burns.
    • Toothpaste, lemons, baking soda and salt are touted as common remedies for treating acne or improving the appearance of discolored areas on the skin. Instead, these agents damage the skin. So don't use these ingredients on your skin.
12. Avoid apricot scrubs and plastic microparticles. The former cause very small cracks in the skin and the latter contribute to environmental pollution and bioaccumulation higher up the food chain.
    • Apricot scrubs have cult status, but the walnut shell pieces are too sharp to exfoliate the skin and will cause tiny cracks in the skin, which will make your skin age faster in the sun.
    • In some US states, plastic microparticles will soon be banned because they pollute waterways and are swallowed by fish.

Method 2 of 3: Treating your acne at home

1. Wash your face with a pH neutral cleanser twice a day. The first step to getting clear skin is to have a structured cleansing routine to restore the skin's acid mantle and inhibit acne growth. Go ahead and force yourself to wash your face with a pH neutral cleanser with a pH level of 5.5. You should do this in the morning after you get up and in the evening before going to sleep. You may be tired or busy, but cleansing your skin for a few minutes will significantly reduce acne breakouts.
   • If you also have acne on other parts of the body, such as your shoulders, back, and chest, scrub these areas twice a day as well.
   • If you are using makeup, never go to sleep without completely washing your makeup off your face. Sleeping with makeup on your face will definitely make you breakouts and get rid of acne. Use an oil-free makeup remover before washing your face with your regular cleanser to make sure all residue is removed.
2. Wash your face with oils. This is also called the oil cleaning method and is a popular cleaning method in Asia that is used by more and more people. This alternative cleansing method is gentler on the skin and suitable for sensitive skin types.
   • Look for oils such as olive oil, egg oil, grape seed oil, castor oil, and emu oil.
3. Exfoliate your face. Exfoliants are mild agents that exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells that build up and cause acne breakouts. You can exfoliate your face chemically or manually.
   • If you want to exfoliate your skin in a more gentle way, use a chemical exfoliant with an alpha or beta hydroxy acid with a pH between 3 and 4 to remove dead skin cells. A chemical exfoliant loosens dead skin cells.
   • A product with beta-hydroxy acids often contains salicylic acid and must have a pH level between 3 and 4 to work. Beta hydroxy acids remove dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of new skin cells. You may suffer from dry skin and flakes near your acne, but this will disappear over time as your skin renews itself more quickly. Use a cleanser with beta-hydroxy acids daily or apply an agent containing these acids to acne areas.
   • Asprine tablets contain salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid. You can crush these tablets, mix with water and apply them to your blemishes to reduce redness and swelling.
   • Spread a thin layer of honey on your skin and let the honey sit for half an hour. Rinse your skin with warm water. Honey can have a pH between 3 and 6, but when honey has a pH between 3 and 4, it contains alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliate your skin.
   • To manually exfoliate your skin, consider purchasing a konjac sponge. This one is soft enough to use on your face.
   • To manually exfoliate your skin, you can also consider using oatmeal. Mix oatmeal with honey and spread the mixture on your face for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently wash off the residue with warm water.
4. Apply essential oils to active blemishes. Neem oil and tea tree oil are thought to have antimicrobial properties and kill the bacteria that cause acne. Dab a drop of diluted tea tree oil or neem oil on each area, or wet a cotton swab and wipe the problem areas.
   • Tea tree oil is an antibacterial agent that can help get rid of the microbes clogging your skin. Do not use undiluted tea trea oil as it will burn your skin and make acne worse. Read the warnings on the packaging.
5. Use products with benzoyl peroxide. You can apply products containing benzoyl peroxide in the form of a soap or lotion to areas where acne often develops. These products remove dead skin cells and help your skin to produce new, clean cells faster. Look for products that contain 3% or less benzoyl peroxide to avoid skin irritation.
6. Use clay masks with sulfur. It is not known exactly why sulfur works well to fight acne, but it is known to work. Look for products that contain sulfur to get rid of acne. These products seem to reduce sebum production.
7. Use a toner after cleansing your face. After you have washed and exfoliated your face or used a facial mask, apply a toner all over your face. A toner closes your pores, so that dirt and oil are less likely to get into it. You can buy a toner for acne at the drugstore. You can also use witch hazel or apple cider vinegar and apply it to your face with a cotton ball. Do not rinse the toner off your face, but let it sit on your skin.
8. Always apply moisturizer. Oily skin causes acne, and if your skin is very dry, your body will produce sebum to fix it. To prevent this from happening, apply a mild moisturizer after washing your face in the morning and evening. You should apply it after using a toner.
9. Use a retinoid. Retinoids are only available on prescription in our country, so be aware of the side effects before using such a drug. Cleansers with retinoids contain a high amount of vitamin A, which helps to clear clogged pores and dissolve dirt. Your doctor can give you a prescription for such a medicine. Branded products that look like retinoids don't work effectively.
10. Look for products that contain azelaic acid. Azelaic acid is an antibacterial agent that also helps reduce redness and inflammation. It occurs naturally in wheat and barley. If your acne develops dark spots on your skin, try an azelaic acid solution to cleanse your pores and fade the dark spots.
11. Use a face mask or a cotton or paper mask. These masks contain substances that soften your skin and kill bacteria.Use a face mask or a cotton or paper mask 2 to 3 times a week and leave the mask on your face for 15 to 20 minutes to dry out your skin and clean your pores. Buy a face mask from the drugstore or make your own at home.
    • Make a cucumber and oatmeal mixture. Cucumber helps to reduce redness and make dark spots disappear, while oatmeal soothes and softens irritated skin. Mix both foods together in a food processor until you get a paste. Then apply the paste to your face for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse your face with warm water.

Method 3 of 3: Get treatment at a dermatologist or spa

1. Get a facial. Most spas will offer you a facial, using a number of different cleansers, masks and aids to reduce acne on your face. If you don't like having a beautician treat your face, see a dermatologist for a medical facial.
2. Get a facial peel. A facial peel uses a special gel with an acid in it that dissolves dead skin cells and bacteria. By regularly undergoing such a treatment, you can suffer from acne a lot less over time. You should also continue with your own facial treatment routine.
3. Try microdermabrasion. Your skin is "sanded away", as it were, to stimulate the production of new skin cells. The most effective method is to undergo such treatment once a week for several months. Each treatment only targets the outermost skin layer.
4. Get laser treatment. Yes, you read that right - use lasers to get rid of your acne. Many dermatologists now offer a treatment that uses lasers with strong light to slow down the overactive sebaceous glands in your skin. This process can get painful, but this treatment has been found to reduce your acne by 50% on average.
5. Try a light treatment. In contrast to a painful laser treatment, a light treatment uses less strong light rays to help kill bacteria. Certain colors of light (including red, green and blue) have been shown to have a positive effect on acne. Ask your dermatologist if a light treatment is a good choice for you.
6. Use prescription medication. Your dermatologist can prescribe certain medications to treat particularly severe acne, but these should be used with caution. As with all medicines, unwanted side effects can occur in a small proportion of users.
   • Using a special birth control pill (for women) can help regulate the hormones that cause your severe acne. Ask your dermatologist if this is a good option for you.
   • For particularly persistent cases of acne, your doctor can prescribe a special medicine, namely roaccutane. This is a very strong retinoid treatment that has been shown to clear almost all acne in users. However, it also has the serious side effects that all acne medications have. You have to use the product very carefully.

Tips

• Do not use too many acne remedies at the same time. If one of the means works, you will not know which means it is. Therefore, only use one product at a time and try different methods until you find one that works.
• Try to be patient. It may seem like you suddenly got acne, but most remedies do not work very quickly. By persisting, you will eventually get clear skin.
• Make sure to pay attention to marketing tricks when it comes to natural ingredients. You wouldn't put mercury or poison ivy, both of which are naturally occurring, to your skin. So be careful with ingredients that are advertised as "natural". This includes home remedies and trademarked products. Just because a product is natural does not mean that it is also safe for your skin. However, use products with ingredients that are scientifically proven to treat your skin.

Warnings

• Use sunscreen if you are applying topical acne treatments such as salicylic acid. These chemicals fight acne, but also make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
• If you are pregnant (pregnant women often get acne), seek the advice of your doctor before using which over-the-counter substance is therefore used.