Preventing Acne

Is There a Way to Prevent Acne?

One of the most painful times of life can be adolescence, not only because of raging hormones and the feeling of not fitting in but also because this is the particular time of life that your skin decides to become oily and this makes your skin prone to acne breakouts. Some individuals are much more prone to acne and some people even suffer from acne long in to their adult lives even when they had perfectly clear skin as an adolescent. Acne is not discriminatory and does not particularly care if you are 14 or 40, male or female, pregnant or not, a junk foodie or not, it strikes when it pleases and without caring about the consequences. Acne may be ruthless but there are measures that everyone can take to help guard against severe acne breakouts and improve existing breakouts.

The Truth About Anti-Acne Products

There are so many “new” or “improved” acne blasting products on the market but the truth is that there are very few that actually give the miracle cure solution that they tout on their commercials. The acne product market is not much different to any other market out there, take for example the breakfast cereal market, the aim of the game is to sell as much product as possible while making as much money possible and for acne products what sells is the promise of miracle cures and crystal clear skin. The reality of the matter; however, is that every single person is different and every different person’s skin breaks out for a different reason meaning that every person’s skin is going to require a different combination of “cures” to get rid of and prevent their acne. There is no miracle cure but there are a variety of solutions that can contribute to finding your way to clear skin.

Everyone's Skin is Different

Since every person has a different basis for their acne breakouts the important thing in preventing future acne breakouts is pinpointing what it is that causes your skin to become increasingly oily and result in breakouts.

Things Known to Cause Acne and How to Prevent It

Acne can result from a variety of conditions, including:

• Diet
• Low water consumption
• Daily routine
• Hormones
• Stress
• Cosmetic products
• Laundry detergents
• Medications

Due to this there are a wide variety of solutions that can contribute to preventing acne and maintaining a clear complexion.

Watch What You Eat

Diet is one extremely important factor in maintaining clear skin. While many people tend to believe that junk food and too much sugar is the culprit of major acne breakouts it is often the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables that leads to bad skin. Many of the necessary vitamins and minerals that skin needs to be healthy are ingested through fresh fruits and vegetables and by passing up these fresh foods for sugary junk foods skin tends to become less healthy. In essence junk food can be considered a culprit for less healthy skin because it is generally the food that takes the place of the fresher fruits and vegetables that lend themselves to a healthier skin tone.

In general certain types of food are not specifically responsible for bad skin; it is the lack of certain types of food that is more likely responsible for bad skin. One important step in maintaining good skin is incorporating a lot of fresh produce in to your diet. Fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin A, anti-oxidants, fatty acids, healthy oils, and selenium are all particularly good for healthy skin appearance.

Drink More Water

Another common reason that skin can become dull or prone to breaking out is a lack of water available to the body. The average person is advised to drink eight glasses of water every day, although for the most part the average person drinks one glass of water and seven glasses of soda. Water is the only drink that goes in to the body in a pure form and is made readily available to your cells and tissues. Dehydration has a variety of negative effects on the skin including a buildup of toxins and drying out of the skin which results in wrinkles. The body uses water to flush out toxins from the body and maintain not only the health of your skin but also the health of your body overall. By making less water available to the body you are depriving your skin the opportunity to cleanse it’s self of toxins which build up and cause acne breakouts. It is extremely important, not just for your skins health but also for the health of your organs, that you drink as much water as possible throughout the day in order to maintain a healthy complexion.

Daily Routine: Wash Your Skin

Some people find that things that they do in their daily routines can cause their skin to be more prone to acne breakouts. Some common culprits include not taking off makeup before bed, not washing skin after going to the gym, and not washing skin frequently enough. The night time is when our body takes the chance to repair itself and as such it is important that skin be allowed to breath over night. By going to bed with makeup on you are depriving your skin of the opportunity to rejuvenate its self overnight because skin cannot breathe through makeup that fills its pores. Not washing skin after going to the gym or working out is another common mistake that many people make. Sweat can easily clog pores and build up bacteria causing acne breakouts so it is important to always remember to cleanse skin thoroughly following a workout or even an extended period of sweating.

Some people neglect their skin completely and do not realize that things that they take part in throughout the day can increase the amount of dirt that gets built up in pores. Even something as simple as riding the bus can result in a lot of buildup in the pores so it is extremely important to wash your face with a gentle soap and water at least once every morning and once every night or more often if your skin feels dirty or oily. Some people find that tough acne responds well to using an antibacterial bar soap and water twice a day.

Hormones: Medications and Birth Control Pills

For other people hormones are considered to be a factor in acne breakouts and while these types of breakouts are considerably more difficult to resolve they should be discussed with your family doctor. Some women find that going on to a birth control pill can decrease their problems with acne break outs. Other people find that it is only on certain weeks of the month that they can expect their skin to break out. Family doctors can often help to resolve these types of breakouts by suggesting gentle salicylic acid acne medications that can help to decrease the frequency of breakouts, occasionally they will suggest something a lot stronger but you should be warned that the prescription acne medications come with a wide range of side effects. Breakouts that occur from hormonal surges and imbalances can be helped by addressing the culprits in the other types of breakouts discussed here as well.

Reduce Your Stress Level

Some people find that they are more prone to acne breakouts when they are going through periods of extreme stress. These types of breakouts are fairly common and are a signal that your body is becoming overwhelmed by stress. Getting stress levels under control is not just important in the health of your skin and the reduction of your acne but it is also important to your overall health. Stress can cause very many physical ailments, a lot of which are much more severe than acne!

How to Reduce Your Level of Stress

Some great methods for getting stress under control is the addition of exercise to your daily routine, making sure that you get enough sleep every single night, taking a period of time to wind down before heading to bed at night, finding a hobby that you enjoy to take a break from work and family and meditation or yoga. Not all of these things work for everyone and what works for you may not work for someone else so it is important to persevere until you find a solution to your stress that works for you.

Use Noncomedogenic Cosmetics

Certain cosmetic products can be big culprits in blocking pores and causing acne breakouts. Where these types of breakouts are much more common in women who wear makeup they are also common in men who wear makeup or concealer as well. Application of any type of cover to the skin – yes, even some types of sun screen – can block your pores and in order to be healthy your pores need to be able to breathe freely. In order to avoid suffering from a cosmetic related breakout it is important to always check the back of your cosmetic and sunscreen purchases. Cosmetic items that will not block your pores will always state as such on the product packaging or will use the term “noncomedogenic” which is another way of saying that they won’t block your pores. It is also wise when trying new cosmetic products to try a small sample of the product on the skin behind your ear so you can determine if it is a good match to your skin.

Use Dye and Perfume Free Laundry Detergents

Laundry detergents can be a culprit of certain types of acne for some people although this type of “acne” is not the same as regular acne breakouts because it results from an allergic reaction and presents as much more of a rash than an actual acne breakout. Laundry detergents come in a wide variety of types with a huge array of ingredients and finding a detergent that works with your skin type can often be difficult. As a general rule of thumb try sticking with brand name detergents and if two or three detergents result in a breakout it is generally safer to go with a detergent and fabric softener that is labeled “free.” These “free” laundry products are free of dyes and perfumes and rarely cause any type of reaction in even the most sensitive skin.

Talk to Your Doctor About Your Medications

Lastly some people find that certain medications can cause acne breakouts. While there are few medications that result in acne as a side effect there are some out there, particularly some types of birth control can result in bad acne breakouts. When it comes to breakouts that result from certain medications it is up to you to talk to your prescribing doctor and see if you can find a solution that will help prevent excess acne. Some people decide to stay on their current medication and add a prescription acne treatment or over the counter acne treatment to fight the acne that results. Other people find that they would rather not continue with the initial medication that caused the breakout and request to be put on a different medication entirely. Either way you choose to go this should always be a choice that is made with your prescribing doctor’s guidance. Never stop taking a prescribed medication without first talking to your prescribing doctor.

Finding the Cause of Your Acne, and the Solution to Preventing It, Can Take Time

The causes of acne breakouts are as varied as their solutions and different solutions will work differently for different people. Finding the cause and solution for your acne trouble may be a process of trial and error that may leave you feeling sick and tired but with some perseverance and resourcefulness you will be able to find a solution that will work for your acne breakouts. Of all of the above solutions for acne breakouts one of the most often overlooked and the most important in skin health is water consumption and due to the fact that water is free it is a great place to begin on your hunt for healthy skin! Adding eight full glasses of water a day to your daily routine is not only going to help clear up your skin and prevent acne but it is also a proven method of losing weight and fighting infection so it is a great way to keep your whole body healthy!