Treating Your Acne

Treatment for acne may become necessary when mild acne just won't go away, or when acne becomes severe. You may also decide to medicate acne when it shows up at inconvenient times like the day before your wedding, school pictures or the prom.

Treatment should include:

* Unclogging pores

* Killing bacteria

* Minimizing Oil

Sometimes lifestyle changes can improve acne. Water is your skin's friend, making sure you get 8 full glasses of water a day can help your skin. Good nutrition gives your skin the nutrients that it needs to be healthy. Other methods for reducing the affects of acne would be to apply hot compresses to the pustules and to get facials. Never, ever squeeze pimples, this only makes them worse. When you "play" with your pimples it always makes them redder.

Ways to open your pores:

Make sure you cleanse your skin with mild cleansers once or twice a day with a mild bar soap or liquid cleanser. Some brand names to explore are Basis, Cetaphil, Dove, Neutrogena, and also Purpose.

You can also use exfoliating cleansers and masks. These products have granules in them and some have salicylic acid in a concentration that makes the preparation a mild peeling agent so to remove the outer layer of the skin, thus opening your pores.

Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A and can also help promote skin peeling.

Ways to kill the bacteria on your skin:

You can use antibacterial cleansers that contain benzoyl peroxide

There are topical application that can be used that comes in the form of creams, gels, and lotions. The active ingredient in these preparations that kill bacteria is usually benzoyl peroxide, sulfur or resorcinol. Some of these brands can be quite costly. Check the label and compare the more costly brands with the ones in drugstores, if the ingredients are the same, than buy the less expensive ones.

Some individuals are allergic to benzoyl peroxide by giving the skin redness and scaly appearance. Do not let these products get on your colored clothing, or towels, as benzoyl peroxide is bleach.

Ways to reduce the oil

Glands cannot be stopped from producing oil. What you can do to reduce the oil is to use an astringent or toner to wipe away the oil from your face.

You can also use products that contain glycolic acid or alpha-hydroxy acids as they help to peel off the superficial layer of skin.

Masks that contain sulfur can draw out the facial oil from your face.

Pads that are antibacterial or contain benzoyl peroxide can help you wipe away the oil.

Other things you can do about acne:

You can hide acne with cosmetics or flesh-tinted cover-up sticks. Just make sure they are water-based or oil-free.

Facials can help as well as steaming the face and deep cleansing. You can also have your pores unclogged by a professional.

You can purchase pore strips from pharmacies that can be applied to your nose, forehead and chin. You apply the strip wait a designated time and then pull off the strip, unclogging the pores with the strip.

You can start and maintain a good basic skin regimen that includes:

* Cleansing your face daily with a 5% benzoyl peroxide wash or if allergic you can use 2% salicylic acid.

* Use gels or creams that contain 5% benzoyl peroxide or sulfur/resorcinol on any acne you may have.

* You can apply a sulfur cream at night to any blemishes that you have.

* Use a light skin moisturizer and oil-free makeup