Acne skin care can be a frustrating maze of myths and remedies that promise clean, clear skin, but only end up irritating the skin more rather than working to prevent acne breakouts. Sometimes, sensible skin care can save people from a visit to the dermatologist.

Chocolate, greasy foods and excessive exercise have always taken the blame for acne. The truth is that none can prevent you from having acne free skin. The true basis for acne breakouts relates directly to poor skin care habits, stress and hormone levels as the main causes. There is very little you can do about your hormones, however you can take steps to reduce stress or find a better skin care routine.

Any stress relief you can do, whether it is exercise, reading, or studying for that test ahead of time instead of cramming at the last minute, will help prevent acne eruptions.  While you cannot always be stress free, acne skin care is something you can always do that will help keep you as acne free as possible.

Acne skin care should gently clean your skin and avoid irritating it.  Acne breakouts, especially pimples, are essentially skin irritations.  You want to make sure that you do not make breakouts any worse with improper skin care.  The first and most basic thing you should do is wash you face, or other affected area, at least once a day.  If you have oily skin, you may want to wash twice a day.  Simply use soap and water, and do not scrub your face, as this will only further irritate your skin.  Try to be as gentle as possible when drying your face as well.  Washing your face helps remove excess oil, which prevents the pores from getting clogged and forming pimples.  Also, if you wear makeup, you should use water based, not oil based makeup, so that your pores can breathe.

Popping or squeezing pimples can actually make breakouts worse if done prematurely.  If you attempt to pop a pimple before it is ready, you are more likely to bruise your skin, which will leave a long-lasting red spot.  The pimple can also pop and go deeper underneath your skin.  This can cause an even worse pimple, known as a cystic nodule, which forms a hard, painful lump.  Cystic nodules, like bruising your skin, can be very noticeable and can take a long time to go away.  For this reason, popping pimples when they appear should not be your first acne skin care option.

Getting a sunburn can also worsen acne breakouts and keep you from having skin that is clear.  A sunburn is very rough on your skin just like excessive scrubbing or popping pimples prematurely.  A water-based sun block should protect your skin while keeping your pores from clogging.  Breakouts will always occur occasionally, but with proper choices and good acne skin care, you can prevent breakouts and keep your skin looking healthier overall.

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