Acne forms when the skin cells within hair follicles shed too fast and together form lumps which block the follicle, causing a pimple to occur. The tendency toward acne is largely genetic, however it can be triggered by any combination of hormonal activity, stress, over active sebaceous glands, bacteria in the skin pores, build up of dead skin cells, skin irritation of any sort, certain medications, anabolic steroids, hair removal products or processes, over-use of moisturizers, barbiturates or exposure to high levels of chlorine compounds (such as swimming regularly in heavily chlorinated swimming pools). Acne prevention is far easier than trying cure acne once you have it.
Here are seven acne prevention tips to help you minimize your risk of experiencing this personally devastating disorder:
- KEEP YOUR SKIN CLEAN. Acne, including pimples and other blemishes, usually occurs because the pores of your facial skin become clogged with oil and dust. Therefore the first and foremost preventative measure for acne is to cleanse the skin regularly. However, it is important to use products that will remove excess facial oil. Some soaps do the opposite and actually increase the oil production which can establish an attractive environment for acne to develop. Salicylic acid is an ingredient of many facial cleansers that not only removes oil and bacteria, it also removes dead cells and residue that clogs the pores. Using a cleanser that just contains two percent of this ingredient two to three times a week can help to prevent the occurrence of acne.
- EXFOLIATE REGULARLY. Use gentle facial scrubs regularly to exfoliate your facial skin. Facial scrubs getting rid of dead cells from your skin and will give your skin a healthy glow, removing all signs of blackheads.
- BENZOYL PEROXIDE. Benzoyl peroxide is an effective ingredient of many acne products. It can also be used as an effective preventative when constituting five percent of the total product. When used in combination with a cleanser containing salicylic acid, at least once a week, benzoyl peroxide can help to prevent the occurrence of acne.
- MOISTURIZE. This might sound like a strange preventative measure as a lot of people think that if they have acne they shouldn’t moisturize at all. This is incorrect. The problem is that most acne prevention products dry the skin so badly that they make it vulnerable to harmful UV rays. In fact, while you are using such drying products when you moisturize your skin it is advisable to use a moisturizer that contains UV protection.
- LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. A healthy lifestyle includes eating a healthy diet, avoiding an unhealthy diet, drinking adequate amounts of pure water, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly. No acne prevention products will help you avoid acne if you are eating junk food a lot of the time. A good start is to make sure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables every day and to reduce caffeine intake. If you are a cigarette smoker, you need to make a commitment to quit because the toxic load you are putting on your body makes it vulnerable to all sorts of health problems. Supplementing with at least one good quality multivitamin daily to restore any nutritional deficiencies and limiting your intake of toxins such as refined sugar, alcohol and coffee which stress the body, will help you maintain good skin health and protect you against the onset of acne.
- ADD OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to help with both the prevention and improvement of acne. Try to incorporate foods containing omega-3 in your diet, such as salmon, sardines and flax seeds, three times a week. If you are unable to do this, make sure you take an Omega-3 essential fatty acid supplement, such as fish oil capsules, daily.
- ADD ZINC. It has been found that people who get acne have low levels of zinc compared to those who do not get acne. Therefore supplementing with zinc (with Vitamin C to assist absorption) is recommended to help prevent or repair acne.
Acne can be very difficult to defeat once you have it. If you follow these seven acne prevention tips, you will be giving yourself a very strong chance of avoiding this skin disease altogether.