Acne Treatment Blog

Though commonly thought of as a problem for teenagers, blemishes don’t always go away when you get older. Adults can have skin problems too. Whatever your age, it’s wise to be careful what you put on your skin since it will be absorbed into your body.

Not Scrubbing, Gently Washing Instead.

Scrubbing your face isn’t going to get rid of blemishes if you’re prone to acne. As it happens, if you rub your skin too roughly, it’s more likely to stir up more blemishes and aggravate ones you already have. It’s quite important you gently clean your face.

Washing your face gently will help avoid irritation that will make acne worse. The best idea is to not even use a washcloth. Instead, just splash some water on your face, then lather up your hands with the mild cleansing wash or mild soap. 

Once you’ve washed your face, use a clean washcloth to gently pat the water off the skin until it’s dry.

Benzoyl Peroxide Is The Best Bet.

Make sure your skin is completely dry, then use an over-the-counter medication with benzoyl peroxide. This is by far the best non-prescription medication you can use to control blemishes. Peroxide has long been used to cleanse skin, and benzoyl peroxide is also a mild drying agent.

Use 2.5% benzoyl peroxide as it has been shown to be just as effective as 5% or 10%, but much less irritating. It doesn’t make sense to irritate your skin and make acne worse instead of better.

It’s very important to start with a SMALL amount of medication. Considering this medication is a drying agent and can cause redness and itchiness, so don’t slather on a bunch right from the beginning. For starters, just enough medication to very lightly cover your skin the first time, then gradually increase the amount you’re using. By the time a couple of weeks have passed, you should be giving your skin a good coating of medication.

Watch out you stay away from the tender skin under your eyes. For one thing, the skin there isn’t prone to break-outs anyway. Also, It is thinner and more easier irritated that the rest of the skin on your face.

Use Moisturizer.

Benzoyl peroxide dries out your skin, so it’s important to apply moisturizer. Wait until the medicine has soaked in and your skin is completely dry, then lightly apply moisturizer to your face. Once the moisturizer is completely dry, if you skin still appears dry or flaky, add some more.

It’s quite important to apply the moisturizer even when first beginning to use benzoyl peroxide. This prevents your skin from drying out too much.

Do The Foods You Eat Matter?

It’s an on again, off again thing with the scientific community as to whether diet has any effect on acne. Considering too much iodine will aggravate blemishes, don’t go overboard with the salt shaker if you’re using iodized salt, or eat too many iodine rich foods like clams, crabs or other shellfish.

Forget the scientific theories, however, and if you notice that your skin tends to break out more after eating certain foods, quit eating them. So many factors come into play with body chemistry and the effects of foods and other substances on our body, that scientists don’t always have the answer. (How many drugs have been okayed as safe, only to discover at a later date they have bad side effects?)

When You Need Help Fast.

When you have a blemish and need help quick, try one of the following:

• If you run out of benzoyl peroxide and have a blemish, try using a little calamine lotion. This zaps the zit by soaking up the excess oil.
• Immediately after washing your face, use an ice cube for 60 seconds on any blemishes. The chill helps reduce the inflammation and make them less noticeable.
• Squeeaing is a no-no! Though it might actually help the original blemish to heal more quickly, it will irritate the surrounding skin and may cause more blemishes.
• Look out for oil based make-up. Especially bad for blemish prone skin is any kind of oil based make-up. If you want to wear make-up, use the fragrance-free types that are meant for people with sensitive skin.

Acne Free Skin.

Blemishes are a problem nobody wants, but a good skin care regimen can usually help or totally eradicate the problem. 

Clear skin is the clear goal.