Call it acne or pimples, they are both annoying problems! A skin problem that can frustrate a person to almost the point of hopelessness. Okay, I might be slightly exaggerating, but you know how acne and pimples can bother you, right?

To treat acne skin does take time once acne has developed, but it should bring positive results over a period of short time if you follow your prescribed acne treatment. If acne hasn’t already started, good for you, because it is fairly easy to prevent it from emerging.

No matter which side of the line you are standing right now, you can have healthy skin if you follow a few skincare rules in mind.

Keep your skin clean

Everyone knows that the most important part of our daily skin care regime is to keep our skin clean, especially if you have an acne-prone skin. Wash face twice daily, morning and night, with a mild hypoallergenic cleanser. In addition, it should be cleaned after any activity that causes you to sweat a lot, such as after your exercise session in the gym.

Using the right type of facial cleanser is very important. Scrubbing your skin with a harsh, abrasive soap will only worsen your acne. If you don’t know of a good cleanser for your skin type, then consult your dermatologist for advice. Once you have washed your face (remember - gently), rinse it and pat it dry. (Do not rub your face with the towel.)

If you have oily hair too, then it should be shampooed daily because oil from your hair can easily irritates your face and cause problems.

Shave carefully

This tip is generally for men who use safety razors. When using safety razors, the short blade should be the only one used on acne-prone skin. Before apply the shaving foam, the beard should first be softened using soap and water. Shave very carefully and lightly to avoid irritating the blemishes that might be present.

Keep your hands off of your face

Haha! I know, this is like the worst habit that almost everyone has (including me, oops). Squeezing or popping the bumps on your face will only cause bacteria to spread or form ugly acne scars. It’s always easier said than done, but still have to say - keep those fingers completely off of your acne blemishes, or you run the risk of 1) interfering with your acne treatment, 2) spreading bacteria love onto your skin and worsening the acne.

Use the right cosmetics

Check the cosmetics you use to ensure that they are hypoallergenic and do not contain oil. If they do, or if they are old, you should toss them out and buy new products. Be sure to read the product labels to ensure that they don’t contain ingredients that will conflict with your acne treatment. Until you see improvement with your acne treatment, it may be difficult to use foundation or other liquid make-up products on your skin.

Caution should also go to the hair shampoo and conditioner. If they contain oil, acne could start appearing on your forehead. Make sure all hair products are non-comedogenic.

Stay out of the Sun

There’s a rumor saying that tanned skin makes blemishes look better? Even if you think so, beware of exposing your skin to the sun, especially throughout your acne skin treatment period. It is a well known fact that prolonged sun exposure causes faster skin aging and put you at risk for skin cancer. Also, the acne medication you are using may react negatively when exposed to sun rays.

Follow the 5 simple steps above to ensure a successful acne treatment for your skin!

People with acne skin are always looking for the best acne treatment or the best acne care product to solve their acne problem. Actually the first and foremost part of acne treatment is to understand the skin type you have, so that you can find the most effective acne treatment solutions that suits your skin.

If you have oily skin, you would want to avoid use cleansing products, moisturizing products or cosmetics that contain oil. You should buy products that are oil-free. On the other hand, if you have dry skin, you would not want to use the oil-free products because your skin could benefit from a little extra oil.

Both oily and dry skin need to be moisturized daily. Just because skin has extra oil does not mean it doesn’t need moisturizer. Plenty of good oil-free moisturizers are available to use on oily skin. Dry skin has its own specific problems and should be moisturized with a product made especially for dry skin.

Topical skin treatments are designed to keep pores from clogging while getting rid of excessive dirt, oil and acne-causing bacteria on the skin’s surface. Certain oral medications are available to keep your body from producing so much oil. Prescription creams and ointments will help keep your breakouts dry and will even promote fast cell replacement in those areas that need it. There are also other medical and natural remedies to help in the treatment of acne.

Before you understand what is the best acne care treatment for your skin, you should first understand what is causing the acne in the first place.

The mentioning of “acne” may fill some people with dread. They envision having to spend long hours caring for their skin by scrubbing it, applying expensive creams to it, and avoiding the foods they most love to eat in order to prevent pimples from breaking out all over their faces.

The great news is that advances are being made in the treatment of acne and experts are discovering new ways to prevent and treat this dreaded skin condition. Some of the old wives’ tales about acne have proven untrue and new information about how to get clear, beautiful skin is being uncovered daily.

Take a look at these 5 little-known facts regarding acne treatment and skin care:

1) To scrub or not?

Although experts once thought that scrubbing was necessary to get clean, pimple-free skin, they now know that scrubbing skin with harsh abrasives only serves to irritate and injure the skin. Because skin is delicate, it can easily become damaged, leaving it unable to act as a shield against harmful bacteria. So scrubbing your skin with or without abrasives must be avoided.

2) Can the sun make my skin beautiful?

Although the sun is capable of stopping bacteria in its tracks, it also harms your skin by drying it out and clogging your pores. Prolonged exposure (more than 15 minutes per day) to sunlight will not help you obtain beautiful skin and should be avoided.

3) Will cold air help clear my skin of acne?

Extremely cold weather damages the skin much the same way as sunlight does by drying it out and clogging the pores. Cold air should be avoided because it will interfere with any progress you are making towards clearing up your acne breakouts. The best temperature for maintaining beautiful, clear skin is between 70 and 80 degrees F.

4) Will swimming harm my skin?

Swimming is an excellent choice, both for your fitness level and your acne-prone skin. Swimming in an ozone-purified indoor swimming pool, with water that is approximately 75 to 85 degrees F, will cool down your irritated skin, reduce stress, and provide great exercise for your entire body.

5) How can I avoid coming into contact with the bacteria that causes acne?

The best way to prevent bacteria-causing acne and have pimple-free skin is to keep everything around you as clean as possible. Bacteria thrive in linens, towels, and washcloths so you must wash them each time you use them. Some natural products that have been proven to cut down on bacteria are vinegar, essential oils, and tea tree oil, all of which can be used to wash your linens and undergarments.

Following these 5 steps will help you effectively fight and control your stubborn acne because you will learn to change your bad habits.

Changing your unhealthy habits will lead to a healthier lifestyle which will, in turn, lead to beautiful, clear, acne-free skin.