Freelance Writing Jobs | Today's Articles | Sign In

How to Manage Acne

Tips from an Esthetician

Jan 13, 2008 Lisa Rufle

Acne is a skin-care condition affecting many adults. Try following some of these suggestions from an esthetician to minimize the amount of breakouts you experience.

Despite the myths that acne is causes by your diet (primarily greasy foods and chocolate), poor hygiene, and dirt, none of these is true. Acne is caused when your pores are clogged by sebum, the dead cells that produce oil.

Here are some little known secrets from an esthetician about what you can do to better manage and care for acne-prone skin:

Hands Off

Never, ever pick, pop or squeeze a pimple. This can lead to skin injuries, further inflammation and redness, and spread bacteria over the rest of your skin. Picking may also lead to permanent scarring. If it is essential that you get rid of a huge pimple fast, your best bet is to see your dermatologist or esthetician who can properly extract it for you.

Wash Pillowcases Regularly

Did you know that every night while you are sleeping the oil and bacteria from your face gets transferred onto your pillow? In this way, it is easy for your skin to contaminate itself with pimple causing oils and bacteria. The best solution to this is to wash your pillowcases in hot water regularly. Also try flipping your pillowcase over and sleeping on the other side, to avoid redistributing oil and bacteria while you sleep.

Ease Up on the Harsh Products

Products containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are the main ingredients used in pimple-fighting cleansers, both on the market and in prescription form. As beneficial as these products are, they can also excessively dry out your skin, cause redness, burning and irritation. In order to counterbalance these harsh effects, you should alternate between the products you use on a daily basis. For instance, use a gentle non-irritating cleanser and oil-free moisturizer in the morning like Cetaphil, and at night follow your acne-specific regime.

Rethink Your Makeup

The cosmetics you use can adversely affect your skin. Not only can they increase irritation, they can further clog pores, leading to more breakouts. The solution? Try mineral makeup. Plenty of companies are getting on the mineral makeup bandwagon because they know it’s a more natural choice that still provides the coverage of traditional liquid makeup. The biggest brand, Bare Escentuals has been on the market since 1976, but other drugstore friendly brands, such as L’Oreal and Maybelline, are now creating their own formulas that are just as good. Mineral makeup touts many advantages such as: being all natural, non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), won’t irritate even the most sensitive of skin types and contains an all-natural SPF.

By following these simple rules and making a few changes in your routine, your skin will not only be healthier, but you will increase your odds of winning the battle against acne.

The copyright of the article How to Manage Acne in General Medicine is owned by Lisa Rufle. Permission to republish How to Manage Acne in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Makeup Brush