Wash Delicately

Doctors recommend that acne patients wash their faces twice a day with a mild, oil-free soap or cleanser. It is important that the water is only lukewarm so as not to irritate the face. In addition, vigorous scrubbing and/or drying can cause irritation. Be gentle with your face and pat dry when finished washing. Cleansers like Cetaphil or Dove are particularly non-drying and gentle.

Avoid Pore Clogging Agents

Makeup, cleansers and sunscreens have the potential to clog pores with their oils and other ingredients. To decrease the frequency of breakouts, check all labels to see if the product if “Noncomedogenic”. This means the product will not clog pores. In addition to products’ oils, avoid skin pollutants like smoke, grease, sweat, etc. If your face is sweaty, gently cleanse as soon as possible. Also, avoid sunbathing and/or tanning. In addition to making the skin age and wrinkle faster, the tanned, dead skin cells and the sweat can clog pores and cause acne.

Eat A Well-Balanced Diet

When skin breaks out, the body must fight acne’s inflammation and infection. As with any other infection, proper nutrition with plenty of protein and water will aid the body in its attempt to rebuild new, healthy cells. Staying hydrated will help to flush any toxins from the body and a diet rich in protein, fruits and vegetables will give your body the energy it needs to fight the infection.

Respect Your Individuality

Every person’s skin is different. Some people notice a correlation between their diets and their breakouts, others seem to see an increase in acne when they use a particular soap. Trust your intuition: if something unique seems to be increasing your breakouts, discontinue it and reassess your skin without it.  Additionally, every person reacts to treatments and medications differently. When trying a new medication or treatment, it is crucial that the treatment be given an adequate amount of time to take effect. Some people will see results in one week, some will take five weeks.

Always practice good hygiene, eat a healthy diet, stay hydrated, and be patient: acne generally decreases with age.