Acne Product

At one time or another over 90% of all teenagers and close to 25% of all adults will suffer from acne.  It affects men and women alike worldwide regardless of nationality.  Prevention and better skincare are included among the many effective means of combating acne.  Following are a few suggestions of ways of preventing and treating acne. 

Regular exercise has been shown to prevent acne by helping to relieve stress, which is a known cause of acne.  In your workouts, try to avoid wearing overly tight lycra or nylon clothing as these synthetics tend to trap sweat and heat.  This creates the ideal environment for the bacteria that causes acne to grow.  Loose clothing, especially cotton and natural fabrics, will help alleviate this problem.  Also, be sure to keep all sports and workout equipment clean. 

Cosmetics can be a common cause of acne.  Always use cosmetic products labeled "noncomedogenic" or "oil-free" to avoid clogging your pores and causing skin irritations leading to acne.  Always read the ingredients of your cosmetic choices.  Products with coal tar derivatives, carmine or heavy cream are known to cause adverse skin reactions.  Also, cosmetic colors with a shimmering effect often are made with mica, a flaky mineral which can cause clogged pores and irritation.  Even lipsticks and glosses can cause breakouts.  Choose your lip color with a matte finish, as the shinier the shine, the more comedogenic content of the product. 

While studies have shown that diet does not seem to play a significant role in the cause or treatment of acne, what is good for your overall body is also good for your skin.  There are certain vitamins, minerals and supplements that have been known to both prevent and help eliminate acne breakouts.  Included in this list are: vitamin A or Retinol, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, L-Carnitine and zinc.  You can find all of these in a quality multivitamin.  Creating healthy eating habits as well as drinking plenty of fluids will help prevent acne as well.  

For women, the shift in hormones as they age has a lot to do with the onset of adult acne.  According to one study, almost half of all women suffer what is known as hormonal acne during the week prior to menstruation.  There are several treatment options for adult women, including: topical retinoids, oral antibiotics and Benzoyl Peroxide which is also recommended for adolescents.  Oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy may be beneficial as well in combination with topical, prescription or over-the-counter products. 

While there may not be such a thing as being too clean, over-washing and over-scrubbing can actually cause acne rather than prevent it.  Harsh scrubbing of the skin can strip away necessary oils causing an overproduction of oil to replace it.  This in turn clogs pores.  Gentle exfoliation is best, but stay away from products containing alcohol as this also strips away the skin's necessary moisture. 

There are many, many products on the market for the prevention of acne, both over-the-counter and prescription.  A few of these are: Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Retinoids, Antibiotics, Oral Contraceptives, Anti-Androgens and Isotretinoin or Accutane. 

One widely overlooked helpful preventative of acne is shaving.  Shaving is an excellent means of exfoliating or removing dead skin.  Left on the skin's surface, dead skin cells clog pores causing breakouts.  If you already have a breakout, use shaving cream meant for sensitive skin and do not shave places that are sore or infected.  

Stress is one of the big causes of outbreaks.  Stress can come from both internal and external factors.  External stress includes things that make it difficult for the skin to heal on its own such as oily cosmetics or too much exposure to the sun.  Internal stress includes anxiety, fear, depression and a host of other emotions.  These can cause chemical reactions from within the body causing acne breakouts and other skin problems.  Get plenty of rest to help ward off stress.  Reading, music, walking, and regular sleep patterns all help keep stress levels low and in turn help keep acne breakouts to a minimum.