Teen Tips For Clearer Skin
1. Don’t dry out your skin. Avoid rubbing alcohol or alcohol-based astringents and toners, even if you have oily skin. These products can strip your skin of its natural, protective moisture. This can irritate skin and make acne worse. These products may also make it more difficult to tolerate prescription acne medications.
2. Do use oil-free moisturizer. Healthy skin is moist. Choose an oil-free moisturizer that says "noncomedogenic" on the label. This means it won’t clog your pores or cause whiteheads or blackheads. You may hesitate to apply moisturizer to acne-prone skin, but a good moisturizer can actually help calm your skin and keep acne at bay.
3. Don’t avoid favorite foods. It's a myth that oily foods or chocolate cause pimples. Acne is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin. If certain foods seem to cause you to break out, try to avoid them. But you don't need to shun pizza or chocolate for clear skin.
4. Drink plenty of water. Drink water throughout the day to keep your skin well hydrated. Also, eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A and vitamin E, two vitamins known to benefit your skin. Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are rich in vitamin E. Vitamin A is found in colorful fruits and vegetables such as carrots, cantaloupe, peaches, and peppers.
5. Don’t use heavy cosmetics. Avoid oil-based cosmetics. Creamy foundation or blush generally can clog pores. Mineral cosmetic, which are light and powdery are less likely to do so.
6. Cleanse your skin at night. No matter how tired you are, wash makeup or the grime of the day off your face before going to bed.
7. Don’t sunbathe or tan. It's a myth that tanning clears up your skin. It's a fact that UV rays put you at risk for skin cancer, premature aging, and wrinkles. Don't lay in the sun or use a tanning booth. Also, some commonly prescribed acne medications, including topical retinoids, can make you more sensitive to damage from the UV rays.
8. Do use oil-free sunscreen. Wear an oil-free sunscreen or moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Look for products labeled noncomedogenic that won't clog your pores. Reapply every two hours.
9. Don’t use greasy hair products. Products such as pomades or gels can clog your pores when your hair brushes against your face. Keep your hair clean using an oil-free, acnegenic or noncomedogenic shampoo. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily. Shield your face when applying any sprays and gels on your hair.
10. Do keep your hair off of your face. Pull long hair back when you sleep so it doesn't aggravate your skin. Try to keep your hair away from your face during the day as well. Remember, hair contains oils that can cause breakouts -- even if you don't use hair products.
11. Don’t touch your face. Touching or rubbing your face worsens acne. Also, don't lean your face on your hands. And try to keep your cell phone away from your face. Our hands and phones may carry oils and germs that can irritate blemishes. Tight-fitting hats can also cause or worsen acne, especially if you sweat.
12. Do apply creams with applicators. Putting your fingers in a container of facial cream can spread bacteria.
13. Don’t over wash your face. Dirty skin does not lead to acne or blemishes. Frequent and vigorous washing can irritate your skin and make acne worse. So can scrubs and soaps with harsh chemicals. Instead, wash acne-prone areas twice daily with a mild soap-free cleanser and warm water.
14. Do not use soap. Do use soap-free/oil-free cleanser. Oil-free cleansers won't clog your pores or cause blackheads, acne, and whiteheads. Choose products that are labeled "oil free," "nonacnegenic," or "noncomedogenic." Apply the cleanser and wash with your fingertips. Washcloths, mesh sponges, or other products can irritate the skin and cause breakouts. A mesh sponge may be used on the back.
15. Don’t pop your pimples. Squeezing pimples or blemishes just creates more problems. Resist the temptation. It will only delay healing and increase the risk of scarring. Squeezing pimples may also push infected material into the skin, where it can cause additional inflammation and scarring.
16. Do use acne medication as directed. Acne medication doesn't work overnight. Most treatments take up to eight weeks of daily use before you see an improvement. It may take as long as six months for your skin to totally clear up. Sometimes your doctor will recommend using the acne medicine even when your skin clears. Be sure to follow your doctor's directions. Overuse of medicine such as Retin-A can irritate skin, while underuse is not effective.
17. Change your pillow case every other day. Did you know that after sleeping on your pillowcase for a couple of days, it's filled with bacteria? Bacteria from your hair, skin, and anything else that comes out your mouth, nose or ears! You may even wash your face every night and every morning, but that doesn't stop the bacteria from absorbing into your skin and start spreading around, thus causing acne.
18. Look into all acne treatments. Don't just live with acne, blackheads, and blemishes. If the first cream you try doesn't work, see your dermatologist or medical aesthetician to discuss other treatments. There are many types of medicines to help clear your skin. Some are available only from a doctor.
Advanced Dermatology Offers the Following to Combat Acne:
The Clarisonic Facial Brush will keep pores cleaner and make your topical acne lotions and creams work better. Having a home care regimen of cleansers, retinols and UV protection is the first step to better skin. Professional Deep Pore Cleansing Treatments and Light Peels can also give you results 50% quicker than just using home care. Mineral powder makeups such as gloMinerals and gloPrimer give a smoother, flawless appearance which is beneficial to the skin and minimizes pores which helps to lessen the look of oily skin.
2. Do use oil-free moisturizer. Healthy skin is moist. Choose an oil-free moisturizer that says "noncomedogenic" on the label. This means it won’t clog your pores or cause whiteheads or blackheads. You may hesitate to apply moisturizer to acne-prone skin, but a good moisturizer can actually help calm your skin and keep acne at bay.
3. Don’t avoid favorite foods. It's a myth that oily foods or chocolate cause pimples. Acne is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin. If certain foods seem to cause you to break out, try to avoid them. But you don't need to shun pizza or chocolate for clear skin.
4. Drink plenty of water. Drink water throughout the day to keep your skin well hydrated. Also, eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A and vitamin E, two vitamins known to benefit your skin. Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are rich in vitamin E. Vitamin A is found in colorful fruits and vegetables such as carrots, cantaloupe, peaches, and peppers.
5. Don’t use heavy cosmetics. Avoid oil-based cosmetics. Creamy foundation or blush generally can clog pores. Mineral cosmetic, which are light and powdery are less likely to do so.
6. Cleanse your skin at night. No matter how tired you are, wash makeup or the grime of the day off your face before going to bed.
7. Don’t sunbathe or tan. It's a myth that tanning clears up your skin. It's a fact that UV rays put you at risk for skin cancer, premature aging, and wrinkles. Don't lay in the sun or use a tanning booth. Also, some commonly prescribed acne medications, including topical retinoids, can make you more sensitive to damage from the UV rays.
8. Do use oil-free sunscreen. Wear an oil-free sunscreen or moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Look for products labeled noncomedogenic that won't clog your pores. Reapply every two hours.
9. Don’t use greasy hair products. Products such as pomades or gels can clog your pores when your hair brushes against your face. Keep your hair clean using an oil-free, acnegenic or noncomedogenic shampoo. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily. Shield your face when applying any sprays and gels on your hair.
10. Do keep your hair off of your face. Pull long hair back when you sleep so it doesn't aggravate your skin. Try to keep your hair away from your face during the day as well. Remember, hair contains oils that can cause breakouts -- even if you don't use hair products.
11. Don’t touch your face. Touching or rubbing your face worsens acne. Also, don't lean your face on your hands. And try to keep your cell phone away from your face. Our hands and phones may carry oils and germs that can irritate blemishes. Tight-fitting hats can also cause or worsen acne, especially if you sweat.
12. Do apply creams with applicators. Putting your fingers in a container of facial cream can spread bacteria.
13. Don’t over wash your face. Dirty skin does not lead to acne or blemishes. Frequent and vigorous washing can irritate your skin and make acne worse. So can scrubs and soaps with harsh chemicals. Instead, wash acne-prone areas twice daily with a mild soap-free cleanser and warm water.
14. Do not use soap. Do use soap-free/oil-free cleanser. Oil-free cleansers won't clog your pores or cause blackheads, acne, and whiteheads. Choose products that are labeled "oil free," "nonacnegenic," or "noncomedogenic." Apply the cleanser and wash with your fingertips. Washcloths, mesh sponges, or other products can irritate the skin and cause breakouts. A mesh sponge may be used on the back.
15. Don’t pop your pimples. Squeezing pimples or blemishes just creates more problems. Resist the temptation. It will only delay healing and increase the risk of scarring. Squeezing pimples may also push infected material into the skin, where it can cause additional inflammation and scarring.
16. Do use acne medication as directed. Acne medication doesn't work overnight. Most treatments take up to eight weeks of daily use before you see an improvement. It may take as long as six months for your skin to totally clear up. Sometimes your doctor will recommend using the acne medicine even when your skin clears. Be sure to follow your doctor's directions. Overuse of medicine such as Retin-A can irritate skin, while underuse is not effective.
17. Change your pillow case every other day. Did you know that after sleeping on your pillowcase for a couple of days, it's filled with bacteria? Bacteria from your hair, skin, and anything else that comes out your mouth, nose or ears! You may even wash your face every night and every morning, but that doesn't stop the bacteria from absorbing into your skin and start spreading around, thus causing acne.
18. Look into all acne treatments. Don't just live with acne, blackheads, and blemishes. If the first cream you try doesn't work, see your dermatologist or medical aesthetician to discuss other treatments. There are many types of medicines to help clear your skin. Some are available only from a doctor.
Advanced Dermatology Offers the Following to Combat Acne:
The Clarisonic Facial Brush will keep pores cleaner and make your topical acne lotions and creams work better. Having a home care regimen of cleansers, retinols and UV protection is the first step to better skin. Professional Deep Pore Cleansing Treatments and Light Peels can also give you results 50% quicker than just using home care. Mineral powder makeups such as gloMinerals and gloPrimer give a smoother, flawless appearance which is beneficial to the skin and minimizes pores which helps to lessen the look of oily skin.