How To Control Your Acne

Sometimes, when you spend several minutes examining your face in the mirror each morning, or refuse to be photographed, it can feel like your acne is controlling you. With these tips, you can take back control of your life, and get your acne under control.

The first thing that many people are inclined to do in an effort to control their acne is to use their fingers to try to remove the offending zit or blackhead. Whether it is a pus filled whitehead, a hard and painful zit, or a smattering of blackheads, it is never a good idea to use your fingers to try to control your acne. Unfortunately, when you touch your face with unwashed hands at any time, you are transferring bacteria and dirt onto your face.

This dirt and bacteria can cause more acne breakouts. When you try to apply pressure to your acne with your fingers, you press that dirt and bacteria deep into your pores, which will make your acne breakouts even worse. You also will push the bacteria that the acne contains deeper into your skin, which will prolong the acne breakout. Picking at an acne sore with your fingers will also introduce bacteria and dirt into your skin. This also can cause the zit, or pimple, to rupture and cause unsightly scabs to form, as well as permanent pitting and scarring on your skin.

Instead, try to avoid antagonizing your skin. Use gentle facial soaps to clean your face twice a day. If your skin begins to feel dry, however, lessen this to once a day. For women, it is important to wear non-comedogenic makeup which is less likely to clog pores, and to remove it every evening. Besides keeping your face clean, you may want to consider using over the counter acne medications, such as topical ointments made with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

These acne medications may cause your skin to become sensitive to sunlight, so be sure to use a facial moisturizer with sunscreen in conjunction with them. This will also help mitigate any dryness that they cause. Look for moisturizer that has a SPF rating of at least 30 for sun protection that will be effective on most days. If you plan to be outdoors all day, however, you must remember to re-apply your facial sunscreen to keep your face from burning due to its increased sensitivity to the sun.