Managing Acne-Prone Skin

Regular Cleansing Regimen A Must

Erratic hormones can turn a healthy and radiant complexion into an acne-prone disaster. Unfortunately, there is no way to eliminate acne but there are ways to minimize and manage the occurrence of unsightly blemishes.

As our chronological clocks tick away so to does our biological clock. As we approach our teens hormonal changes begin to occur setting puberty, and acne-prone skin, into motion.

This hormonal imbalance causes changes to occur in both the size of the skin’s glands and the amount of oil they produce. Keeping both sebaceous and sweat glands running at optimum capacity can help minimize unwanted “breakouts.”

Keeping skin “oil free” as much as possible is another helpful measure for keeping blemishes at a distance. Cleansing the face three or four times a day, avoiding oil-based cosmetics and applying a commercial or home prepared face mask suited for acne-prone skin are useful deterrents for unsightly breakouts. For more serious cases, commercial creams, lotions or gels designed specifically for treating acne can be added to your cleansing regimen. Drying agents, also known as astringents, can be useful in treating acne too, however, care should be taken not to overindulge as excessive dryness can present additional skin problems.

At-Home Acne Treatments For Managing Acne-Prone Skin

Biologically speaking, eliminating acne is an unrealistic goal, however, minimizing its occurrence is not. Some useful at-home treatments for unclogging pores and treating blemishes include:

Steam Facial

Fill a basin with hot water. Place a towel on your head and bend over the basin for a few minutes to allow the steam to open pores. Repeat 3 times. Rinse face with cold water.

Home Prepared Face Masks

For preventing breakouts: Mash 1 tomato and mix with an equal amount of non-fat dry milk. Apply to face. Leave on face until dry; rinse.

To deep cleanse oily skin: Using a cotton swab, apply milk of magnesia to oily areas of your face. Leave on face until dry; rinse.

For treating blemishes: Mix ¼ cup salt with ½ cup warm water. Soak a cotton pad in the mixture and apply to pimple using slight pressure for 2 minutes. Dip cotton bud q-tip into honey and apply to pimple. Leave on for 15 minutes, rinse and pat dry.

Massage Your Face To Enhance Cleansing

Facial massages, which improve the flow of blood to the face, rid the skin of harmful toxins and help regulate overactive glands from producing excessive amounts of oil that might otherwise result in clogged pores. To reap the added benefits from incorporating a face massage into your daily skin care regimen do the following:

Applying gentle pressure with your fingertips massage chin and mouth area using small circular motions three times; massage the cheeks with large circular motions three times; massage from under the eyes to forehead using large circular motions three times. Repeat 4 times.