Acne Skin Care – Part 1 - Health Plus Digest

Acne skin care is important to the prevention and treatment of pimples, pustules, whiteheads and blackheads. Acne can start in the teen years but plague you all the way through adulthood. Although it isn’t a serious medical condition, it does cause significant emotional and psychological trauma.

Care and prevention of acne begins from the inside out. Taking care of the largest organ system in the body begins with nutrition. The old adage, you are what you eat, is never more true than in the care of your skin. Your skin is only as healthy as you feed it.

Keep your hair clean since hair oils and dirt can clog the tubes that lead to the oil glands to the top of the skin. Your hands are another way of transmitting dirt and oils to your skin. The skin produces enough of its own oils for protection and moisturizing but adding oils from the hands can do more damage.

Keep your hands off! Picking, popping, pushing and rubbing acne will only make the condition worse and can result in infections and scarring.

Makeup often contains greasy components that will clog pores and cause more acne or worsen the ones you already have. Cosmetics that go on smoothly actually have oils to make the application process easier but also clog the pores to encourage acne breakouts.

If you must wear makeup then choose cosmetics that are oil free and labeled non-comedogenic (don’t cause comedones or pimples). Cosmetics that have oils in them will spread more evenly over the skin that is being treated for acne but will also worsen the condition or make the face look like there is acne covered by makeup.

Resources:

American Academy of Family Physicians: Diagnosis and Treatment of Acne

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0501/p2123.html

KidsHealth.org: Tips for Taking Care of Your Skin

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/take_care/skin_tips.html

Mayo Clinic.com: Acne Prevention

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acne/ds00169/dsection=prevention

MayoClinic.com: Skine Care: 5 Tips for Healthy Skin

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skin-care/SN00003