Many people experience acne at some point in their lives, be it at puberty or adulthood. This common skin condition can leave you frustrated. Keep reading to find out more about acne and how to treat it.
What is Acne?
Acne is a common skin condition affecting 85% of adults globally. It is caused by infected sebaceous glands. Stress and hormones can cause your oil glands to become clogged, inflamed and red. The pesky inflammation results in the big red ugly pimple on your face, chest or back.
Testosterone is the primary hormone responsible for acne; it stimulates the production of oil. The increased production of oil creates a favorable environment for acne-causing bacteria to wreak havoc. Teenagers are often hard-hit by these hormonal changes and acne, but sometimes, young adults suffer from it.
While you can’t necessarily control your hormones, you can take care of external factors to ensure that you get rid of these pesky pimples once and all. In the next section, we will look at various ways you can get rid of acne.
5 Proven Treatments for Acne
The acne treatments differ based on the severity. Here are some ways you can keep acne in check.
- French Green Clay
French green clay is a mineral-rich clay with a lot of healing properties. It works wonders for acne, thanks to its antibacterial properties. All you need to do to enjoy the healing wonders of French green clay is to make a mask with the powder and water; if you want, you can add honey to the mask. Distribute the paste evenly to your face and watch it draw out all the dirt clogging your pores. It will also mop up the excess oil.
- Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a potent acne treatment extracted from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree native to Australia. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that relieve the severity of acne and eventually treat it with time.
Always do a patch test before you rub tea tree oil all over your face to ensure you don’t react to it. Dilute it with a carrier oil and smear it all over your face. Diluting the tea tree oil is crucial because, in its raw form, it can burn your skin.
- Green Tea
Green tea has antioxidant properties that help reduce acne. When placed on the affected skin, the polyphenols contained in green tea help fight the bacteria and tackle the inflammation. You can buy creams with green tea or make your extract at home.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is made from unfiltered apple juice. It contains natural acids that kill the bacteria responsible for acne. Because some people react adversely to apple cider, we advise that you do a patch test first. Dilute it in water and use a cotton pad to apply it to your skin. Let the liquid sit for 10 seconds, rinse off, and dry your skin.
- Warm Compress and Acne Spot Cream
Steaming your face helps open your clogged pores and brings everything to the surface. The heat also soothes your irritated skin. Apply a good acne spot cream to the stubborn pimples. Great acne spot creams contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and retinoids.
One more thing, while you work to get rid of acne, don’t be a pimple popper! Squeezing them can lead to even more swelling, scarring and infection.
7 Ways to Prevent Acne
Prevention, they say, is better than cure. Learn great ways to prevent acne.
- Eat Right
Your skin is a mirror of what you feed your body. If you constantly feed on refined sugar, soda, oily food and the likes, you are more likely to experience breakouts. While they may not be the main reasons for your acne, they aggravate your skin conditions.
So our simple solution is to abstain from all unhealthy food and eat more of your greens.
- Allow Your Skin to Breathe
Regular application of cosmetics can lead to clogged pores and blackheads on your pretty face. This is why we advocate that you give your skin time to breathe and cleanse itself. Also, ensure that you select water-based cosmetic products because they are lighter on your skin and have less damaging effects.
- Cleanse Your Face
One way to prevent acne is to cleanse your face. Rid it of the dirt and excess oil, which creates a breeding ground for the bacteria. Use gentle cleansers, preferably an alcohol-free one, to cleanse your face twice daily.
Splash warm water on your face and gently rub in the cleanser with your fingers. Leave the cleanser on your face for two minutes, then wash it off.
- Know Your Skin Type
Don't waste your money on products that are not beneficial to your skin type. If you have oily skin, select skincare products for it. Don’t select products that will block your pores!
- Moisturize!
We can’t overemphasize the need to hydrate your skin. However, take care to select the right moisturizer for your skin type. We recommend oil-free moisturizers that do not contain synthetic fragrance. The fragrance and oils can irritate your skin and cause you to have acne.
- Stay Hydrated
Dehydration and acne go hand in hand. When you are dehydrated, your body stimulates your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. And as you know, more oil means more breeding grounds for acne-producing bacteria. So keep your body well-hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water every day.
- Keep Your Hands Off Your Face
Your hands have touched a thousand surfaces and have come in contact with ten times that number of bacteria. Each time you touch your face, you introduce some of those bacteria to your skin. The result is acne-causing bacteria all over your face. So keep your hands off your face!
Conclusion
Acne can mess with your self-confidence and look, but there are ways to get rid of it. We have explored five ways to treat acne; try them out. But remember, the treatments don’t work overnight; be consistent, and you’d enjoy great results.
"
