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When
it comes to skin care, we're not usually ones for hard and fast rules. Everyone has
unique facial features, skin tones, lifestyles and genetic histories that make
it impossible to have a single piece of advice
be "one size fits all."
It
can take years — and dozens of trips to the dermatologist — to discover how to get rid of acne effectively on your unique skin. But here, we've pretty
much made it our life mission to figure out the best tips from the pros who have seen it all and won't recommend it unless
it's backed up by experience and science.
Ahead,
we rounded up the best advice on how to get clear skin from top dermatologists. Read on for our favorite ways
to get your skin to look and feel its best.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
1 - Wash Your Face Daily
The
first and most important rule isn't ground-breaking: remember to wash your
face! Cleansing and treating your skin twice a day is the best way to keep
breakouts away.
For
those emergencies when you're just too tired to wash your face, keep a stash of
face wipes in the drawer of your nightstand. This way if you get home super
late and don’t feel like going all the way to the sink, you can still stick go
to bed with clean skin!
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
2 - Use the Right Cleanser
Buying
a generic acne wash won’t necessarily improve your complexion; for a cleanser
to be most effective, you have to pay attention to your skin’s needs and pick
the ingredients accordingly.
If
your skin tends to be oily, choose products with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or glycolic acid. For sensitive skin, look for cleansers with lactic acid or hydrating ingredients
like glycerin, which aren’t as drying as those made for oilier types.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
3 - Don't Over-Exfoliate
Scrubbing
your face raw with grainy cleansers and exfoliating products can do more harm
than good. When done too often, it can make redness, inflammation, and
irritation worse.
“Exfoliating a pimple can pull away healthy
skin cells and create an open wound and higher risk for scarring,” says Jessica
Weiser, MD, from New York Dermatology Group. “Exfoliation should be done with
caution, and not more than 2-3 times a week maximum.”
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
4 - Regularly Change Your Face Towel
When
you think about it, consistently reaching for your go-to face towel every day
is like reusing a dinner napkin over and over again.
Using
dirty towels can harbor bacteria, and they can even introduce new bacteria to
your skin, which may lead to more pimples,
explains Karen Hammerman, MD, from Schweiger Dermatology.
You
should try and use a new face towel every time you wash your face.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
5 - Moisturize
Worried
moisturizer will make your acne
worse? Think again — it can actually help improve your skin.
“If the skin surface is dry and dehydrated,
the oil glands tend to overproduce oil and this can make acne worse,” Dr.
Weiser says.
“Hydrating
the skin surface can re-balance oil glands and help control acne
and improve healing.”
When
buying a moisturizer, she recommends looking for a lightweight, oil-based
product that won’t clog your pores.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
6 - Use Sunscreen that Doesn't Clog Pores
While
SPF is a must, some sunscreens can trigger breakouts. You want to look for
oil-free and non-comedogenic formulas that won't clog pores,” Dr. Hammerman
says.
Options
like from Elta MD and Peter Thomas Roth, which are recommended by the pros, are
specifically tested on acne-prone skin so you can get your dose of SPF without having to worry about
clogged pores.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
7 - Skip Makeup When You're Working Out
Take
an extra five minutes before hopping on the treadmill to completely wash your
face and remove your makeup to minimize the risk of breakouts.
"Sweat
is released through visible pores in the skin," says dermatologist Dr.
Janell Vega. "When makeup covers those pores, that barrier doesn't allow
the sweat to make it to the surface of the skin, which can lead to clogged
pores. The trapped debris and bacteria are a perfect breeding ground for acne
bumps and zits."
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
8 - Wash Your Face Post-Workout
“After
sweating, immediately use an exfoliating cleanser to help keep your pores clear and remove excess oil,” says Dr. Zein Obagi of ZO
Skin Health.
Try
keeping Neutorogena Rapid Clear Pads in your gym bag or locker for those times
you need an on-the-go cleanse. These will remove any leftover dirt while
treating your skin with acne-fighting salicylic acid.
If
you have body acne, taking a shower as soon as possible after working out is also
key. It turns out that standing around in tight, sweaty workout clothes puts
you at greatest risk for body acne and rashes.
“The
whole idea is that the bacteria that live on the skin can get trapped in the
hair follicles and cause inflammation,” says dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Hale.
“The
more you work out in the heat the more likely this is.” So, make sure to shower
(or, at the very least, change out of your sweaty clothes) right after working
out.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
9 - Tailor Your Diet
Sad
but true: Any foods
that cause a spike in insulin can lead to inflammation and an acne flare,
explains Dr. Kally Papantoniou with Advanced Dermatology PC.
"Leafy
green vegetables and other brightly colored fruit and vegetables which are rich
in antioxidants and nutrients dampen inflammation and improve skin quality
(studies have shown acne patients have higher oil production and lower
antioxidant levels)," says Dr. Weiser.
"Limit intake of dairy products which can
contain hormones and antibiotics that can worsen acne breakouts."
Other
skin-boosting super foods include eggs, nuts, legumes, and quinoa.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
10 - Drink Plenty of Water
Seriously,
don't forget to drink those eight glasses of water a day, if we haven't made
the point clear by now. It makes a big impact on your entire body, including
your skin.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
11 - Have a Cup of Tea
Try
sipping spearmint tea. According to Dr. Carl Thornfeldt, dermatologist and founder
of Epionce Skincare, having two cups a day could reduce acne
by 25%!
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
12 - Change Your Pillowcases
Unwashed
sheets and pillowcases lead to cross contamination which leads to pimples. Aim
to wash your bedding once or twice a week to prevent bacteria from building up
and affecting your complexion, suggests Dr. Papantoniou.
If
that seems overboard, at least aim to wash your pillowcase once a week since
that's where your face rests while you snooze (and dream of flawless skin).
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
13 - Keep Your Phone Screen Clean
Think
of how many times a day you touch your phone! That thing gets pretty germy. To
stay in the clear, clean your screen daily with an alcohol wipe. And when
possible, Dr. Papantoniou recommends using the speaker option or headphones so
your phone isn't resting on your face as often.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
14 - Wipe Down Your Headphones
Sneaky
every day habits could secretly be doing a number on your skin. Even something
as seemingly harmless as wearing over-the-ear headphones could be the culprit
to breakouts around your temples and jawline.
"This
is especially the case when you wear them during and after a workout, or if you
keep them on for long periods of time. Sweat and moisture collect on and around
the headphones, compressing the skin and therefore encouraging bacteria and
yeast to multiply," says dermatologist and Simple advisory board member,
Dr. Debra Luftman.
Gross,
but true. Use an anti-bacterial wipe to quickly disinfect your headphones.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
15 - Stash a Heal + Conceal Stick in Your Locker
If
a midday zit pops up, swipe it with concealer loaded with blemish-shrinking
ingredients. This way you can cover it up and treat it in one step. ZO Skin
Health Offects Correct & Conceal Acne Concealer Stick will do the trick.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
16 - Try to Keep Your Hands Off Your Face
Sorry
to burst your bubble, but popping a zit is never a good idea. Your hands aren’t
always clean, and dirt under your fingernails and improper squeezing can cause
acne to spread or lead to further infection, Dr. Hammerman says.
Plus,
popping can lead to pitted scars, which stick around much longer than that
pimple would.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
17 - Ice, Ice Baby
If
you really must do something about your pimple beyond washing your face and
spot treating, ice or a cold compress can help reduce swelling. Wrap an ice
cube or the compress in a soft tissue or cloth and apply it to your zit for
20-30 seconds at a time, a few times a day.
In
case of an emergency (like, prom), you can also see a dermatologist for a
cortisone injection, which can help shrink the cyst down quickly in a day or
two.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
18 - Don't Irritate Your Acne with Toothpaste or Rubbing Alcohol
Sure,
we’ve all heard that toothpaste or rubbing alcohol can help dry out a zit, but
many DIY treatments aren't solutions for how to treat acne. In fact, applying
toothpaste or rubbing alcohol are more likely to cause irritation and dryness
than treat the actual pimple.
Instead,
stick with topical over-the-counter and prescription spot treatments with
salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide that are specially made to target pimples,
says Dr. Hammerman.
For
an all-natural spot treatment, she suggests dabbing tea tree oil on the area a few times a day with a cotton ball.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
19 - Combat Hormonal Acne with Birth Control
It's
not news that birth control can help stabilize hormones that prevent breakouts,
but it's worth exploring different types of birth control pills even if you had
adverse reactions to one in the past (i.e. weight gain or heavier acne
flare-ups).
The
FDA approves of Estrostep, Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Yaz to combat acne, but the
trick is to be patient, as it can take up to four months to start seeing
results.
"This
plan of attack works best when paired with whatever topical treatments you’re
already using to treat your acne, like Proactiv, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic
acid, etc," advises dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi.
Get Rid of Acne #Tip
20 - Don't Overlook Amazing New Technology in the Drugstore Aisle
If
saving babysitting money for a year still won't make a dent in the funds you
need to get a fancy laser treatment that will blast away acne scars, don't be discouraged.
Thanks
to the geniuses behind one of our favorite drugstore brands, La Roche-Posay,
there's a new class of products that feature smart technology and
better-than-ever ingredients to help treat dark marks and acne scars — at an
affordable price.
“La-Roche
Posay’s Pigmentclar line is unique in the way it combines exfoliating
lipohydroxy acid (LHA), phe-resorcinol, and ferulic acid, which are both strong
brightening ingredients, all together to form a topical product that’s
seriously effective," says dermatologist Dr. Mona Gohara.
Watch this Video – How To GET RID of ACNE | 20 TIPS to getCLEAR SKIN | Get rid of pimples | Acne free skin | How to get clear skin
For more ideas to
look younger, look no further than Wendy Wilken’s Facelift Without Surgery Program. From this
program, you will learn
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smile and laugh folds, nasal lines, fine lines around the mouth and lips, neck
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Easy facial yoga
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Methods to treat
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