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Most people can have a face that is more or less acne free if they practice smart acne skin care (I say most because sometimes a dermatologist will be needed no matter how well you follow your acne skin care regime) and ignore the many myths concerning acne. Some of these myths can actually make an outbreak worse but armed with the facts you will be able to clear your skin of acne a lot quicker when a breakout occurs.

Some of the myths you will have heard and maybe even believe. For instance, chocolate has long been blamed for acne as has excessive excercise but really in 99% of cases the actual cause will be either one of or a combination of 3 things - hormone levels, stress levels and poor skin care. As we know, there isn’t a lot you can do about your hormones but you can learn to control your stress levels (at least to a certain degree) and you can practice acne skin care to prevent further breakouts.

The secret to acne skin care is to use gentle soaps and cleansers so that you avoid irritating your skin because essentially all pimples are merely skin irritations. By being gentle you won’t make an outbreak any worse and once you have your current outbreak under control, you will prevent more from appearing. The place to start with good acne skin care is washing - you should wash your face and any other area effected by pimples at least once a day and at least twice a day if you have oily skin. Wash with a mild soap and water and do not scrub as that will simply irritate your skin even more. Not scrubbing applies to drying too, just gently dab your face dry with a clean towel. If you wear makeup, apply after your wash and make sure you only use water based as this type of makeup allows your pores to breathe.

Try to resist squeezing or popping a pimple because if done prematurely you will make matters worse. Attempting to pop a pimple before it is ready will cause your skin to bruise and this leaves a red spot that lasts far longer than the pimple would have. Sometimes the pimple will break inwards when you try pop it and cause a much worse spot known as a cystic nodule - a painful, very hard lump that is very noticeable and takes forever to go. So, for a good acne skin care regime resist popping when the pimples firs appear.

Getting a sunburn will worsen an acne breakout and prevent your skin from clearing. Use a water based sun block for protection as it won’t clogg your pores and make your outbreak any worse.

The odd outbreak of acne can effect the best of us but with good acne skin care you can heal and prevent breakouts and keep your skin looking healthy and fresh. For more info on acne myths please feel free to download my free ebook “Acne Myths” by clicking here.