Sunday, February 15, 2009

Top 5 Tips to Help Avoid and Control Acne


Acne is often dismissed as the inevitable “rite of passage” that every teenager has to suffer through. However, the truth is acne is not exclusively an adolescent problem; acne in adults is just as common. Moreover, whether you get it as a teenager or as an adult, there are steps that can be taken to lessen the severity of outbreak. Some are rather simple, while others may include the use of an acne treatment. Find the best combination to help you avoid and control your acne.

Tip #1 Cleanse Your Face Gently

Washing your face gently at least twice daily is the best thing you can do to keep the acne under control. Tempting as it may be to scrub your face too hard or use an abrasive skin product in an attempt to rub those acne away; don’t. Use a clean washcloth each time to avoid transferring bacteria over to the area you are cleaning.

Tip#2 Take the Right Vitamins

While many people don’t realize that a great vitamin supplement can help treat and prevent acne. Most people do not get the necessary vitamins in their daily diet and a poor diet is one of the factors that cause acne. Acne vitamins supplements can bring terrific results. They usually contain Vitamins such as zinc that help promote healthy skin and renewed skin growth.

Tip #3 Use Natural Facial Toners and Cleansers

There are a multitude of products available on the market today to help combat acne. Using the wrong products will actually make your acne worse. Look for natural products, such as acne face toners and acne face washes that active contain ingredients including witch hazel, nettle and antioxidants to fight free radicals. Avoid products that contain high amounts of alcohol, as this will only dry the skin.

Tip #4 Choose Cosmetics Wisely

If you have acne, make sure to choose cosmetics that are oil free. The last thing you want is to cover your face with oil and make your acne worse.

Tip #5 Leave Your Face Alone

It is best to avoid touching your face as much as possible. Each time you do so, you transfer oil and bacteria to your face, which can lead to acne. Avoid propping the zits as this will only worsen the acne and leave ugly scars on your face.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Acne Eats Self-confidence. Don't Suffer Unnecessarily


If there is one word guaranteed to strike dread into the heart of a teenager, it has to be acne. As children grow closer to puberty, there are anxious glances in the mirror. Has it come? Will it come? Will I be able to bear it when it comes? There are myths and legends, each new generation reinventing the same terrible warnings of doom as the biological clock ticks on. Everyone is at risk. Who will be first? For a condition that is not a disease, it inspires the level of fear associated with an epidemic likely to wipe intelligent life off the face of the planet. It is as if, somehow, a natural part of growing up has been redefined as a major life crisis. Worse, people can only survive this crisis by the application of science and the consumption of some fairly powerful drugs. Money, sometimes in considerable amounts, is required to ride out this health storm. All this is a significant victory for the pharmaceutical industry. If you go back one hundred tears, teenagers were a little spotty but they lived fairly normal lives. It is true that children have always been unkind to each other, but there was nothing life-threatening. Lives were not destroyed. But somehow this innocence has been lost. A natural feature of growing up has been medicalised. It has been converted into a medical emergency requiring urgent and expensive treatment. And all for the profit of the pharmaceutical companies. So what is this thing called acne? It all begins with the humble spot, pimple or zit. You pick the word that best captures the reality. The medical profession prefers to rename these little bumps in the skin as lesions. A wonderful word suggesting that those who have the problem are somehow cut or damaged in a more serious way. Well, no matter what you call them, these pesky things are annoyingly persistent. What should be here today and gone tomorrow, hangs around and is a blemish on otherwise smooth skin. Healing is slow and even when one group of eruptions does start to clear up, another lot bursts through. So it is that self-esteem is damaged as the world looks on in judgement. Frustration that appearance is being damaged can turn into depression. A very small number of teenagers have committed suicide. Are people right to be concerned? It is true that, if those affected do not take some care, there can be permanent scarring. Obviously, this is undesirable. It is also true that the conditions can extend into adulthood or affect adults. Older people deserve some help because their problem is more unusual and so more obvious. Thus, there are some effective drugs on the market, the strongest and most powerful being accutane. So, alongside the usual self-help requirements for keeping the skin clean, the prescription-only accutane waits as a last resort for those who have tried all the other remedies and still have a serious problem. This is the “line in the sand”. Acne does not survive.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Skin Care Tips for Women - How to Care for Women's Skin


Skin is the human body’s first line of defense, it is the largest single organ in the entire human body. It protects all the important organs inside our body from harmful and abrasive stuffs outside. Therefore, the skin deserves to be taken care of.

When it comes to skin care, there are differences among women, men and children. Even among women, skin care differs at various stages of women's lives.

There are many things that contribute to the well-being of a woman's skin. Nutrition and lifestyle can reflect a woman's appearance on the outside. Good nutrition and healthy lifestyle will produce healthy skin. A good and healthy looking skin on the outside is generally an indication of a woman's overall well-being.

On the contrary, poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyle will generally reflect an overall poor health of a woman's skin. Bad habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol drinking, consuming of high-fat diets, etc. will also deprive the skin of important nutrients it needs.

In general, women don't shave their mustache, faces and chins. However, they do shave other parts of their bodies such as legs and armpits, including the sensitive parts. If you have a sensitive skin, extra care should be taken to avoid razor rash, burn or other skin irritation.

For both women and men, healthy lifestyle (good nutrition, regular exercise and rest well) lay the foundation for beautiful and healthy skin. Good nutrition will ensure that your skin receive all the nutrients and vitamins that it needs to maintain and repair itself.

Drinking plenty of water is also important to keep your skin healthy. Water helps to hydrate the skin, transport nutrients through and flush toxins out of your body.

Skin care during pregnancy

Hormonal surge during pregnancy and menopause can cause changes in a woman's skin; pregnancy can also turn normal skin into oily skin. So, you may have to change your skin care products. Use mild cleanser to wash your face daily, also use exfoliator to clean pores deeply and remove dead skin cells (use exfoliator once or twice a week is sufficient). Continue to moisturize skin, especially around your growing tummy, to reduce chances of developing stretch marks.

Check all your existing skin care products to ensure that they are safe to use during pregnancy. Should you have any concerns, seek advice from your physician and only purchase products which are labeled safe to use during pregnancy.

Use foot lotion to massage your feet every night before going to bed (get your loving husband to do this for you). When going outside the house, don't forget to use sunscreen to protect your skin from damaging UV rays.

Many women are plagued by acne during pregnancy, if you do, check out our Acne Skincare Guide to help you get rid of acne without resorting to any expensive product.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Six Easy Steps for Personal Effective Acne Control


New research is being found each day that will help to link the common, everyday actions with acne breakouts. It is now easy to obtain products to treat acne without a prescription from a doctor. You can be in complete control of what you use to fight acne breakouts. To gain the utmost acne control, you only need to follow these steps to healthier skin.

Do Not Rub

Your mother was right when she said to leave it alone. You should leave the acne alone. This means blackheads and whiteheads too. Not only do you run the risk of leaving behind a horrific scar, you can also help to spread the bacterium that causes the breakouts. Acne control means self-control. Do not make it worse for yourself. Leave your face alone. Better still would be to consult a specialist so they can spot the root cause of your acne trouble.

Sulfur Based Soap

A sulfur based soap for washing your face works well in acne control methods. If the skin is especially oily, soap with benzoyl peroxide might work better for you. The main idea is to use the soap at least two times a day but no more. When you wash your face more frequently, the glands that create the sebum, will kick into high gear and more acne will appear.

Eat Well

Fatty foods will show thought to the top layers of the skin. Junk food consumption also needs to be reduced because they contain sugar and saturated fats which will defeat the purpose intended in acne control. Current studies have shown that the link between food and acne is related. A healthy diet is best.

Drink Loads Of Water

Water helps to flush out the systems. The correct amount is size to eight glasses each day. Water removes the toxins in the body and the acne has no chance of thriving in a healthy environment.

Reduce The Cosmetics

If you can go without using cosmetics every day, then, by all means, do so. Your skin will be much better for it. If you must wear cosmetics, they need to be water based and removed at night before bed. Never go to bed with any type of makeup on your face. It will only clog your pores and your skin will not be able to breathe properly. If you want to adopt acne control then be wise in the quality of makeup that you choose.

Keep The Oil Away

Cleaners and moisturizers who do not have oils in them are the best for acne removal. Products with oil only help the pores to become clogged and stay that way. A good oil free moisturizer is the best. Taking control of the condition of the skin is not hard when you know what works for you. With a good diet and the right amount of water, your skin will be as beautiful as ever and thanking you for helping it get that way. So start your regimen today!