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Skincare can be just as important as your acne treatment. The right skincare can make your acne treatment more effective and reduce possible side effects from prescription acne medication. With the right care, you can prevent new breakouts once your skin clears. The American Academy of Dermatology gives us tips on how to properly wash acne-prone skin and learn about the seven acne skincare taboos that we should all be aware of. Read on to found out how to clear up your skin!
Limit washing to twice a day — and after perspiring
Once in the morning and once at night as well as after perspiring heavily should be the limit. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so the skin should be gently cleansed as possible before perspiring.
Use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser
Wash the face and other acne-prone areas with a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser that does not contain alcohol.
Use your fingertips
Apply the cleanser and wash with your fingertips. This reduces skin irritation. Using a washcloth, mesh sponge, or anything else can irritate the skin and lead to breakouts.
Never scrub your skin
Scrubbing the skin does not clear acne. In fact, scrubbing irritates the skin and can make acne worse.
Rinse with lukewarm water
Be sure to thoroughly rinse away the cleanser with lukewarm, not hot, water.
Shampoo regularly
If you have oily hair, shampoo daily.
7 Acne Taboos
Astringents, masks, toners, and exfoliators that contain scrubbing particles
Unless one of these products contains an ingredient used to treat acne, such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, these products do not help clear acne. In fact, these products tend to iritate the skin and make acne worse. These products also may make difficult to tolerate acne medications.
Greasy hair care products
These hair care products, such as pomades and oil-containing gels, can drip onto the skin and clog pores. This can cause acne.
Picking, popping, and squeezing acne
People pick and pop pimples to get rid of them quickly. The truth is doing any of these can irritate the skin and make acne worse. These also prolong healing time and increase the risk of scarring.
Skincare products that contain oil
Many skincare products from makeup to sunscreen contain oil. Oil can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Look for products that say “oil-free,” “will not clog pores” or “noncomedogenic.”
Rubbing alcohol
Some people apply rubbing alcohol in order to dry out the oily skin. This will not help clear acne nor prevent breakouts. In fact, it can irritate the skin and cause breakouts.
Tanning
Some people claim that their acne clears with sun exposure. The truth is tanning can be very damaging to the skin. If you are using a retinoid that you apply to your skin (adapalene, tretinoin, or tazarotene) to treat acne, you must:
Not use a tanning bed or sun lamp
These acne medications cause the top layer of your skin to thin, which makes the skin very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun and indoor tanning devices. Not using a retinoid for a few days will not reduce this sensitivity. Stopping for a few days can, however, reduce the effectiveness of your acne treatment.
Tanning also increases one’s risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers. Using tanning beds before the age of 35 increases one’s risk of melanoma by 75%. Melanoma is now the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old, and is the second most common form for adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old.
Touching the skin throughout the day
Dermatologists advise their patients with acne and acne-prone skin not to touch their skin frequently. This can cause flare-ups.
How do you deal with your acne-prone skin? What cleansers do you use for treating your acne? Let us know by commenting below, which will automatically be posted to our Community Forum (click here to check it out!) where you can find other beauty related discussions! Don’t forget to also submit a photo to our Photo Of The Day (click here!) feature, where a new photo will be picked daily. Your photo just might be selected, so get going!
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