Millions of people of all ages, skin types, color and social status suffer or have suffered at one point of their lives with acne. Acne is an annoying ailment that has brought embarrassment to some. Acne is a condition in which the skin’s sebaceous glands become inflamed and/or infected. As a result of the infection red sore bumps appear on the skin’s surface, whiteheads pop up and sometimes deeper cystic acne can grow deep within the skin without coming up to the surface as a whitehead right away (Source: NCBI).
There are many pieces to the puzzle required to maintain awesome, healthy skin. However, In this article I will explain from my first hand experience what my favorite daily regimen is to battle this socially crippling condition known as acne.
Please note that this is not guaranteed to work for everyone. It is recommended you consult with your health care professional before trying any of these.
Firstly, it’s important to find a gentle, non comedogenic, non irritating cleanser that suites your skin type. Here’s list of comedogenic ingredients found at Acne.org. Do some research and find one that’s targeted to treating your skin type (normal, oily, combination, etc…). Once you find a cleanser that works for you work on sorting out a medication and a moisturizing lotion. Yes, it’s a three step process that can take up a half hour twice per day. Have some patience, if done right it will work for you.
Step 1:
Cleanser – Look for a gentle cleanser that foams/lathers up nicely. Something that will not over dry your skin but still leave you feeling clean without burning your face off.
How to use it:
Use lukewarm water and gently wet your face. Dispense your cleanser into the palm of your hand and gently rub together to generate a rich foamy lather. Gently apply the lather to your face. Using your finger tips massage into your face and neck. Do this for no more that ten seconds and remember to be a gentle giant. You do not want to irritate your skin/acne any more. Once your ten seconds are up rinse away the cleanser with the same gentleness you applied it with. Using a clean, absorb-able towel pat your face and neck dry using as little pressure as you could. DO NOT wipe your face as if you’re waxing your car as this will further irritate your skin and make it more red (Source: WISC).
Allow 5 minutes for your skin to air dry. Turn on the TV and watch the news for a few or brew yourself a cup of delicious green tea while waiting.
Step 2:
Treatment – Use a light water based lotion containing 2.5% benzyl peroxide. It’s enough of a percentage to kill away acne bacteria but gentle enough not to strip layers of your skin away like the 10% formulas can (Source: NCBI).
After allowing your skin to air dry after washing it make sure your hands are clean and dispense the medicated lotion onto your finger tips. Gently glide your fingers and the medication across your entire face. Do this for about a minute and a half. Even if it’s not fully absorbed at this point go and chill out. The lotion will absorb naturally.
Notice a trend here? We’re being as gentle as possible and minimizing the amount of contact.
Step 3:
Moisturizing – Find a light weight lotion with more natural occurring ingredients. Such as aloe, oats and the like.
Once you allow your medicated lotion to fully absorb it’s time to apply your moisturizer. Yes, it’s a necessary step as you do not want your skin to over dry. Over drying can cause your skin to naturally produce more oil (Source: WSJ). Consider the lotion as a ‘balancer’. Dispense your lotion onto your finger tips and gently apply it to the skin. The same way you do with your treatment lotion.
There’s never a guaranteed way to reduce the occurrence of acne however, if you follow this routine every day to the nose you will find great success. Remember to keep a positive attitude. Change is just around the corner.
