Acne Tips Discipline

Basic Acne Washing Routine
Before you attempt the other acne treatment techniques you must be sure that you are currently using the proper washing routine. Keeping your face clean requires that you wash it two times per day, three times at the most. You must be very careful to avoid overdoing it. Skin must maintain the proper pH levels to remain healthy. Over washing will make your face dry and irritated causing more breakouts. Many times individuals will vigorously scrub their skin when they wash it. I do not recommend this because such treatment will only serve to irritate the skin causing more breakouts.

Note, acne is not caused by "dirty" skin it is the result of clogged pores infected with bacteria. Therefore, washing alone does not prevent acne. Washing is no mystery treatment, in fact washing alone will not prevent acne. It simply serves to remove dirt and oil at the surface level. Although washing alone may not prevent acne, the wrong type of washing can aggravate acne making it worse.

Follow these recommendations: wash your face by gently rotating your soap lathered hands on your face. I do not recommend face cloths as they may irritate the skin. Use a mild nonabrasive soap. Rinse well with warm water. Using a clean soft towel, gently pat dry your face.

Touching
Perhaps one of the most often overlooked remedies. Stop putting your hands by your face! I am often guilty of this resting my hand on the side of my head while reading. Also rubbing or bracing your chin is another common problem when thinking. Avoid rubbing, touching, or itching your skin with your hands. Your hands contain a lot of bacteria that can cause acne flare-ups. Also be careful of the telephone. Clean them often with rubbing alcohol because they sometimes come in contact with the face causing more acne.

It is probably one of the most difficult things to avoid since much of the hand to face contact throughout the day we are unconscious of. Make it a habit to avoid hand contact and be conscious of it during the day to avoid bacteria.

Water
Water helps the body flush out toxins and transport nutrients to the body. Drinking water puts less strain on the skin organ to flush out toxins. The recommended amount of water you should drink is at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water( a 140lb. individual should drink 70 ounces/day ). While water alone will not eliminate your acne it will greatly assist your skin in remaining healthy and that will be one portion of the pie in fighting acne.

Caloric Intake
We are also pleased to announce some ground breaking scientific research that we uncovered while researching the role of diet and acne. We have discovered several scientific studies that illustrate what many individuals have probably overlooked or are unaware of in their diets today. Specifically it is excess caloric intake (the amount of daily calories consumed beyond those required to sustain your current body weight). You can adversely affect your acne levels through altering your diet, simply by consuming excess calories. Several scientific studies have proven this.

The scenario goes basically like this: the process of increasing your caloric intake is by nature an anabolic process for your body. When this anabolic process is put in motion your natural hormonal levels increase. Yes, that's right your testosterone(responsible for acne) will increase beyond their normal levels within your body. So, you should not be consuming excessive calories in your diet beyond those needed to maintain your current body weight. Recall that increased levels of testosterone will increase sebum production levels that result in more pimples.

And for those individuals requiring scientific proof or others that wish to examine this very important issue further, we direct your attentions to the following scientific study references:

A.N. Chiang, et al., "Excess Energy and Nitrogen Balance at Protein Intakes Above the Requirement Level in Young Men," Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 48 (1988) : 1015-1022.

G.B. Forbes, et al., "Hormonal Response to Overfeeding," Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 49.4 (1989) : 608-611.

G.B. Forbes, et al., "Lean Body Mass in Obesity," Int. J. Obes. 7.2 (1983) : 99-107.

Jebb, et al., "Changes in Macronutrient Balance During Over- and Underfeeding Assessed by 12-Day Continuous Whole-Body Calorimetry," Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 64 (1996) : 259-266.

Diet
Specific foods have not been proven to affect acne. However it is important to note that good nutrition helps the body maintain healthy skin. There have been some scientists suggesting that caffeine products and excessively salty foods aggravate acne in certain individuals. If you notice that certain foods aggravate your acne then the best advice is to limit or avoid them in your diet.

So what foods should you look into? Well, examine foods high in iodine. Watch out for multi-vitamins (some contain iodine). Be aware of some junk foods such as potato chips, corn chips, etc. Keep your diet low in fat and sugar. Eating a properly balanced diet ensures that your body gets the proper nutrients and therefore promotes healthy skin.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. A high fiber, low-fat diet is excellent in promoting overall general health.

Ice Cubes
Ice cubes to the rescue! Aestheticians as well as some other individuals have reported success from this technique. The trick is to try and catch the pimple before it fully arrives on the surface of the skin. As soon as you feel a pimple forming, ice it! Take an ice cube wrapped in saran wrap and place on the skin portion where you feel a pimple about to form. Hold it there for a few minutes. Avoid prolonged holding as you can get frostbite skin. Perform the above steps three times daily. This technique is effective only on newly forming pimples and rarely useful for existing pimples.

Exercise
Exercise is good for your overall health. It will increase your blood circulation and bring more oxygen to your major organs including the skin. The benefits you get from exercise are not only physical but to a large extent mental benefits.

Just make sure that you wash your face after an intense exercise session to remove any oil or sweat on your skin that may harbor bacteria, resulting in more acne.

Sleep
Research has indicated that our hormone levels increase when our sleep patterns are disturbed. Increased hormone levels results in increased sebum production which leads to... yep you guessed it--more acne. It is during our time of sleep that our skin cells begin to be nourished and regenerating takes place the most as the body repairs itself from a long day. Get to bed earlier! Go to bed at least 1 or 2 hours early than you usually do and in a couple of days you will notice your face getting clearer and more healthy.

Individuals have also reported severe acne outbreaks due to prolonged sleep deprivation.

Stress
Stress is something that needs to be reduced in your life since it tends to aggravate acne in many people. I have experienced high levels of stress during finals weeks at school resulting in increased levels of acne.

So, how do you lower your stress levels. Aside from eliminating things that cause you stress in your life, look into relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are great for stressful situations. You may even look into practicing meditation or yoga to further reduce your stress levels.