Acne is basically an internal condition triggered by several underlying factors. However, there are additional external acne symptoms that may enhance the formation of acne or interfere with the healing process of your existing acne on the external level (e.g. the external acne environment). Without handling these external triggers, it will be very difficult for anyone to overcome their acne challenge, especially when the holistic treatment is performed while the individual still suffers from “live” and “evolving” acne.

Clogged or very large pores, oily or very dry complexion and bad skin hygiene do not cause acne but they interfere with the healing process of the skin and make your external acne environment more prone or “susceptible” to acne.

Taking care of your skin on a daily basis by incorporating simple and easy to follow protocols may not only enhance the healing process of your existing acne it will also balance your skin ph levels, making it smooth, even toned, radiant and healthy looking.

Although there are many types of cleansers available for different purposes (exfoliation, clean, medicate), washing your face twice a day using a gentle antiseptic and anti-bacterial 100% natural soap like tea tree oil soap, or Cetaphil soap can help reduce inflammation, swelling and redness and significantly improve the overall appearance of your skin without the irritation, allergy reactions and over-dryness that over the counters like Benzoyl Peroxide can cause.

Washing your face should always come after a good 5 minutes steaming routine. After the steaming, follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Use lukewarm water to get the soap wet.

2. Apply the soap to your face using your fingertips in a circular motion.

3. Wash your face gently and pat your skin dry using a cotton towel.

If your sebaceous glands are producing too much oil (due to hormonal imbalance that should be fixed internally), then you probable have excessively oily skin and large pores. To tackle that problem externally, do not use alcohol and water astrigent, instead use soap like Neutrogena clear pore oil Controlling astrigent or even better apply an all natural mask made of bentonitre or egg whites.

An extremely dry skin can also be treated internally through balancing oil secretion protocols and dietary changes and supplementation, including the regular intake of 10 glasses of pure water on a daily basis. As for the external care, applying lots of good quality moisturizer such as 99% Aloe Vera gel while avoiding harsh and un-natural external care products; can significantly reduce your dryness.

Warning: Excessive washing of the face can cause mild to moderate irritations and increase redness and inflammation, defeating its own purpose.

If you have sensitive skin, the best practice is to test each product prior to using it, using dollar size amount on your chin, regardless of its quality or the nature of its ingredients.

Mike Walden is a certified nutritionist, independent medical researcher, natural health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Acne No More- Open The Door To An Acne Free Life.” Mike has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Mike’s Holistic Clear Skin program, Download: Acne No More ….

You skin is the largest organ in your body. Besides helping the body in the process of toxic elimination (One of the main acne contributing factors), it also protects your body against temperature changes, and from harmful invaders.

By working with your skin and not against it you pave the way to an enhanced healing of the skin. Your skin will look and feel better; it will become more even toned and vibrant.

On the other hand, by constantly doing the following, you are weakening the natural protecting capabilities of your skin, you are slowing the healing process of your skin, and are making your skin look bad and making your acne worse:

1.Smoking

Besides lung cancer, heart disease and early aging of your skin (e.g. wrinkles), smoking causes the contraction of the small capillaries and blood vessels of the skin, thus depriving your skin from the essential oxygen I needs for the creation and maintenance of healthy cells.

2. Using Topical Steroids

Over the counter or prescription cortisone based creams, especially the potent types, can eventually thin your skin and worsen your acne condition in the long run in addition to the irritation, redness and other side effects steroid creams can cause. Moreover, topicals by definition address the symptoms of acne (inflammation, itching, puss), they do not treat the root cause of the disease. Nevertheless, taking care of your skin externally is highly recommended but should be performed gently using pure natural ingredients such as diluted tea tree oil.

3. Taking Antibiotics

Antibiotic treatments like tetracycline aggravate your acne in the long run and also severely damage your internal system in the process. Antibiotics destroy all the bacteria in your system including the good, probiotic bacteria like acidophilus that have many essential qualities that promote clear skin. One of these qualities is the ability to protect your digestive tract from parasites and fungus (that constantly stress and damage your liver, one of the most important organs responsible for the healing process of your skin).

4. Shaving with Four-In-One Razor blades

Never use these four-in-one razor blades when shaving especially if you have large bumps and painful cysts. The reason is that blades that guarantee the “closest shave” will cause severe irritation and will damage your skin. Always use a single blade when having “live” acne.

5. Picking Your Skin (popping and squeezing included)

Never, never and ever touch, pick or squeeze your blemishes, regardless of how temping and “safe” it may seem. By doing this unprofessionally, you make your acne worse by aggravating your existing inflammation and pushing the puss deeper and wider into the skin. There are in fact very effective and safe ways of dealing with small whiteheads or blackheads but I would strongly recommend leaving that to the professionals if you care for your skin and wish to prevent further scarring.

6. Taking excessive amounts of Vitamin A

Vitamin A from natural sources (green leafy vegetables and beta carotene fruit and veggies) and in small quantities can significantly enhance the healing process of your skin but when taken excessively it can seriously damage your liver and cause severe health problems and side effects.

7.Use over the counters for your Rosacea

That one is a no-brainer. Taking over the counters that by definition make your skin red and irritating is definitely not something you want to do when surfeiting from rosacea. If you suffer from rosacea, always consult your dermatologist prior to applying over the counters on your already inflamed and highly sensitive skin.

Mike Walden is a certified nutritionist, independent medical researcher, natural health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Acne No More- Open The Door To An Acne Free Life.” Mike has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Mike’s Holistic Clear Skin program, visit: #1 Best Selling Acne Guide …

Contrary to popular belief, acne bacteria do not cause acne. Life long acne researcher exposes the true connection between acne bacteria and acne formation. Discover why acne is not a problem with your skin.

Propionibacterium acnes, or p acne bacteria, the bacteria we all have on our skin is an essential life form. Like all life forms it fights to survive and sustain their lives. Surprisingly, these microscopic creatures that conventional medicine taught us to believe are the cause of acne, are actually a small part of the acne puzzle and a vital player in sustaining our inner balance and the health of our skin.

Acne bacteria are not contagious and everyone has acne bacteria on their skin, regardless if the individual suffers from acne or not. Streptococcus bacteria, for example, exist in everyone’s throat, but it doesn’t always cause a strep throat or tonsillitis. The reason is that similar to the acne bacteria these bacteria will not trigger the formation of a strep throat (or acne in the case of the acne bacteria) unless the specific condition or the right “environment” is created.

It is important to know that as long as the acne bacteria stays in balance with your internal system, acne bacteria will “mind their own business” and will defend the body from colonization of harmful bacteria. Acne bacteria feed themselves from the secretions of our sweat and sebaceous glands, and in a balanced biological state, sustains the flexibility of our skin.

Acne is an environment that forms only when the production of sebum on the skin is excessive. This excessive production of oil is triggered mainly by hormonal imbalance.

When blood toxins (usually blood toxins that are expelled through your skin) are mixed with this over production of oil, the p.acne invades the hair follicles and starts to multiply. The P. acne multiplies by feeding themselves of the oil using enzymes. As part of this feeding process, acne bacteria produces free fatty acids that irritate the skin. The body calls the white and red blood cells to defend itself. The red and white blood cells often cause an inflammatory response, that results in the familiar symptoms of acne: swelling, pus, whiteheads, nodules and pustules.

Killing the acne bacteria using antibiotics is a fruitless and destructive approach. Taking antibiotic is destructive because it upsets the natural balance of the P.acne in our body, eradicates the good probiotic bacteria and enables the intrusion of harmful bacteria to skin. Taking antibiotics is fruitless because constant intake of antibiotics will eventually cause the p.acne to become resistant to antibiotics. It is a fruitless approach also because it doesn’t stop the environment that caused the P.acne to multiply.

The only way to stop acne permanently is to neutralize the acne environment (when the bacteria multiplies and feeds on blood toxins and excessive production of oil). To stop acne, you must balance oil secretion and discharge your body from accumulated toxins and control the nutritional, hormonal, psychological and environmental triggers.

The secret for permanent clear skin is therefore, neutralizing all the factors that form the acne environment while keeping the p. acne bacteria at an optimal balance.

Mike Walden is a certified nutritionist, independent medical researcher, natural health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Acne No More- Open The Door To An Acne Free Life.” Mike has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Mike’s Holistic Clear Skin program, Download: #1 Acne Treatment Guide …

If you suffer from severe case of acne that has failed to respond to conventional treatments such as antibiotics, then your dermatologist may recommend the use of the popular Accutane or Isotretinoin. Accutane is a potent oral drug from Hoffman-LaRoche that has been proven highly effective for reducing acne symptoms dramatically after only one course of 15-20 weeks.

With its undoubting success at battling even the toughest cases of acne and ever-growing popularity among teens as a miracle drug, why is Accutane still considered the most controversial pharmaceutical on the market? The answer: a documented list of severe and sometimes permanent side effects.

Although some of the side effects associated with the use of Isotretinoin are mild and tolerable (dry lips, dry eyes, nosebleeds, extremely dry skin, increased sensitivity to the sun and thinning hair) there is in fact a long list of serious side effects that have been reported due to the use of Accuttane which persisted even after the drug therapy was stopped. Among those are: Severe aches and pains in the lower back and large joints, severe allergy reactions that include moderate rashes and difficulty to breath, vision problems, hearing loss, permanent liver damage, persistent migraines and headaches and skeletal hyperostosis which is an excessive bone growth that occurs along the sides of the spine.

But perhaps, the two most bothersome of all Accutane side effects are its potential to cause severe birth defects if taken by pregnant women or women that became pregnant while taking the drug and the suggested link between the intake of Accutane and the changes in mood, severe depression and suicidal thoughts.

Since, Isotretinoin can be harmful to the fetus, it should not be used during pregnancy and women should avoid pregnancy for at least a month after the use of Accutane. Additionally, because of its severe side effects, nursing mothers must avoid the drug completely.

Although researchers still argue whether Isotretinoin causes depression or not, Roche the manufacturer of Accutane, openly shares information claiming that Accutane and its generic, isotretinoin, can alter mood: “Synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, can negatively impact brain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin.”

The FDA website warns: “All patients treated with isotretinoin should be observed closely for symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts, such as sad mood, irritability, acting on dangerous impulses, anger, loss of pleasure … mood disturbance, psychosis, or aggression.”

Moreover, statistics show that between 1989 and 2003, there were 216 reported drug-linked suicides among U.S. teens younger than 18. Of these, 72 suicides were linked to Accutane (isotretinoin). The next highest number of suicides in that time period — 55 — involved Prozac (fluoxetine).

Accutane works by reducing the size and output of the sebaceous glands and thus stops excess oil production. The problem is that Accutane damages your skins sebum glands and liver function in the process. By the time you stop taking the drug, your skin oil glands will return to function but your liver will not be able to properly balance your hormones and prevent the over production of sebum.

Isotrteinoin also normalizes your keratinization (the shedding of dead skin cells), improves fat metabolism and reduces inflammation. But all of these benefits can be easily achieved using all natural dietary, supplementation and skin care alternatives and without the side effects. For example: Foods that are rich in Vitamin A and Beta Carotene can help reduce the secretion of oil by the sebaceous glands. Simple home made peels made of Papaya can easily replace the peeling action of Isotrerinoin and sleep optimization, and regular exercising including vitamin, C, E, Zinc and Colostrum can boost the immune abilities of the body and thus reduce inflammation.

Accutane is not the solution to acne. Not only does it treat the symptoms of the disease and not the internal cause, stopping your skin’s natural oil production, can in most cases, result in extra dryness combined with the acceleration of the skin’s aging process (yes! your skin will look older). Moreover, Accutane severely damages your liver function among other side effects, which in turn destroys your delicate inner balance and your natural healing abilities. Hence, it is doing the opposite of curing.

A long-term acne solution should address the internal cause of acne by tackling all acne contributing factors and neutralizing the acne environment – the only, safe, natural and effective way you could ever achieve lasting acne freedom.

Mike Walden is a certified nutritionist, independent medical researcher, natural health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Acne No More- Open The Door To An Acne Free Life.” Mike has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Mike’s Holistic Clear Skin program, Download: Acne No More…

Acne Diet and The Money Factor: You Can’t Sell a Healthy Diet

Ask any medical doctor if there is a connection between diet and acne and almost all of them will claim there is none. Quoting from the Journal of the American Medical Association: “Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients…even large amounts of certain foods have not clinically exacerbated acne”.

With years of medical education and clinical experience behind these claims, how can we the simple folks who suffer from acne challenge these statements and think otherwise? The answer is: doubt. Doubt, if its stays in the borders of reason, can open many doors otherwise will stay forever shut. Believe it or not, doubt can change reality. Doubt can cure your acne and doubt can even save your life.

Fact is, countless of acne sufferers have reported that their acne seemed to get worse when they consumed certain foods and saw dramatic positive change over their acne condition when they eliminated the same foods from their diet and when certain foods with specific nutritional value were incorporated into their diet.

So why do dermatologists so stubbornly insist that diet does not cause acne? The answer: you can’t make a profit promoting a healthy diet. At least not as much money as you could make by selling drugs and over the counters. There is a huge pressure upon doctors coming from the drug and pharmaceutical companies to prescribe expensive medications and lotions that create dependency. The truth is, that your doctor is in a way, a hostage by the trillion dollar drug companies. Did you know that the drug companies, who have no interest in producing something that they cannot control financially, sponsor most medical schools?

The right diet, although not a solution by itself, can, in many cases, dramatically reduce inflammation and even completely clear one’s acne (if you’re one of the lucky ones who’s acne is triggered by allergic response to food). Promoting a clear skin diet simply means less profits for the drug and pharmaceutical companies.

The truth is that conventional medications will never cure your acne, simply because they are pre-designed NOT to fix the internal cause of acne. They are pre-designed to deal with the external symptoms of a disease as they create more and more dependency and more dependency means making more money all at our expense and ignorance.

The Theory That Diet Doesn’t Cause Acne Is A Myth

The dogmatic theory that diet does not cause acne and that acne is merely an incurable genetic disorder was based upon two dated researches published in 1969 and 1971 that were aimed at studying the connection between diet and acne.

These studies were the foundation of the ‘acne symptoms treatment strategy’, meaning, because acne is a genetic disease that cannot be prevented, the only way to deal with acne would be to tackle its symptoms (bacteria, inflammation, puss, redness, greasiness), by applying creams, antibiotics, taking prescription drugs and over the counters.

Surprisingly enough, years after the above studies were published, clinical trials and in depth researches experimenting the acne diet link have found that the studies from 1969 and 1971 had came to the wrong conclusions and were in fact seriously flawed.

Recent studies have clearly found a significant connection between diet and acne. It appears that the wrong diet is now thought to be one of the leading acne contributing factors that can negatively affect hormonal regulation and the natural process of toxic elimination, which can seriously aggravate one’s existing acne.

Diet Shapes Who You Are (Including Your Acne)

In the same way that crashing waves shape beach cliffs and just like the wind shapes the canyon walls, slowly and methodically over time, so does eating shapes and effects our physic, our internal system, our physical and mental being, from the organ down to the cellular level.

The idea that an object foreign to our body that is inserted by the food that we eat, has no effect on us, or has no impact on chronic conditions such as acne is absurd. Diet is the primary thing that affects and shapes who we are.

Diet has cumulative effect on our bodies, and that includes our skin condition and acne, which is a manifestation of a chronic internal problem slowly shaped and built by the wrong daily dietary choices over the years.

Acne Diet and The Kitavan Islanders

While in the U.S, more than 80% of teenagers between 16 and 18 have acne and more than 17 million Americans suffer from some form of acne, there is an interesting evidence that native people that live and eat in traditional ways, have significantly lower to no occurrences of acne.

In 2002, Dr. Cordain and his colleagues published a landmark study that examined 300 people living in the Kitavan Islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea that showed that none of the islanders had even one blemish on his or her face. Similar to the Kitavans, no case of acne had been observed when the same experiment had been conducted upon the South American Indians called the Ache, living in a remote jungle in eastern Paraguay.

The natives of Kitavan and the South American Indians had no access to the latest over the counters, topical creams or conventional acne medications and they had no dermatologist to consult with. The only vast difference between them and American or European citizens is their diet.

Acne Diet and Sugar: The Sweet Poison

Aside from the fact that sugar is a 100% pure chemical with zero nutritional value, recent studies have clearly shown a connection between the consumption of sugar and the aggravation of acne.

When you consume any form of refined carbohydrates (white sugar, white flour, white rice) here’s what happens: right after you insert that ’sweet poison’ into your body, it rapidly spikes up your blood sugar levels. Your body needs to bring those levels down so it secrets a surge of insulin, other male hormones and an insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1. The excretion of these hormones overwhelms your liver and your internal system in general. The excess of male hormones encourages the skin to excrete large amounts of sebum oil: The greasy substance that encourages the p.acne bacteria to grow, resulting in the aggravation of your acne.

Acne Diet and Dairy Products: Got Milk? Got Acne

If you thought sugar can aggravate your acne, here’s another major nutritional player in the formation of acne: behold the miracles of milk. Milk (all dairy products included) is the most harmful, mucus forming, allergenic and acne aggravating food you can find. Surprised? I thought so. After years of constant brainwashing by the media, who can blame us for thinking milk is good for strong bones and healthy teeth? The truth is: every sip of milk contains 59 different raging hormones, (which trigger the hyper-production of sebum oil resulting in more acne), saturated animal fat, steroid hormones, dead white blood cells, and cow pus in abundance!

Did you know that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows 750 million pus cells in every liter of milk (about two pounds) produced in America? Think about it, the next time you pop a pimple.

Scientific studies already point the finger at milk as one of the worst acne aggravating foods: “As pointed out by Dr. Jerome Fisher, ‘About 80 percent of cows that are giving milk are pregnant and are throwing off hormones continuously.’ Progesterone breaks down into androgens, which have been implicated as a factor in the development of acne…Dr. Fisher observed that his teenage acne patients improved as soon as the milk drinking stopped.”

If there’s one element you should remove from your diet in the quest for clear skin make it this one. Not only will you see an immediate improvement over your acne, you’ll feel a huge weight has been lifted from your body. If you worry about calcium intake, don’t! Milk being acidic forming food creates a leeching effect where calcium is taken from your bones to balance the acidity. Milk actually deprives your body from its calcium resources. Green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds are not only excellent sources of calcium they also have the powers to help you fight your acne symptoms.

Diet Is Only One of The Factors That Cause Acne

Dairy products and sugar are not the only acne aggravating foods. The two above cannot sum up the list of western made acne triggering foods. There are several other foods you should clearly stay away from if you ever wish to clear your acne. The good new is that there are tons of other foods such as essential fatty acids that are not only excellent for your skin, they can actually help you clear your acne, by re-balancing your body and promoting to an acne-free environment.

The right nutrition plays an important part in the complex process of acne formation. When doctors claim there is no link between diet and acne because certain individuals can eat specific foods and get acne while others eat the same foods and don’t, these doctors have failed to realize that there are several factors involved in the formation and aggravation of acne and diet is only ONE of them.

The Final Verdict On The Acne Diet Connection: How To Finally Overcome Your Acne Challenge

Acne is a complex condition that is triggered by several underlying factors. The only way to neutralize your acne condition is to tackle all these acne-contributing factors-holistically. Since the wrong diet is only one of these acne-triggering factors, in most cases no special diet can cure acne.

There is a however, a tight connection between diet and acne formation. Dietary factors can trigger and aggravate your existing acne. Avoiding the wrong foods such as milk, sugar and hydrogenated oils, and eating cleansing and hormonal balancing foods such as green leafy vegetables and essential fatty acids, can help your skin heal itself from the inside out and dramatically reduce your acne symptoms.

There are also several important dietary principals that you must understand and follow if you ever want to cure your acne for good.

Taking responsibility over your body and adhering to these dietary principals along with taking the necessary steps to tackle all acne contributing factors, holistically, will not only cure your acne permanently and give you the flawless acne free skin you deserve, following these principals will also significantly improve your overall health, mental well-being, look and feel.

Mike Walden is a certified nutritionist, independent medical researcher, natural health consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Acne No More- Open The Door To An Acne Free Life.” Mike has written dozens of holistic health articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide. For information on Mike’s Holistic Clear Skin program, visit: #1 Acne Treatment Website

The high percentage of people suffering from acne all over the world has led in recent times to an increase in the number of treatment alternatives available to people suffering from this condition. The classic antibiotics and creams have been supplemented by hormonal treatments, phototherapy and laser surgery. Others are trying to develop still more types of cures, such as diets built to avoid the consumption of dairy products, the use of chromium and zinc supplements and home made cures from various sorts of spices. Many of them haven’t been scientifically proven yet.

Laser surgery is the latest technique developed by doctors to reduce the scars left behind by acne. Doctors use laser beams to burn out scar tissue, which allows the skin to generate new, healthy tissue instead. This technique is still in the early, primitive stages since it is used after follicles had turned to pimples and pimples were reduced to scars.

Still, new research shows that laser surgery could be used in the future to prevent acne from even happening, instead of just dealing with the consequences. Medical grade laser may soon be used to burn away the follicle sac where the hair grows or to burn the sebaceous gland in those parts of the skin that were subject to acne outbreaks again and again. Another approach currently being studied is the use of laser to induce the formation of oxygen in the bacteria in order to kill them. However, at this time, laser is still too dangerous for acne prevention since the extreme heat is known to cause long-term dryness of the skin and even spots.

Other research efforts focus on whole-genome DNA sequencing as a tool for identifying the genetic reasons why some people do not suffer from acne or develop only light forms of this condition. However, gene sequencing is still one of those techniques that belong to the future and are unlikely to become available soon.

One of the easiest ways to prevent, to a certain extent, the emergence of pimples and the spread of acne is to keep your skin clean. While the hormonal causes of this condition cannot be addressed by simple washing, you can still prevent excess sebum from clogging pores and grime and bacteria from accumulating into them. Thus, at the cost of a couple of minutes every day, you can actually stop acne from running wild and popping up everywhere it feels like. However, there are certain simple rules one must follow in order to make washing an effective tool against acne.

The first rule is to avoid using hot or cold water on your face. Facial skin is one of the most sensitive parts of your skin and should never be washed with anything else than lukewarm water. Hot water will burn the outer layers and cause the pores to open up too much, thereby exposing yourself to even more danger. Cold water, on the other hand will force the pores to contract and you will no longer be able to clean them, thus defeating the purpose of washing. Neither scalding your face nor freezing it is recommended. Lukewarm water is gentle on your skin and more effective at removing sebum and grime than hot or cold water.

The second rule is to avoid the use of soap or other cleansing chemicals. Soap will disrupt the natural balance of facial skin by removing too much sebum and leaving the skin dry and unprotected. It will also leave behind a film of substance that can easily clog the pores and cause the acne you are trying to avoid. Other chemicals, such as creams and ointments, will usually dry out your skin and cause redness and swelling in time. Avoid them like plague. Plain water is enough for keeping your facial skin clean.

After washing, you should pad your face with a soft towel. As you may have noticed, the basic idea is to be gentle to your face skin at all times. A harsh toweling would only serve to open a thousand tiny lesions in your facial skin, all of which can turn into entry points for bacteria and germs. Needless to say that you don’t want this to happen. Be gentle with your skin and you’ll enjoy beautiful and wrinkle-free skin even in your old age.

Many people suffering from acne are familiar with the problem of acne scars. While acne is enough of a problem on its own, the issue of more or less permanent scars makes everything even more complicated. Pimples are a tempting target for squeezing or picking open in what may be seen as a futile attempt to get rid of them. However, squeezing and picking is exactly what you should refrain from doing because it will only make everything worse.

I know that you heard this advice a million times, but do try to keep your hands away fro your face. For one thing, your hands have a lot of germs and bacteria, mainly because the hands are the most exposed part of the body, the limbs with which you grab and use all manner of not very clean objects. This means that bringing your hands in contact with your face skin is guaranteed to transfer a load of germs and bacteria from the hand to the face. Worse, all these germs and bacteria are transferred exactly in the area where your squeezing is opening a breach in the skin. In other words, you are bringing the enemy right to the gate.

Depending on the type of acne you are suffering from and on your face skin type, pimples that have been picked or squeezed open can turn to scars, leaving an unpleasantly looking skin behind. While squeezing pimples is not a good idea, but tolerable within certain bounds, you should absolutely refrain from trying to remove scars yourself. This is definitely a job for a trained physician who uses the right tools for the job. Tampering with scars will make matters worse. If you feel you cannot live with them, then make an appointment with a dermatologist and have them removed.

Alternatively, you could try to buy an acne treatment in order to keep your skin clear and prevent pimples from even forming. The best anti-acne system around is the ClearPores system. Featuring deep facial and body washes, herbal pills and a protection cream, ClearPores makes sure your pores are clean of grime and sebum and that bacteria don’t get the chance to start multiplying in a clogged sebaceous follicle. This system is the absolute best at stopping acne from being a problem.

Implicated in a wide range of conditions and illnesses, hormones also play a role in the development of acne – inflammation of the skin that causes blackheads, whiteheads, and red spots usually called “pimples” or “zits.” Androgens, hormones that are secreted in different amounts by both men and women, play a huge role in most cases of acne. Androgens stimulate the hormone-sensitive sebaceous glands, which produce oil known as sebum. Sebum, in turn, has been labeled as “the fuel that feeds the flame of acne.”

Teens are more likely to suffer from breakouts because at the onset of puberty, their bodies begin to produce androgens. These “male” hormones are a natural part of development for both boys and girls, but boys tend to produce more of them, resulting in more severe breakouts. After about age 20, sebum production begins to decrease but it can flare up again at any age.

Due to the presence of androgens, your oil glands go into overdrive. They produce extra oil, which block your follicles and clump together with the dead skin cells on the top layer of your skin. When this sticky mixture works its way into your pores, it acts just like a cork in a bottle — trapping oil and bacteria inside. Unfortunately, your oil glands cannot determine when to stop so they keep producing oil thus making the follicle swollen. Your body’s natural defense system — white blood cells — rush to the area to produce an enzyme that damages the wall of the follicle, allowing the contents of the follicle to enter the dermis. This process causes an inflammatory response that results in either red, painful bumps (papules); blackheads and whiteheads (comedones); pimples or acne. Contrary to common belief, this condition has nothing to do with what you eat, or how often you wash your face.

Dermatologists point out that dietary factors neither cause nor cure acne. In almost all cases, the food you eat has almost nothing to do with your acne, except for those containing iodine and muscle-enhancing steroids. If you ingest a large amount of iodine like mineral pills, your acne will likely flare up. Steroids have also been known to cause a type of acne referred to as steroid acne.

Hormones affect acne but having acne is not a sign of a hormonal imbalance. Changes in hormones, such as the specific point in your menstrual cycle (ovulation vs. having your period), pregnancy, or menopause all are normal, yet all can cause dramatic changes in your skin condition.

Female hormone levels change and vary throughout the monthly cycle. These fluctuations do cause acne to flare and diminish depending on the time of the month. The most effective way to treat menstrual cycle acne is to treat the acne itself by applying topical medications, oral antibiotics, or even changing or adjusting a birth control pill since the hormones found in these contraceptives are also related to flare-ups of acne.

Several symptoms can help your dermatologist identify hormonally-influenced acne: adult-onset acne, or breakouts that appear for the first time in adults; acne flare-ups preceding the menstrual cycle; a history of irregular menstrual cycles, increased facial oiliness; Hirsutism (excessive growth of hair, or hair in unusual places); and elevated levels of certain androgens in the blood stream.

Dermatologists recommend washing the face with soap twice daily, the body once daily – and the hands as often as necessary to keep them sanitary. How do you know which soap is right for you? Soap used to have a bad reputation because of the inclusion of harsh detergents, which stripped oil from the skin. However, that is no longer the case with all soaps anymore.

Before we discuss what skincare routine to follow, you need to know your skin type. To do so, look at your face in a mirror in natural daylight (i.e., outside or near a window) and observe the various areas of your face. In general: Oily skin is shiny – especially along the T-zone (the forehead, nose and chin areas), where oil glands are most prevalent – and tends to break out with pimples. If you have large pores, these may also indicate oiliness. Dry skin feels tight and dehydrated and pores may be very fine. It may also look flaky, and has a rough, papery texture. Normal skin has a uniform texture and tone that only occasionally break out in spots. Combination skin has oily and dry patches: It may be shiny/blemished along the T-zone and scaly around the cheeks.

Once you have determined your skin type, you use this information to pay attention to your specific skincare needs.

If your skin is oily and/or acne-prone, select soaps that contain salicylic acid — a skin-sloughing beta hydroxy acid that keeps pores unclogged. Similarly, choose products with the pimple-drying ingredient benzoyl peroxide.

For dry skin, stick with gentle, super-fatted soaps, many of which contain up to one-third moisturizers. Pure glycerin soap will also help your skin retain moisture. However, avoid deodorant soaps, which can dry your skin even further.

Those with sensitive skin should opt for hypoallergenic soaps, and avoid perfumed, antibacterial and deodorant soaps, which can be irritating. Try to use very little soap, do not scrub too hard, and make sure to rinse well with cool water (warm or hot water can be drying).

People with normal skin have plenty of options: feed your skin with plant-based soaps, lather up with triple-milled soaps or use a gentle face bar soap that is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores).

Those suffering from windburned, sunburned or chapped skin can calm it with soap rich in soothing glycerin and aloe vera. As much as possible, avoid bars with overpowering fragrances since they can irritate the skin further.

Even when you’re partying until the wee hours of the morning or pulling overtime at the office, it’s essential to cleanse your face thoroughly before you hit the sack. Ideally, you should wash your face twice a day, put on toner, and moisturize immediately after cleansing your face. By removing makeup and daily grime from your face daily, you can avoid clogged pores and breakouts. However, we don’t live in a perfect world and there will be times when you just want to slip into your bed and forget about your beauty ritual.

When you’re too tired or there isn’t that much time to conduct your full facial regimen, you can save time and effort by using a multipurpose cleanser that’ll strip away dirt, oil, and even hard-to-remove makeup like waterproof mascara all at once. You can also try using disposable cloths that you simply moisten (to activate the built-in cleanser) and smooth over your face to lift away the day’s dirt.

There are plenty of ways to protect and beautify your face, and establishing a regular beauty regimen is one of them. Start one today and your skin will thank you for it.