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Acne On Your Mind? These 20 Preventive Tips Will Help You Get Clear Skin

Of all the skin issues ever, acne is probably the one we dread the most. And for good reason. Acne is a skin condition characterised by inflammation, redness of the skin, painful zits, lots of discomfort and the ever-reminding acne marks. It, therefore, comes as not surprise that we want to keep acne as far away as possible.

20 Preventive Tips For Acne

Oily skin and clogged pores being the catalyst of acne, we try our hardest to keep our skin clean and acne-free. But, sometimes our best doesn't work. And the 'best' skincare advice coming at you from all directions- from your family to your friends and the social media- doesn't help either.

To help you clear out all the noise and achieve flawless acne-free skin, we have curated for you the best preventive tips for acne. These are foolproof tips that are guaranteed to nourish your skin and make your skincare routine more mindful. So, what are we waiting for? Let's dig in!

1. Wash Your Face, But Not Obsessively

With an extremely oily skin, you are more prone to acne. Washing the face regularly then becomes a necessity. It is the most important rule for a healthy skin. A study conducted in 2006 found that washing the face helps improve the acne lesions.[1] Cleanse your skin twice a day- once in the morning and once at night- with a gentle cleanser and pat dry.

While washing your skin everyday is a must, it should not be done obsessively. If you overwash your face, it will only make your skin dry and cause more breakouts.

2. Get In The Habit Of Exfoliation

Clogged pores are one of the main culprits for acne. Excess oil, dirt, grime, chemical build-up- all settle in your skin pores clogging them and causing breakouts. Exfoliating your skin regularly helps to unclog the skin pores leaving your with a clean and healthy skin. If you want to beat acne, get in the habit of exfoliating your skin.

However, it is very easy to go overboard with exfoliation which is very damaging for the skin. Over-exfoliating can irritate the skin and cause minute tears in the skin, defeating the whole of the process. So, exfoliate your skin twice a week and be very careful about not overdoing it.

3. Change Your Face Towels Regularly

The germs that cause acne can come from the most unexpected of places. Your face towel, for instance, can be the host for breeding harmful bacteria. If you think about it, by using the same unwashed face towel day after day and doing the most simplest of activity like wiping your face, you are exposing your skin to the most damaging bacteria ever.

Don't worry, you do not have to go crazy about the face towels and use a fresh face towel everyday. But, it is best to clean your face towel once a week.

4. Specifically Opt For Non-Comedogenic Products

Think all the skincare products are helping your skin get better? Many of us do not even realise the damage the skincare products can actually do to the skin. There are many ingredients in your skincare or make-up products that are comedogenic and clog your skin pores. Using these products almost everyday makes your skin vulnerable to breakouts.

Take an extra 5 minutes while purchasing the products to make sure they are non-comedogenic.

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5. Do Not Wear Make-up For Longer Hours

Whether you have acne-prone skin or not, you have to be immensely careful about how long your keep the make-up on. Make-up kept on for hours and hours, clogs the skin pores and contaminates your skin leading to acne and breakouts. Do not sleep with make-up on if your want acne-free skin.

6. Moisturise, Always!

Many of us skip moisturiser thinking that it will add on the oil to the face, causing acne. We can't tell how how wrong you are. Dry and dehydrated skin goes into sebum overdrive, producing excess oil to combat for the dryness. As you can imagine, it doesn't end well for your skin. The excess oil is an invitation for acne and lots of other skin issue. To prevent that, it is vital that you keep your skin moisturised. Look for a moisturiser that is perfect for your skin type and moisturising won't ever be a chore.

7. Wipe Your Phone Screens Clean

You can't even imaging how dirty your phone screens are. Let's be honest here- we are not at all careful about where we put our phones. We are misplacing our phones all the time. Our phones thus are out there gathering all the bacteria in the world.

When you are holding your phone close to your face while taking a call or when your are touching the face with the hands that were holding the phone, you are basically transferring the bacteria to your skin. Is it any wonder that you get frequent breakouts? Wipe your phone screens regularly to prevent this mishap and keep your skin clear.

8. Don't Touch Your Face Frequently

Okay, let's count. How many times do you intentionally or unintentionally touch your face throughout the day? Come on, you can do it! Don't worry, we all are guilty of over doing it. Just know that this simple gesture might be causing you clear skin.

Our hands come in contact with a ton of germs during the day. By touching our face, we are exposing it to the said germs. This irritates the skin and causes breakouts. Be extra careful from now on. Do not touch your face all the time. If you have to, make sure you wash your hands before you touch your face.

9. Do Not Layer On Make-up

While make-up is great for faking flawless skin, it still can't beat having flawless skin. In our quest to have smooth skin, we end up putting layers and layers of make-up on. The make-up left on your skin for hours on end eventually ends up blocking the skin pores, causing acne.

Let your skin breathe. Try to go light on your make-up. Keep it to the minimum number of products you need to put together a good look.

10. Change Your Sheets Weekly

Our skin sheds dead skin cells every night. With sheets and bedspreads that have not been changed in weeks, the chances of contamination are super high. If you want clear skin, make sure you wash and change your sheets once in a week. If that is too much for you, at least try to change your pillow cover weekly.

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11. Eat Mindfully

Oh yes! You might think that your diet has nothing to do with your skin appearance, but that can't be more far from the truth. Your skin is a reflection of your diet. If your want clear skin, stick to a healthy diet filled with vitamins, proteins and antioxidants. Give the oily, high sugar foods a break.

12. Protect Your Skin From The Sun

Do you take enough measures to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun? If not, you immediately should. The harmful rays of the sun penetrate deep into your skin, leaving it dry, damaged and vulnerable. Protecting your skin from the skin is one of the most important pieces of skincare advice ever. Invest in a good sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. That's not all. If you are going to be outside for a while, cover your skin with a scarf and keep reapplying the sunscreen for utmost protection.

13. Maintain A Post-Workout Skincare Regime

Sweating during the workouts might be great for your body, but unfortunately it isn't so good for your skin. Sweating blocks the skin pores, and thus causes acne. After your workout, make sure you take a relaxing shower as soon as possible and cleanse your skin deeply with a mild cleanser.

14. Disinfect Your Headphones

Your headphones aren't the only culprit of spreading acne-causing bacteria to your skin. Your headphones are equally responsible. Just like our mobile phones, we are careless with our headphones as well. Our headphones, thus, catch bacteria which is transferred to the skin causing breakouts. So, if you are someone who uses headphones constantly(which you most probably are), wipe your headphones regularly with a disinfectant to keep things clean and healthy.

15. Get Better With Your Hair Care Products

Truly, none of us ever thought that our hair products might be causing the acne. But, it found to be the case in many instances. Our hair products are a tad bit harsher than our skincare products. And as we apply them to our scalp, we cant help the overflow of the products to our foreheads and faces. These hair products can irritate the skin or even clog the skin pores to cause acne and other skin issues. So, when choosing your hair products, also consider how gentle will they be on your skin.

16. Drink Plenty Of Water

You must have heard this tip thousands of times by now. But have you ever given it a fair chance? We are guessing not, if you suffer from constant breakouts. If nothing else, drinking tons of water cleanses the toxins from your skin, helping improve your overall health. With the toxins flushes out of your system, the chances of acne also decreases drastically. So, it is recommended that you drink 2-3 litres of water everyday.

17. Don't Pick At Your Skin

It is so easy to be tempted by the zit popping at you from the mirror. We are here to warn you no matter how tempting it is, do not do it. By popping the zit, you are not only putting your skin at risk for scars, but also spreading the bacteria. The one zit on the face, therefore, transfers to a full-blown acne issue.

If you get a zit, wash your face with an antibacterial face wash and rub a cube of ice over it to calm the inflammation and irritation. Within a couple of days, it will subside.

18. Sleep Well

Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your skin. You might not know it, but the skin rejuvenates itself during the night. If you are not getting enough sleep, your skin is not getting enough time to rejuvenate itself. With the tired skin, the skin barrier function is compromised and it becomes prone to acne. Get a good 6-8 hours of sleep to keep your skin fresh and healthy.

19. Take Time To Destress

With our corporate lifestyles, stress and anxiety are a given. In the constant work pressure, catching up on our favourite Netflix shows and having a alcohol-filled evening, we often forget to unwind. This takes a toll on the skin. Stress compromises skin's ability to fight damage and so acne becomes a common occurrence.

Remind yourself to take time out to destress if you want healthy and clear skin. Take time off from your computer screens, meditate and eat healthily. The changes in your skin will amaze you.

20. Give Your Skin A Treat Once In A While

You might not be big on facial and face masks, but your skin needs the pampering. Once a week, treat your skin to a nourishing face mask. Wash your face deeply, put on a face mask, let it do its magic and wash it off. Remember to follow the face mask with a nourishing moisturiser.

If you are into DIY's, you can always whip a great homemade face mask and pamper your skin on a budget. Personally, we prefer homemade face masks as they allow you to control what your are putting on your face. But, you must do what suits you the best.

Story first published: Monday, August 24, 2020, 18:07 [IST]
Read more about: acne tips skincare tips