There’re few things as embarrassing as a blemish. It seems these unsightly bumps pop up when you have something important going on and need to look your best. If you have acne-prone skin, you may need to do things differently to keep zits at bay.
Are you tired of over-the-counter treatments that have little to no effect on your blemishes? There are many natural things you can do that will make a world of difference in your skin. Most of the things that will help your acne-prone skin won’t cost you one cent.
Fifteen Ways to Improve Acne-Prone Skin
If you’re ready to kiss those zits goodbye, then you should try some science-backed methods that will help with clogged pores and teach you how to cleanse your face for the best results. Here are the top 15 ways to get glowing and clear skin without using harsh chemicals.
1. Don’t Touch Your Face
Why are so many people fascinated with touching their faces? Unless you have impeccably clean hands, leave your face alone. All the oils and dirt from touching the surfaces of thousands of things are transferred to your face, which is going to cause you problems.
You know that excessive dirt and oil on your face are going to cause zits to form. Remind yourself every time you feel inclined to pluck, pop, or rub your face that you’re only going to cause more breakouts.
Plus, you also transfer germs from surfaces you touch too, which can make you sick. It’s just best if you don’t touch your face, no matter how tempting.
2. Wash Your Face Often
When you have acne-prone skin, you need to wash your face more often. Don’t just use any old soap on your delicate skin, either. Opt for a special soap made with antibacterial or antifungal properties for a thorough cleansing.
It would help if you were washing your face at least two times a day and anytime you sweat after exercising. There’s no such thing as washing too much, so make sure you lather up.
3. Change Your Diet
What you’re eating could be what’s eating you. If you have a diet full of processed foods and sugar and carbs, it can increase your acne issues. Nutritional deficiencies could be at the source of your pimples.
Changing your diet may be the key to ending this blemish nightmare. According to a study published by the National Institute of Health, chocolate itself doesn’t cause acne. However, the other things you eat can certainly be contributing factors.
4. Check Your Testosterone Levels
Women and men both have testosterone, which is a powerful hormone that keeps things balanced. However, if a ladies’ testosterone level is off, it can cause you to be more acne-prone. Check your levels and make sure it’s not a hormone imbalance causing your issues.
5. Improve Gut Bacteria
Studies are being conducted on the importance of gut bacteria. Recently the connection between gut and brain health has become well recognized. The key is to include more fiber into your daily intake.
Fiber helps the bacteria in the gut to flourish. When the gut bacteria are out of balance, it can cause leaky gut and inflammation in the body. If you’ve looked closely at your blemishes, then you will see they are the direct result of an inflammatory response.
According to Fiona Lawson Nutrition, your gut bacteria is the key to clearing acne.
6. Avoid Dairy Products
Are you lactose intolerant? Of all the food allergies, dairy products seem to be among the most common ones that irritate the digestive system. Some folks seem to break out in pimples after consuming things like ice cream, yogurt, milk, or cheese.
Try to avoid anything dairy for a month and see if it helps to improve your skin. Chances are, it could be the key to getting those blemishes under control.
7. Drink More Water
Did you know that water provides natural skin cleansing and helps to keep the body hydrated? The reasoning behind this is that your skin is the largest organ in your body. It needs more hydration than anything else.
You need to consume at least eight glasses of water each day. If you should get dehydrated, then your skin will undoubtedly pay the price.
Here are ten tips to help you reduce the appearance of large pores.
8. Use Anti-Microbial Agents
You don’t need to head to your local pharmacy to find a pricey antimicrobial agent. There are many herbal medicines that you might already have on hand. Did you know that raw garlic is often used for inflammatory conditions, and it can be beneficial to acne?
Other herbs that can be helpful to inflammatory issues are burdock, marigold, and echinacea. Using these herbal remedies on the outside can have a dramatic effect. In addition to these herbs, make sure to consume foods that help improve your digestive health by containing natural bacteria.
9. Stop Smoking
The Dermatological Institute in Rome, Italy, found that smokers have a higher occurrence of acne than non-smokers. It’s often called inflammatory smoker’s acne because of its origin.
Smoking draws essential oxygen and water from the skin, which can make it dehydrated and age quickly. Now it seems there’s even more reason to stop smoking since it only makes clogged pores and pimples more of a problem.
10. Use A Natural Toner
Toners are great for the skin, and you can make a great one with stuff you have at the time. All you need is a small spray bottle. Fill the bottle with two cups of filtered water that you’ve boiled and is still warm.
Then add one-fourth of a cup of apple cider vinegar to the mix. Spritz this mixture on your face after you’ve thoroughly cleansed it. It will not only reduce your breakouts but will also give your skin a healthy glow.
11. Quit Picking Your Zits
Are you a pimple popper? If you know how to cleanse your face properly, then there’s no need to pick at these pimples. When you squeeze and pinch zits, you’re introducing bacteria to them. A simple pimple might become infected and even scar if you don’t leave it alone.
If you find that you must pick the white head off it, make sure you have clean hands to avoid the transfer of bacteria.
12. Exfoliate Regularly
Exfoliation is good for the skin because it gets all the dirt and impurities out of your pores. You don’t need to buy some fancy product that costs a mint when you can use sugar to get those pores clean.
Rub the sugar deep into the pores in a circular motion with warm water. When you have everything clean, then you should spritz your toner on the skin.
13. Get Out in The Sunshine
Is there anything that spending 20 minutes in the sunshine can’t fix? When it comes to a face full of acne, the sun can help to dry these imperfections from the skin. The healing properties of the sun come from the vitamin D that it pumps into your body.
Make sure that you don’t overexpose your face, and you need to use natural sunlight and not a tanning bed.
14. Wash Makeup Off Before Bed
If you fall into bed and don’t wash your makeup off from the morning, you can cause acne problems. Your makeup can get into the pores and clog them, which causes an inflammatory reaction.
It’s essential to remove all the makeup as well as dirt and grime from the day. When you go to bed with your makeup on, then you’re just asking for pimple issues, especially if you have acne-prone skin.
15. Embrace Makeup Free Skin
There’s nothing more beautiful than someone who has a radiant glow and doesn’t need makeup. Less is more these days, as things have certainly changed to a more natural, environmentally-friendly consumer.
Women across the country embrace the natural look, and it could be better for your skin health. Did you know that many makeup products have oils in them that only aggravate skin conditions? If you have uneven tones and don’t feel comfortable going out of the house without makeup on, you should try a mineral-based product and read the ingredients.
Final Thoughts on Calming Your Acne-Prone Skin
Having acne-prone skin is a problem that people of all ages experience. You can have blemishes on your back, shoulders, face, hairline, stomach, and breasts. Really, there isn’t any area on the body that is immune from this inflammatory condition.
Thankfully, there are things that you can do to help improve your skin and lessen the blemishes. With a few scientifically proven habits, you can use nature to heal your skin. The best part is that you don’t have to break the bank or visit a dermatologist to get the help you need.
When you learn to wash your face more, clean out those clogged pores, stop popping and touching your zits, then you can improve your skin’s overall health. If you start following some of these tips, then you will begin to see a difference right away.
