5 ways to have clear skin without acne

• Acne occur as a result of both internal and external factors, with external factors differing from internal factors in that they can be managed by being observant and gradually making the appropriate lifestyle changes.
• Merely taking care of the external factors is not enough, however, because internal factors also play a crucial role, especially with regard to stress. If we can deal with our stress effectively, it is not only our acne that will be less but also our susceptibility to illness.

Acne is one of the top leading causes of hospital visits as patients seek the proper treatment for their condition. However, before any treatment is carried out, many patients may want to carry out their own basic remedy, or find ways of keeping their acne from coming back and improving their condition. Let us start by developing our understanding of acne.

• Internal factors, including hormonal changes, chronic stress, latent inflammation, a lack of rest, skin cell renewal, amount and type of skin oils, P. Acne bacteria, and genetics.
• External factors, including overuse of cosmetic products, allergies to cosmetics or chemicals, and taking some forms of medication.

• Less is best: Nourishing your skin with cosmetics is possible but if overuse of such products is inadvisable (applying too much or too many at one time) as doing so can easily lead to skin’s pores becoming clogged. Additionally, when doing your make-up, be sure to select high quality foundation or powder foundation that will stay on the skin (test the products at the make-up counter). This is because the more times we need to re-apply the cosmetics during the day, the more likely it is that our pores will become clogged.
• Clean gently and avoid over-exfoliating the skin exfoliation: We should not be cleaning our faces too often, and select products that do not cause the skin to dry out, ensure a balance in terms of skin hydration. Moreover, exfoliating with scrubs or fruit acid products too frequently will make our skin dry and imbalances. Some people also risk aggravating their acne due to the inflammation that occurs when exfoliating. It is therefore best to exfoliate a maximum of once a week.
• Stay hands-off and always clean your make up brushes: Our hands are sources of numerous types of bacteria. In just one day, we handle money, pick up various objects, pick our noses, rub our eyes, scratch our bodies, or even touch or come into contact with people who may be carrying disease. We should therefore avoid touching our face and acne, as well as reducing the amount of times we scratch ourselves during the day. Leaving this to dermatologists at a hospital is the best course of action. For women who apply make-up each day, it is advised that you wash your make-up brushes once a week as this will significantly reduce the amount of bacteria accumulating there.
• Beware of fragrance, alcohol in toner, paraben and volatile oil: Many people who suffer from are unaware that certain cosmetics contain an excess of perfume and paraben-based preservatives that are capable of causing skin irritation. Large amounts of alcohol can result in free radicals and dry skin, while our skin is also at risk of irritation from perfumes made with essential plant oils, such as orange, lemon, menthol, lavender or rose oils. The best option is to select products that claim to be perfume-free, fragrance-free, hypo-allergenic and noncomedogenic.
• Inside out: Taking care of ourselves on the inside is extremely important and this includes reducing stress, being optimistic, eating a healthy and balanced diet, reducing consumption of dairy products, and eating less sweet food.

Leading hospitals now have dermatologists available who can provide expert analysis on the true causes of acne and who provide international standard of treatment in the form of medications and innovative laser treatment programs designed to leave your skin free from acne for longer.