We all know about acne, especially if you got it as a teenager. But did you know that you can suffer from acne well into your adult years? Some people find that they never had acne until they were in their 50s! No matter your age, it’s still embarrassing and frustrating.

Here are some things that can aggravate and even contribute to acne:

1. Oil-based makeup

2. Touching and picking at the skin (people tend to do this when they are anxious or nervous)

3. Some detergents and soaps can contribute to acne-prone skin

4. A lot of sweating

5. Medicines

6. Excessive sun

If you are one of the many acne sufferers, try to control the above aggravations and you may find an improvement in your acne.

Other important steps to get clear skin is to do a regular skin care regimen. You must be constant in this to see results. Many people start a regimen and give up after a week or so. But, if you choose the right regimen and stick to it, you’ll be amazed how your acne clears up and is actually manageable. You no longer need to hide behind makeup and clothes.

So what do I recommend?

First, cleanse your skin with a mild cleanser. Find something that won’t irritate your skin. You want something that has NO alcohol or fragrance. The alcohol will dry out your skin and this is actually the opposite of what you want. Over-drying your skin can actually cause more acne because your skin will respond by producing more oil…and causing more breakouts. Obviously, this is not ideal. Also, don’t wear anything that has a fragrance. The fragrance will only irritate and aggravate sensitive and acne-prone skin. Calmly. You just need to cleanse your skin and remove dirt and oil (and put on makeup if you wear it).

Second, exfoliate. This is a step that many people skip completely or do too much. This all depends on your skin type and how often you should exfoliate. My recommendation is the following:

• With sensitive (including acne-prone) or dry skin, exfoliate no more than once a week.
• If you have combination skin or oily skin, you can exfoliate 3 to 5 times a week.
• If you have normal skin, you can exfoliate every day!

Doing more than the above is totally unnecessary. Exfoliation is necessary to remove dead skin cells that can contribute to acne because these skin cells get stuck in your pores and cause problems for you. Stick to this and you will see better skin overall.