Absolutely no one wants to be bothered with acne.  How to get clear skin is one of the main questions I get during my work as a licensed esthetician in the salon.  This comes from teen and adult suffers alike but each person's treatment is different and getting clear skin is very much a process of trial and error.  When I see someone in my chair that is suffering with acne this is where I start the process:

HOW TO GET CLEAR SKIN

A.  Address and communicate what kind of acne is present.

There are  low and higher grades of acne.

Breakout prone skin is a very mild acne with only occasional pimples that go away.  Common triggers are stress and hormones.

Mild to moderate acne can be  blackheads, whiteheads, and some pustules (puss filled cystic type pimples).  Common causes will be bacteria, heredity, stress, hormones and lifestyle.

Severe acne is mostly cystic (red,inflamed,large) and infected (puss is yellow, green, bloody) There are other types of severe acne that is not cystic but chronic and untreatable by any OTC or professional treatment.  Causes are also bacteria, heredity, stress, hormones and lifestyle.  Severe acne may need to be referred for medical grade attention.

B.  Think about current routine and lifestyle.

Some environmental factors can contribute to acne as well.

  • active in the gym or sports
  • working within a dirty atmosphere
  • high levels of stress
  • picking your face (yes, it matters!)
  • improper and  unbalanced diet

If any of these are present, you want to factor that in when determining a treatment plan and routine because these are somewhat controllable elements.

C.  Target the causing factors, type of acne, consider lifestyle and realistic habits when you customize or begin a treatment plan.

Once you have identified the kind of acne you are having, think about the factors in your control and try to manage those first of all.  Examples:

Gym/Sporting Activiy or Dirty Working Conditions – Use a mild cleanser when excess sweat or dirt is persistent.  Keep a toner with tea tree oil available to spritz on to neutralize bacteria.

Stress – If you figure out how to eliminate and manage that one please let us all know your secret, otherwise deep breathe, count to ten and do the best you can.

Picking or Excess Touching of Your Face – It's a tough habit to break but one that makes a huge difference.  Don't ever pick and if you must pop a pimple yourself, be sure to have clean hands and your face washed.  The pimple must also be ready for extraction or it will spread underneath the skin and become a bigger problem.

Improper Diet – Increasing water intake is helpful and ditching too many processed foods is also beneficial.  The toxins in junk and fast food slow your entire system down, including healthy cell turnover for your skin.

Finally, determine how much effort and time you are going to put into your treatment and then select products and a routine to fit the bill.

SOME BASIC ROUTINES FOR MOST ACNE SUFFERS

You will need the following:

  1. cleanser Exuviance Anti Bacterial Cleanser
  2. spot treatment Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
  3. oil free moisturizer Neutorgena Oil Free Moisturizer
  4. clay mask (weekly treatment) PUR Minerals Dirty Girl

The specific suggestions are an example for someone with mild to moderate acne and not showing signs of sensitized skin.

An innovative addition in your journey to clear skin:

my-face-pillow-review

My Face Pillow is a hypo allergenic pillow with a memory foam design.  It is made to sleep on your back or slightly on your side rather than smashing against a standard pillow.  It has a bit of sloped side to keep your face from turning down so that it can get oxygen all night.  It also eliminates oil and dirt buildup from contributing to bacteria problems. (PS, it is American-made, of course.)

When using the My Face Pillow, your treatments will also penetrate better because they will not be rubbing into the pillow.

This is a great addition for anyone but I especially recommend it for people with busy lifestyles.  When you don't have a ton of time for acne routines, you need all the help you can get to make your skin healthy with minimal effort.  This adds nothing to your routine as far as time is concerned.  It will ensure what you are doing is working for you at night.

Visit their site for all the facts.  MyFacePillow.com

Disclosure: USA Love List received this product unconditionally for review purposes. Our opinions are always our own, and we aim to write fair and balanced reviews to promote only the very best of American-made products.