June 13, 2012 by admin
So what causes acne? Acne occurs when there is a build up of dead skin cells or something (ie. Oil, dirt and dust) in the follicles (tiny little canals that are connected to your pores and glands) on your skin which interacts with bacteria producing a pimple, whitehead or blackhead. If not treated correctly, acne can leave to permanent skin scarring which can lead to lower self-confidence and self-esteem.
As part of a healthy lifestyle and diet, it is hence important that we have and ensure we maintain healthy skin. I have thus listed out 8 simple and very effective ways of improving your skin appearance and reducing your risk of acne breakouts and pimples.
1. Wash your face twice a day
Washing your face twice a day helps to get rid of all the bacteria, grime, oil and dirt that you have gathered throughout the day. Wash it gently once in the morning and again at night to ensure that your skin is free of dust, dirt, dead skin cells and bacteria which will reduce the possibility of clogging. However, the reason why I only suggested washing it twice a day is that it is actually not a good thing to wash your face too much. Washing your face excessively can actually strip your face of its natural oils which could result in drier/ weaker skin as your skin gets dehydrated.
When washing your face, use lukewarm water as hot water can strip your skin off its important nutrients. Make sure you pat dry your face and use a mild soap of cleanser to help prevent breakouts. I recommend finding a gentler cleaner that would not strip the skin of its natural moisturizers.
2. Reduce your stress levels
Studies have shown that there is a high correlation between levels of stress and the level of acne breakouts and blemishes. This is because when we undergo stress, our body undergoes a chemical reaction to produce stress hormones which consequently produces more oils. This oil, called seburn, is produced by facial glands inside hair follicles which will travel up the follicle canal and take along dead skin cells with it. Once the oil reaches the surface, it forms a protective coating, effective sealing in the dead skin cells, blocking the pores and creating breakouts.
Thus, it is important to try and reduce stress in order to prevent acne problems. However, with deadlines, social obligations, work commitments, projects, etc, reducing stress is understandably not an easy thing to do. This is why it is important to learn to live a balanced lifestyle and have a balanced diet to try and maximize your potential for a more stress-free life. A good idea is to read up on how to increase your energy levels naturally so you can get more out of your day, and how to eat right.
3. Reduce the amount of times you touch your face.
I know this sounds incredibly stupid and ridiculously easy. But many of us dont realize that we touch our faces a lot. We play with our ears, rub our eyes, lean our chin/cheeks against our hands, etc and it is thus probably one of the hardest thing to not do!
The problem with touching your face is that the surface of your hands contains plenty of bacteria from the day to day things you have come into contact with. You pick up bacteria every time you open the door, shake hands, touch your computer, handle money, pay for food, etc. Consequently, your hands are the highest source of dirt, oil, bacteria and even viruses. Once these things come into contact with your face, they start clogging up your pores and/or irritate your skin which can result in pimple development.
Hence, ensure that you wash your hands throughout the day especially before youre about to consciously touch your face (ie. to apply makeup). You will reduce the build up of bacteria, grime and grease and hence, the possibility of pimple breakouts.
4. Review your make up
The thing about makeup is: it doesnt cause breakouts but it really doesnt help in preventing them either. To reduce the possibility of breakouts, try going for oil-free and organic makeups that are free from additives that could irritate sensitive skin. However, if you feel that your current makeup brand/selection isnt causing you too much grief, it should be perfectly fine to stick with it. Unfortunately, for those who are experiencing some problems, switching and trying out new brands may be the only way of discovering which brand of makeup is best suited for you and your skin. Remember, this will take patience, but if you keep track on what works and what doesnt, it will be worth it in the end.
Lastly on this point, always remember to wash your makeup off every time before you go to bed. This will give your pores and skin a chance to breathe and remain healthy.
5. Increase your vitamin A, B, C, E and zinc intake
Studies have shown that a deficiency in these vitamins could result in higher chance of acne development and breakouts.
In particular, zinc and vitamin c are well known to be extremely effective in boosting your immune system which consequently helps cure acne and blemishes as it ensures that your body is operating at its optimum level. Furthermore, deficiencies in these particular nutrients have shown to actually cause acne. Thus, it is important to have a balanced diet to ensure youre are consume adequate amounts of vitamin A,B,C,E and zinc intake.
6. Reduce your intake of processed and fatty foods.
I know we have all heard about it before, but fatty and processed foods are really andtrulybad for you. Unfortunately, consuming too much of these type of foods can really affect the healthiness of your skin. Consuming oily/fatty foods (though extremely tasty) affects your immune system, promoting the production of oil on your skin surface which will hence increase your risk of acne breakouts and pimples.
Thus, it is important to try and reduce your intake of these type of foods and make sure that you try to wash your face twice a day with a facial wash to help remove access oils that may have built up over the day.
7. Eat foods that are rich in Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are excellent in helping to prevent breakouts as they ensure that cell membranes remain healthy so that nutrients can be transported efficiently to the cells. Furthermore as acne is a skin inflammation reaction to excess sebum (oil/grease on your face), Omega-3s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects will assist in the reduction of skin inflammation which will result in a reduction of acne.
Foods that are rich in Omega-3 include fish, fish oil, olive oils, walnuts and tofu. Or alternately, if due to circumstances you cant seem to incorporate enough Omega-3 rich foods in your diet, you can use supplements that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
8. Exercise
I know youre probably wondering how on earth could exercise help with your skins health and appearance. The great thing about exercise is that it reduces your bodys stress levels. Stress increases your skins natural oils which in greater amounts, leads to the clogging of pores and mass breakouts. Thus, by exercising, youre reducing stress on your body which indirectly affects your facial appearance. Furthermore, sweating from exercise helps to clear out your pores so that your dead skin cells will be flushed to the top, allowing less clogging to occur.
One very important thing to remember though, please shower after you have exercised. As sweat clears the pores of dead skin cells and leaves it at the top, the accumulation of these skin cells (if left for long enough) can lead to blockages which will eventually block (again) your recently cleared pores. In addition to this, when sweat evaporates, it leaves behind salt on your skin which encourages pore blockages. A good post-exercise facial product would be a moisturizing cleanser to help clean all or the impurities from your face and to help replenish the moisture on your face that may have been lost during your work out.
So there you have it, 8 simple ways to healthier looking skin. Combating acne is really a case of looking after your skin and your body. Ensure that you are having a proper diet, drinking lots of water and living a balanced lifestyle and your skin, body and acne problems will look after themselves. The results may not be overnight, but in the long term it is the most effective way of improving your acne condition permanently.
Good Luck!
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