ACNE AND SKIN CARE

Being the outermost layer of our body, skin faces all types of pollutants, microorganism attacks, and weather changes while protecting our body tissue at the cost of its own health. It is necessary to take daily care of skin in order to avoid any skin disorders. For people suffering from acne, a skin care regimen becomes more important as a lack of cleansing and hygiene might lead to a flare-up of already infected skin.

It is easy to take care of normal skin. But acne-infected skin needs special handling as it becomes sensitive to cosmetics, dietary habits, and psychological factors like stress.

Acne-infected skin should be washed with a mild cleanser. Cleansers or soaps with a strong fragrance should be avoided as they might trigger some allergic reaction in the skin. If you have acne, wash your face at least twice a day: once in morning and in the evening. In between wash your face after any strenuous activity which might make you perspire, like exercise. Acne-infected skin should not be scrubbed as it will spread the infection on other areas of skin. Skin should be thoroughly rinsed with water after washing. Dermatologists also recommend for acne patients to shampoo hair regularly.

If your skin is very oily, then an alcohol-based astringent is ideal to wipe the skin before washing or before going to bed. Keep in mind that this astringent should be put on a wet cotton pad first and then on the skin. Do not use too much astringent as it might cause irritation in the skin. For dry skin, milk cleansers are better cleaning agents. But, if your skin is dry and you suffer from acne, then keep away from creamy cosmetics or cleansing milk as it will increase the oiliness of infected area.

Acne patients should wash their face with warm water, soap and use only their fingertips for washing. Do not use any kind of scrub, wash cloth, or sponge on the skin infected with acne. Rinse with warm water and then pat dry. All this hardly takes a minute but makes a lot of difference to your skin.

Although skin care is necessary to maintain healthy skin, if you do not pay attention to the internal processes for healthy skin, then no amount of outer care will make your skin clear. A poor diet, bad digestive function, liver malfunction, excessive sun exposure, and smoking are some of the reasons behind bad and unhealthy skin.

For acne patients, it is very important to pay attention to what kind of cosmetics they buy and use. Most of the cosmetics have chemicals which produce comedones (pimple). If you have acne then you should look for cosmetics which are labeled as being non-comedogenic. All the cosmetics you use should be oil free. Even oily hair products might spread acne to the forehead.To have healthy skin, it is necessary to get rid of dead skin cells. If we don't, then the skin will look dull. Dead skin prevents oxygen, moisture and nutrients from reaching the new skin cells being formed under the dead cells. Scrubs and chemical peels can be used to rid skin of dead cells.

But these can not be used on acne. For people having acne or very oily skin, a traditional face mask made of gram flour is very useful. It not only exfoliates dead cells without harming the skin, it also dries out the excess oil and relieves the skin of stickiness. In fact, it is good to use natural cleansers on acne skin and oily skin. Orange peels are one such method which makes oily skin glow with its essential oils and drying property. You can prepare it at home by drying out an orange peel and then grinding it to a fine mix. It is especially good in summers to clean skin of excessive oil.

Essential skin care can be completed in four easy steps. Determine your skin type, perhaps with the help of some skin specialist. Clean your skin daily. Use a moisturizer, even for oily skin, as all types of skin need protection and lubrication. Protect your skin from the sun and exfoliate regularly to remove dead cells.