Acne Prevention – From best face washing lotion to spot treating cream
I know you are looking for a fast and easy solution to treat acne, but I’m gonna break it to you and to tell you there is not! Yep, this is a real fact. There is currently no fast cure for acne! Effective acne treatments includes prescription medications, face wash lotions and creams but also changes in your diet help to reduce and prevent pimples.
What is acne?? It’s a common skin condition, which doesn’t discriminate – mostly affects adolescents, but we adults can develop it too. It’s called adult acne (at least this is what my dermatologist calls it). Acne can appear on the face and also on the body, which can lead to scarring and even depression in some people. It’s a serious disorder and needs to be treated accordingly. And what’s the first thing that pops into your head when you think of acne treatments? Face wash lotions, leave on products, exfoliators, essentials oils, etc. So, which one is the best and how can you prevent pimples?
We usually look for the most convenient, faster and cheaper solutions to treat acne. That’s why the use of over the counter acne products is on the rise. What most people don’t know, is that the majority of these acne products that are available on the market, are not well supported by clinical studies, and can do you more harm than to improve your skin condition.
I’m talking from experience. I tried many products and thought that if I will clean my face and my body very well, and if my skin stings and tingles in the cleaning process, the better. Boy, I was wrong. My expensive and beloved acne fighting face wash was doing me more damage than good. The breakouts were getting worse and started to feel frustrated. The best option was to see a doctor and ask for a proper treatment, which I did and I finally got rid of the acne. This is not a easy process and there are many things for you to consider and to apply, if you want to win the battle with acne. So keep reading
How to prevent acne
To be honest, prevention is the most important step and the most complex one. It goes from your eating habits to makeup and cosmetics products. Let’s dive into it.
1. Yes to diet changes
Your diet plays a major role in developing acne. I know is hard for many of you to digest this information, but lifestyle changes can help to reduce and prevent breakouts.
According to this 2016 survey, these are the foods you should avoid if you’re acne prone: fried greasy foods, dairy, chocolate, refined sugar ( fruits are allowed). This is how you naturally prevent breakout at home.
My dermatologist came with a acne diet plan for me, so he suggested I should avoid dairy, chocolate, coffee and white flour. Imagine for an Italian how that sounds! Got devastated, and I thought I would never be able to go through with this diet for 6 months, as he suggested. But I was so frustrated with those stubborn breakouts that I had to do it. And I am happy to say I still avoid those foods to these days ( I have a coffee here and then, and a pizza of course) and it’s been 2 years. And I could see the results on my face after just 3 weeks.
2. No to over-washing your face
You need to be gentle with you skin, and avoid over cleaning your face with acne washing lotions or creams. Is a good thing to clear your skin, is recommended, but with a gentle cleanser. And not to bar cleanser (they tend to dry your skin and leave residue on your skin, which leads to clogging pores). The best face washing lotion to fight acne, for me is Bioderma Miclelar Cleanser. This one was recommended to me because is a gentle formula, doesn’t irritate my skin and helps regulate sebum.
For the body, I used Murad Acne Body Wash, which treats and prevents body breakouts on the back, chest and shoulders, without over-drying skin. Its rich formula with powerful ingredients like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, green tea and licorice root help treat and soothe irritated skin.
3. No to scrubs and rough brushes
Because of their abrasive texture, scrubs can make your acne worse. It is proven chemical exfoliation works better. The chemical exfoliation helps restore the skin cells from within and after a couple of weeks of using it, you can see an improvement of the skin. I was recommended to use Noreva Exfoliac, twice a week, after I cleansed my skin with Bioderma Sensibio.
4. No to heavy moisturisers and solid makeup products
You should look at the list of ingredients and avoid products which contains polyethylene or ethylhexyl palmitate. These ingredients are not friendly for those of us with breakout prone skin. So stay away from creamy compact foundations. A good foundation, which I highly recommend, as a rosacea and acne sufferer, is Estee Lauder Double Wear LIght. It covers very well and didn’t aggravate my skin. But during the 6 months treatment, I avoided using foundation as much as possible.
5. Yes to sunscreen and moisturisers
Applying SPF daily is critical, no matter what skin type you have. And there are many concerns that the SPF creams can cause breakouts, but you should always choose a fluid, lightweight “non-comedogenic” formula — which means it doesn’t cause acne.
6. No touching the face
As silly as it sounds, it is an important factor you should consider and a hard habit to break. Every time you touch your face with your hands, dirts and oils are transferred.
2. Treat acne breakout on face
If you already lost the battle and the breakouts are claiming their face territory, then what else can you do than to treat it. For spot treating, my doctor recommended me MASK PLUS GEL. It is magical. This is the only gel that I used and saw actual results in repairing the skin. It acts as an exfoliant and provides you with an antibiotic action. Is the first-line treatment for moderate to severe acne. And it is very important to use it on a regular basis, on the affected zones.
If the acne left severe scars, those can be treated effectively with microdermabrasion at home devices.
We all have different type of skin, so if you are currently following a skincare routine recommended by your doctor, you should stick to it. It is very important to seek the help of a doctor, especially when you suffer from severe acne. I don’t think there is the best face wash for acne or the best cure. I think you should treat the main cause that’s causing your skin to break out, which is mostly from the inside, and then ask the help of a specialist and he/she will guide you to find the right products for your skin type.
Overall, be patient
Improvements take time. The stubborn acne can be defeated if you are perseverant and willing to do to lifestyle changes.
