A new way to fight acne.

        Acne can be the toughest, most annoying thing a young person can go through. Even adults can find its effect devastating. It is traumatizing to every person who has to live with it. When a person looks in the mirror and sees that another pimple is beginning to protrude a huge weight falls onto their shoulders. When talking to a good-looking guy or a beautiful woman, all you can think about is the acne erupting on your face. You ask yourself, “Why would this man/woman want to talk to me with my face looking so horrible?” Not only that, but once these pimples go away they can leave acne scars that do not just go away by themselves. This causes devastating effects to your self-esteem.

        Many of us have tried hundreds of different treatments with no results. We pour so much money into these treatments with the hope of our acne finally disappearing, for good. The problem is nothing works. I know people who would pay anything for a acne treatment that actually works. Now, I do not have a full proof method that will get rid of all acne for good, nor do I claim it is cheap or easy, but it will significantly reduce the amount of acne you have.

        I have battled with my acne for over 10 years. I have tried every popular acne treatment on the market. I have been to dermatologists and tried everything they have given me. The bottom line is nothing worked! Through many years of research on the web, and just picking out different items to try on my acne, I have compiled a system that has significantly reduced my acne. I will tell you right away that my particular skin type is oily. This method may work for people with drier skin, but has been perfected and researched for oily skin. There are many different parts to my system. The initial output of cash to get started will not be cheap, but it should only be needed about twice a year depending on how much of each product you use.

Key Acne Fighting Ingredients
        First a little information on the key ingredients used to fight acne. Some of the most well-known and widely used ingredients in acne treatments are, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid (aka beta hydroxy acid), retinols, and glycolic acid (aka alpha hydroxy acid). Benzoyl peroxide is an antibacterial medication that is used to destroy bacteria that causes acne. It also causes the skin to peel and pores to clear so the medication can further clear the bacteria from the skin. It can cause redness and irritation in more sensitive skin, but often goes away after a few days to a few weeks. Salicylic acid is used as peeling agent which allows pores to clear as well. It is lipid soluble which allows the acid to get into the pores to clean them out. Retinol has retinoic acid which can be useful in the reproduction of cells and to help them serve their proper function. Glycolic acid works as a peeling treatment. Its high acidity breaks down the skin layers to allow the top layer to begin peeling off.

Washing Your Face
        It is very important to know the different acne ingredients so you can be well informed for when you go to the store and start looking for different acne cleansers to use. I do not recommend using an acne treatment system because a system tends to use only one of these ingredients. One thing I have discovered over the years is how important it is to use at least two of these ingredients in your acne skin care regiment. If one ingredient is not taking out all the dirt or clearing out everything from the pores, then the other ingredient may complete the job. Use one face wash, with one ingredient, in the morning and use a second cleanser, with a different ingredient, at night. For some with less sensitive skin it may be helpful to leave the cleanser on your face for a minute or two to allow the acne fighting ingredients plenty of time to do their job. EVERYONE should wash their face at least twice a day. People with oily skin should, also, wash their face before they exercise and after. As you exercise your pores open which allows all the sweat, dirt, and bacteria to enter into the pores. By washing your face before you exercise you are preventing any impurities from falling into your pores in the beginning. By washing your face after you exercise any debris that had gotten into your pores are cleared out while the pores are still open which allows for easier cleaning.

The Dermabrasion System
        The, yes I say THE, most essential part to an acne regiment is microdermabrasion treatments. Microdermabrasion is used to gently remove the top layer of skin using small crystals that rub over the skin’s surface. I am not talking about a full treatment using a dermatologist, but instead, a home kit treatment. The one I use is by Youthful Essence (Note* Do not buy this from their website. It is cheaper if you buy it from QVC). I prefer Youthful Essence, because it comes with a Resurfacing Tool. This tool makes it easier to remove the dead skins cells from your face. WARNING: For a few this cream has caused breakouts to become worse. If this happens, Youthful Essence and QVC offers a money back guarantee that can be taken advantage of. This treatment should be used every other day. Always wash your face with a cleanser before using this treatment. If it is only used for the face and not all over the body it will last approximately 6 months. This treatment also has the added bonus of softening the skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

The Mask
        A good facial mask is an important piece to your acne regiment. Most any acne mask will do. However, I like the mask that Youthful Essence produces as well as the one Murad produces. Many people use a mask to reduce pimples already on the face. I use the mask as a preventative. I put on a mask twice a week, right after I use the microdermabrasion kit on my face. I feel my pores are clear and open to allow the mask to work to its fullest potential.

Spot Treatment
        Once a pimple has broken out all we can do is get rid of the pimple as soon as possible. Acne spot treatments are good to reduce the number of days a pimple is on your face. I have less sensitive skin and tend to leave the acne spot treatment on overnight so I can wake up to a pimple that is greatly reduced, if not gone altogether. I caution this to people with sensitive skin because, though the pimple may be reduced, irritation can result.

Acne Fighting Foundation
        When you wake up in the morning and a pimple has formed on your face there is nothing you can do for the moment. We have to go to work. We have to go to school. Though a pimple may leave you self-conscious, it is not a excuse to call out of work or skip school. When there is nothing we can do to eliminate the pimple, there is only one thing to be done, Cover It Up. We do not pop pimples. I repeat we do NOT pop pimples. This causes scars and remember scars can be just as ugly as pimples. For females, I suggest a foundation, not just cover up. I have had very bad luck with oil-free foundations. They still make me break out. I believe a foundations job is not to not make you break out, but to actually prevent breakouts from occurring. I like to use Neutrogena’s Skin Clearing oil-free makeup. It can be found at Walmart for around 12 dollars and will last me for months. It actually has the acne fighting ingredient salicylic acid.

To recap:
1. Wash your face twice a day with two different cleanser that have two different acne fighting ingredients.
2. Use a personal microdermabrasion system every other day.
3. Use a mask approximately twice a week
4. use acne spot treatments to treat existing pimples.
5. Use a skin clearing foundation to avoid breakouts from the use of makeup.

       That’s it. My entire process to keep my skin clear. I do not guarantee that this treatment will work for everyone all the time, but I do feel it will work for most people most of the time. Acne cannot be stopped from coming completely, however, we can sure try to stop as much of it as we can. I give you this blog from personal experience. For years I didn’t want to leave the house. Now, that past is behind me. I leave my house confidently knowing if people are staring at my face it is not because of my acne. Please feel free to tell me your, “Finally, the world sees me, not my acne” success story.