Thread: Acne Attack
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Old 21-05-2009, 09:06 PM   #7
Shenanigans
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There are various things you can do for acne/spot prone skin, but it all depends on your type of skin. Knowing your skin type is the first step to finding a good skin care regime as some products can actually make your skin worse if it's not the right type of treatment for your skin. Also there is a large difference between "acne" and having a few spots and the treatments are different for both.

For spot prone skin there are a few things you can do:
Tea-Tree Oil is very good for Oily skin and boots do a great range of tea-tree and witchhazel products, as do The Body Shop. You can also buy tea-tree oil pure but DON'T put it on your skin without diluting it first.
For sensitive skin it's best to use things that don't have alcohol in as this can dry your skin out further and make it much worse. The Simple range of skin care products are very good for sensitive skin as they don't use harsh chemicals or ingrediants which can irritate dry and sensitive skin.
Combination skin (as mine is) can be difficult because what works for one part of the skin will not work for the other. I've found using products with Vitamine E and Vitamine A in work wonders for acne/spots and the blemishes left behind.

The bases of a good skin care regime is to cleanse, tone and moisturise. You need to do ALL three to see the best effects of the products you are using. Alot of people think they can just do one or two and get the same effects but this is NOT true (for example, people with oily skin often don't moisturise as they believe it will make their skin worse which is completely untrue, oily skin needs a good cream moisturiser rather than a liquid type and one that is quickly absorbed into the skin.) Finding the right products can be hit and miss, but when you do and you stick to the routine for a few weeks you will see results.

For acne the best advice would to go and speak to your GP as the above products will probably not be strong enough to clear up acne on it's own, though they will help reduce it. Alot of the treatments doctors prescribe for acne can take a while to work and do have some side effects to them so it's best to speak to your doctor and have a talk through all the various treatments and see what's best for you.

And of course, eating the right foods will make a huge difference to your skin. Eating enough fruit and veg and drinking enough water can help reduce and keep acne flair ups at bay. If yout not sure your getting the right vitamins and minerals in your diet alone to help your skin, you can buy vitamin tablets specifically for hair, skin, teeth and nails. Holland and Barrets do a very good range though they are quite expensive.

Also when you do have spots it's important to treat them carefully so they don't spread and don't get worse. Avoid touching them when you don't need to, keep hair off of them and keep make-up to a minimal. If you feel self contious without foundation to cover the redness there a few great mineral powder foundations that can cover the redness very well and wont clog the pours leading to more spots.

Its a tough thing looking after acne-prone skin but once you've gotten the basics down you will see the difference.
Hope that helps and I'm sorry I babble!




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