When do we need to start our acne skin care? Acne is a frequently occurring disease that usually begins during puberty and can recur sporadically later in life. It is very important to care for the skin properly throughout the duration of acne to avoid escalating it to a more severe form, thereby reducing the risk of often permanent scarring. The three basic components to combating acne are a daily wash, a spot treatment, and an astringent.
By using daily preventative measures of acne skin care, such as washes and scrubs, as well as spot treatments to treat pimples when they do occur, one will reduce the risk of more severe acne, as well as eventual scarring.
The first important message about acne skin care is that the treatments must be used as they are advised. For most over-the-counter treatments, this means either once or twice daily (morning and night). It is usually possible to find the directions specific to your chosen treatment on the packaging. When a doctor either prescribes or simply suggests a method of acne skin care, it is imperative to follow his or her instructions to experience the maximum effect of the treatment.
The first step toward effective acne skin care is finding an effective face wash. The primary function of a face wash is to remove as much oil as possible from the skin, because oil will stick to dirt and dead skin to clog pores. However, there is a reason that the oil is there, because it does prevent the skin from overdrying; using an acne wash that is too strong will do exactly that, leaving dry, cracked, irritated skin behind. To find which face wash most effectively cares for your acne, it is necessary to experiment to find the perfect balance between removing oil and drying out your skin. Additional options when considering face washes are scrubs. Scrubs are usually composed of the same types of active ingredients as soaps are, but they have an abrasive material inside that actively sloughs off some of the dead skin cells, thereby reducing the second major concern for forming clogged pores. A scrub is not necessary, but it can help to increase the effectiveness of a treatment.
The second major component of acne skin treatment is a spot treatment. This treatment is usually very strong, in fact, too strong for regular usage. These treatments come usually in very small bottles, but they pack quite a punch. When dabbed onto a developing zit, they will usually halt the growth and immediately begin shrinking the zit. These treatments are so effective that they will often reduce the size of a zit very noticeably overnight.
When acne is successfully treated, an astringent will greatly enhance the appearance of the skin. Certain astringents, especially those containing witch hazel, have strong antioxidant powers that make them highly capable of fighting acne. The main goal of an astringent, however, is to shrink the pores and to make them less visible. This will smooth out the skin on the face, giving it an even appearance.