Cleaning Up Acne

Zits, pimples, blemishes—whatever you call them they seem to become the bane of our existence from the minute that we entered our teenage years. There are many medications out there that seem to promise instant results, but do they really work? The answer is both yes and no. They may work, but not for everyone, and not instantly. All medications take some time to take effect, and not all medications work for all people which is why there are so many different kinds on the market. Here are some simple, step-by-step home remedies that you can use to take care of your pesky pimples.

1. Try drinking lots of water. The more your keep yourself hydrated, the more that your body is able to remove the dirt and other impurities on your skin through your sweat. This is your body's natural "waste management" system after all, and it does need to be properly lubricated.
2. Reduce the level of stress in your life. Since stressing out tends to make your body chemistry go slightly out of whack, it makes your skin more oily and thereby making your face and body a magnet for all that dirt and grime that can cause blemishes. One good way to do this is to make sure that you are getting a proper amount of sleep.
3. Hair can hold onto dirt, grime, and other skin contaminants that lead to acne breakouts. If you want to keep long hair, ensure that your bangs are kept off of your forehead, or that at the very least you are washing your hair on a nightly or daily basis.
4. Bacteria that gets lodged in the pores of your skin is another of the causes of zits. Reducing that amount of bacteria is not a difficult task. Use cleansers that are made of anti-bacterial materials such as alcohol, benzoyl peroxide and other such agents to clean your face.
5. Use gentle cleansers that have exfoliating agents in them. This helps to remove the dead cells that also lead to acne break outs. Do not over exfoliate though, since this can also lead to an increase of acne breakouts, so in order to keep that from happening be sure that you pat dry as opposed to rubbing, to avoid irritating the fresh skin that you have just brought to the fore.