Considering acne affects an estimated 50 million Americans each year, learning how to prevent these unsightly blemishes is key. Thankfully, caring for your skin properly and following a healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing severe acne. Of course, you may not know where to start when designing a skin-care regimen. Using these simple solutions, you can properly care for your skin and prevent severe acne.
Diet
Following a well-balanced diet and exercise plan is essential for your underlying health, but it can also help reduce the risk of acne breakouts. To get started, avoid eating at fast food restaurants, since the majority of food served at these establishments is fried and greasy. Greasy foods cause inflammation in your body, which will increase the risk of acne.
Reduce your consumption of high-glycemic and sugary foods, as well. While eating one or two cookies each day will not cause you to break out, excessive intake of cookies, potato chips, pasta, candy, and soda will create hormonal fluctuations and inflammation in your body. This may lead to severe acne breakouts.
Focus on eating fish to improve your heart health, balance out your hormones, and reduce the risk of acne. Salmon, mackerel, and sardines contain essential fatty acids, such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, which reduce inflammation and the risk of acne breakouts.
Avocado is also an important food to eat if you are prone to severe acne. This superfood is rich in vitamins E and C, which improves the skin's look and texture while reducing inflammation and stimulating healing.
Increasing your intake of fresh garlic is also beneficial for preventing severe acne. Garlic is naturally antibacterial and antiviral. Adding fresh garlic to various dishes will kill off harmful bacteria and viruses that may be affecting your skin.
Cleanse
Washing your face properly is an imperative part of reducing your acne breakouts, too. While a visit to your local discount retailer or drug store will offer a large selection of skin cleansers, these products contain chemicals that may be too harsh for your skin. In addition, the more expensive cleansers sold in department stores may not align with your body's natural chemistry, increasing your risk of blemishes and irritating your skin.
Here are a few natural options that are safe and effective for cleansing your face to prevent severe acne:
- Oil. Cleansing your face with oil may not seem like a smart idea for reducing acne, but it effectively removes dirt and dead skin cells from your pores and skin's surface. Consider soaking a cotton cloth or pad in olive oil and working it over your entire face. Allow it to rest on your face for a few minutes before soaking a cloth in warm water. Use this cloth to remove the excess olive oil from your face. Pat your face dry with a clean towel.
- Honey. Honey is an effective option for cleansing your skin, since it contains natural antibacterial properties. To use, splash your face with warm water to dampen the skin. Add a teaspoon of raw honey to your hands and massage into your face using circular motions. Allow the honey to sit and soak into your face for a few minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water.
- Baking Soda. Create a facial cleanser using 2 tablespoons of warm water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Mix to create a paste and massage it onto your face and neck. After a few minutes, rinse your face with lukewarm water. The baking soda will scrub away stubborn dirt, dust, dead skin cells, and bacteria from your skin and inside your pores, reducing acne breakouts.
Following a healthy diet and using natural, nontoxic ingredients to cleanse your skin are effective solutions for preventing acne. If you use these simple solutions, your skin can be healthy, appealing, and free of acne. Click here to read about professional skin services.
