Hygiene is so important to your skin (I'm not saying any off you are dirty) I'm talking about the build up of bacteria and oil which are the two main causes of breakouts. Anything that comes into contact regularly with your face should be washed as often as possible! For example your pillow, phone screen (especially touch screen phones!), glasses, makeup brushes, even your own hands and hair! I wash my phone screen and glasses with an antibacterial wipe as often as I remember. Makeup brushes are the worst for building up oil and bacteria, I wash mine once a week with soap and water and leave to dry over night (you won't believe the dirt that comes off them the first time you wash them!)
Diet is something that everyone blabs on about being the most important factor that cause breakouts and of course it's important to drink plenty of water and eat as much fresh fruit etc. as possible but it's not as important as the build up off bacteria on your skin. I struggle to stick to healthy diet and love me some chocolate, mcdonalds etc etc and eaten excessively does cause my skin to break out however eaten in moderation is fine. I like to try and drink a smoothie every day as I find this helps me get the vitamins I need.
Skin routine is something that has taken me years to perfect. I've used every product you can imagine that claims to give clear skin. Unfortunately it's about being patient and finding products that work for you. Try avoiding products with alcohol and other harsh chemicals as these irritate your skin maybe clearing up your acne but worsening the condition of your skin. Using a cleanser with a gentle exfoliant works best as it gets rid of dead skin clearing blocked pores as well as removing makeup and oil. I am currently using proactiv (inspired by the gorgeous Kaley Cuoco) a product a little pricey but when it was reduced to £19.99 in the January sales I couldn't resist! It consists of a three step routine..cleanser, toner, repairing day/night lotion I've been using it for about two weeks and it's going really well..skin feels a lot softer and looks clearer, still getting a few spots but they only last for a day. It contains salicylic acid - which is very good for acne however can dry up the skin so be careful using it! If proactiv is not for you hunt around for other products on the high street that are similar but cheaper Simple have some nice cleansers that don't aggravate your skin. Another tip when using cleansers is to really massage them in (not roughly, especially if they have exfoliant beads) for at least 1-2 minutes and throughly remove with warm water, I truly believe that properly cleansing the skin really makes a difference.
Makeup is a necessity for us with acne however creates a vicious circle as it can also make it worse. Try wearing make up only when your going out and stay bare faced around the house. BB creams are a good alternative to foundations as they are lighter and help your skin rather then clog it, however coverage usually isn't good so these are good to use once your skin has begun to clear up to help maintain it's clearness, I really like Maybelline's BB cream. As for foundations try to use one that isn't thick and pore clogging Seventeen (available at boots) do a really lovely foundation called On the Spot foundation that contains salicylic acid and claims to give you 'clearer skin in 4 weeks'. I can't say that it has cleared up my skin but the acne fighting agents that it contains means it hasn't caused me to break out and the coverage is really good too - it's a great foundation! However the most important thing with make up is too remove it all at the end off the day and NEVER sleep in it.
Stressing about your acne really isn't worth it, although I know this is easier said than done because I used to get really upset and embarrassed by mine until one day I realised that when I was talking to someone I would never notice the spots or imperfections on their face but rather what they were saying. This isn't really a tip just something to give you peace of mind - remember that you are your worst critic and always pick out the worst in yourself, others tend not too and don't not notice acne as long as your confident and smiling all they will see is you!
If you've made it to the end of this very long post then thank you for reading and I really hope some of these tips are useful to you however do remember these are tips based on my own experience and what works for me may not work for you but you can just adjust them and apply them to meet your own needs! Good luck!
lots of love
Daisy
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