How to Prevent Acne

For those desperate to know how to prevent acne, it's confession time. There's no foolproof way to prevent acne, especially in your teens. But don't despair. While genetics does play a part, there are several lifestyle choices you can make to improve your odds, and by quite a bit.

Acne, an inflammation inside the pores, results when natural skin oil (sebum) gets trapped with bacteria and dead skin cells. The body's defenses go to work to fight the bacteria, creating pus and pain, and an ugly mess. That bit of science gives us several clues as to how to prevent acne, or at least to help lower the chances of acne happening in the first place.

The two keys to acne prevention are:

1. Keeping sebum at a modest level, specifically by regulating hormones
2. Keeping pores clean and clear

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(Note: The above link is a sponsored ad for an acne guide.
The owner of this site is not a bonafide user of this guide, but has researched the content.)

Hormones - How to keep them in check

You can't talk about how to prevent acne without talking about hormone regulation. Hormone levels play a major role in determining the amount of natural skin oil found in and around the follicles (the tiny skin 'pits' or pores that hold facial hair). Androgens are highest during the teen years, which is why acne is usually the most severe during that time of life.

But diet and exercise - both lifestyle choices within your control - influence those hormone levels.

Contrary to popular myth, there are no foods (chocolate, pizza, and more) that directly cause acne. But the food you eat does influence the hormones that produce sebum. A healthy diet keeps your hormones in check, helping to keep your natural skin oil at the right level.

Exercise plays a double role. It cooperates with your diet to keep all your systems working well by lowering stress and keeping organs functioning at peak. This, in turn, produces proper hormone levels. It also helps keep pores flushed and open. That is the second major key to preventing acne.

Pores - How to keep them from clogging

When oil is produced inside the follicle (pore), it's usually swept outward and over the skin (that's its function, after all). Any excess is typically cleansed away with alcohol, soap and water, or special acne prevention products. When bacteria and sebum get trapped, that sets the scene for acne to flare up.

So when plotting your strategy for how to prevent acne, we recommend a twice-daily cleansing routine. It promotes skin health in general, and is tremendously helpful in lowering the odds of acne. Soap and water can be good in a pinch. But soap can dry skin, paradoxically helping promote acne. Dove (which is not a soap) is an inexpensive but effective option.

If you don't like Dove or would prefer something specifically made to treat acne, then specialized acne cleansers are preferable to soap. They help open pores to allow oil to escape and be removed. They wash excess oil away and kill acne-causing bacteria at the same time.

It's equally important not to overdo the routine and to choose the right products. Harsh scrubbing or too frequent washing irritates the skin and eliminates too much oil. Balance is key and moderation is a must. Similarly some cleansers, like excessively strong alcohol or alcohol-based products, may also be harsh and remove too much oil. Gentle is the name of the game.

So to summarize how to prevent acne, it boils down to something quite simple...

With the right habits and the right skin care products you can, as much as possible, prevent acne from striking in the first place. And this is one area where the old saying is definitely true. An ounce - or an hour - of prevention is worth a pound - and weeks - of cure.

Proven system for acne prevention

The Acne No More system is an easy-to-follow program to eliminate acne and keep it from coming back.

If you want to learn more about how to prevent acne from someone who's been there, check out this ebook now.

It's packed full of useful information and tools to keep you acne-free.