Whether you are fighting acne, trying to get rid of facial scars, the skin tone and texture of your skin.
You’re in for a treat because I’ve put together an ultimate guide to clearer skin.
Some will be tried-and-tested.
Some will be dermatologist approved.
Some will be scientifically proven.
All of them are here:
Your skin is completely unique to you, and some things will work better for you than others.
Let’s get right into it!
Here’s all the tips and tricks on how to get clearer skin:
Table of contents
- Hygiene
- Facial Products To Consider
- Acne Fighting, Scar and Blemish Removal Agents
- Types of Food to Avoid
- Types of Food to Eat
- Good Habits
- Scar Removal Treatments
- FAQ
- Summary
Hygiene
- Wash your face twice a day. This is supported by many experts, once in the morning because “bacteria builds up on your skin when you sleep at night, so you need to wash it off in the morning,” says Debra Jaliman, MD. In addition it helps to prime the face for the rest of your morning routine products. Once at night to get rid of the dust and pollutants your face has been exposed to throughout the day.
- Wash your pillowcase more often. Pillowcases build up dirt, bacteria, makeup and hair oils quickly, if you only wash your clothes once a week, have a few pillowcases so you can easily change it every few days.
- Use fragrance free-free detergent to ensure your skin does not feel inflamed.
- Avoid harsh hot showers, it can dry out your skin and strip the skin . If it is winter, keep your
showers short or make the temperature slightly milder to prevent yourself from getting cold. - Remove all makeup before you sleep because the skin renews itself when it sleeps, letting it breathe and rejuvenate overnight is important. Leftover makeup if not washed properly can mix with skin oils that are released throughout the night and clog your pores.
- Wash your hair more often to prevent hair oil from seeping down and remaining on your face to increase your chances at having clear skin.
Facial Products To Consider
- Use a pH balanced mild cleanser to gently cleanse your skin and protect its acid mantle. Our skin has a natural acidic protective barrier to prevent it from being irritated by the pollution in the air.
- Oil-Based Cleansers are brilliant for deep cleaning the skin because of “the principle of oil attracting oil,” says Shari Marchbein, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University. It works by breaking down oil based impurities and is great for water-resistant makeup.
- Water-Based Cleansers work to break down water-based impurities such as. Some say that water-based cleansers are better for oily skin however I personally have battled acne for most of my teenage and adult life and have found that double cleansing with oil-based and water-based cleansers work amazing for me.
- Exfoliate to promote skin cell renewal. This can be done using chemicals, physical
- Toners (Avoid high alcohol toners) can help you restore your pH level after cleansers and improve skin tone in preparation for the moisturizer.
- Moisturize after cleansing or toning to keep your skin from over producing oil and sebum that can clog pores.
- Sunscreen prevents dark spots from forming, and helps maintain an even skin tone.
- Fragrance free products
- Non-comedogenic products apply to all products you buy. These are specifically formulated to not cause clogged pores which means tighter pores and clearer skin!
Acne Fighting, Scar and Blemish Removal Agents
Many of these products are available however ensure to consult the doctor or be careful to test the product in the off-chance you have allergies or sensitivities.
- Benzoyl peroxide treats and prevents more acne by killing bacteria underneath the skin and promotes cell turnover.
- Salicylic Acid targets sebum, penetrating skin to dissolve dead skin cells preventing build up of bacteria thus it exfoliates the skin and can also help with treating scars.
- Sulfur has antimicrobial properties and is gentler than benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. It works by drying out the surface of the skin to absorb excess oil, sebum and dead skin cells to unclog your pores.
- Tretinoin is a topical retinoid that goes beyond acne treatment. Studies show it accelerates the production of collagen, minimizing fine lines and wrinkles in the process as well as removing dead skin cells which all help acne but also anti-aging.
- Adapalene is also a topical retinoid which has been mostly studied for its effects in treating acne. It’s newer and has a more stable chemical structure than tretinoin making it better for combinations with other acne medications however it is also less strong than tretinoin so you may see faster effects with tretinoin.
- Azelaic acid targets bacteria itself which helps prevent pimples and acne, and is more suited for sensitive skin.
- Alpha hydroxy acids are able to cause exfoliation and shedding of skin on all skin types with minimal risk.
- Tea-tree oil is a naturally occurring essential oil which has antibacterial, antifungal properties that are useful for preventing acne.
- Topical Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that improves the condition of blemishes on the ski. Vitamin C reduces the effects of the tyrosine enzyme which is responsible for the production of melanin which can cause dark spots.
Often these agents make the skin more sensitive to the sun because of various factors such as exfoliation and increased cell turnover so ensure to wear sunscreen.
Types of Food to Avoid
- Refined grains and refined Sugar causes a spike in insulin levels which makes androgen hormones more active. This boosts sebum and skin cell production which increases the chances for pores to be plugged and cause acne.
- Dairy can be the reason you are getting acne. Many people have dairy sensitivities, such as lactose intolerance and it can cause your body to have internal inflammation and these can show on your skin. Also,
- Fast food
- Omega-6 fatty acid foods
- Chocolate
- Whey protein powder have been correlated with acne in athletes by several scientific studies.
Types of Food to Eat
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Probiotics
- Green tea
- Tumeric
- Vitamins A, D, E and zinc
- Get a daily dose of Vitamin C
Good Habits
- Drink water often
- Exercise more
- Sleeping a lot helps to rejuvenate your skin because sleeping is when skin metabolism increases and cell turnover increases. In addition the body is able to detox properly flushing out toxins as you sleep.
- Don’t smoke, smoking causes the skin to age prematurely because it causes a lot of carbon monoxide inhalation, which reduces oxygen in the blood supply dulling the radiance of your skin. The smoke released also contains many harmful chemicals which can remain on your skin and cause blackheads, whiteheads and acne.
- Use vitamins to nourish your skin
- Stop eating oily foods
- Use a silicone cleansing brush
- Wear hats all the time to prevent sun spots from occurring on your face or darkening ones that are there.
Scar Removal Treatments
Ensure to consult a dermatologist or a professional before seeking these treatments.
- Laser resurfacing is a facial rejuvenation procedure that uses a laser to improve the skin’s appearance or treat minor facial flaws.
- Chemical peels are where a chemical solution is applied to remove the top layers of your skin. I They’re great for diminishing signs of aging, reducing fine lines and even helping acne because of its intense exfoliation.
- Skin needling otherwise known as Micro needling stimulates the skin to generate new collagen, and smooths and tones the skin.
- Try blue light therapy. This is a non-invasive way to treat acne and blemishes on the skin.
FAQ
Why do I have acne?
Acne can be caused by so many different things. Hormone, hygiene, products, sensitivities. In general teenagers go through hormone imbalances causing acne to erupt, however it can also last through to adulthood. Consulting a doctor if you have tried many different ways to get rid of acne is always a good option.
How do I know what skin type I have?
There are 5 main skin types to consider. Oily, Dry, Normal, Combination and Sensitive.
Oily skin produces excess sebum resulting in shiny looking skin. If you find that and can be more prone to larger pores, acne and blemishes because the pores easily get clogged with the overproduction of sebum if not managed properly.
Dry Skin often may look rough or may flake more easily. If you have dry skin, your face might feel tight if not moisturized enough and in dry weather it may feel itchy or irritated.
Combination skin has both dry and oily areas on the face, most commonly the T-zone, which is the forehead, nose and chin are the most oily whilst the cheeks and other areas of the face are dry.
Normal skin if none of the above apply to you and you find that you have tiny pores, don’t encounter acne, blackheads, whiteheads or pimples often, or feel that your skin is tight or oily you may just have the holy grail of skin. However it’s still important to use the right products to protect your skin’s barrier.
Sensitive Skin can actually apply to any skin type. You could have oily or dry sensitive skin, however when trying products your skin gets irritated easily by products that many people use. That’s when you need to be careful and use fragrance-free and test products before using them.
Summary
Having radiant, glowing, clear skin can be your reality. Using the steps above and tuning them to be specific for your unique skin is the key to having clear skin.
Never stop working on yourself!
The most important thing is to be kind to yourself on this journey to get clearer beautiful skin.
Improving the health of your skin, evening your skin tone and texture is a process and there are a whole lot of factors to consider.