Dr. Shiva Swamy

Acne is a skin condition that leads to breakouts like pimples and other eruptions on the skin, including white heads and black heads. In very severe conditions, an acne breakout may come with pus filled boils too. An acne breakout happens due to various reasons. Inflammation of an infected sebaceous gland leads to this breakout. This infection and consequent inflammation can take place due to hormonal changes, poor diet, as well as high testosterone levels and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Dirt and grime that clog the pores and dead cells that have not been washed off properly can also cause these breakouts. So what kind of skin care regimen can you have in order to prevent acne? Read on to know more.

1. Cleaning Acne Prone Areas: You must wash the acne prone areas with soap and warm water at least twice a day. If your case has been very severe in the past, you can even use a medicated soap to wash the neck, shoulders and back as sometimes, acne spreads to these areas as well. Concentrate on the face and remember to clean it to remove dust, grime and other irritants that come from pollution. If this is not done on a regular basis, the particles can block the pores and lead to infection where the dead skin cells play a major role. 
2. Make Up: If your skin is acne prone, you can use non oily make up or avoid it on a daily basis, if you can. Non oily make up does not irritate the sebaceous glands, which can end up secreting excessive oil leading to acne breakouts. Non oily make up and skin care products are known as non comedogenics which do not clog the pores. Also, you must remember to remove your applied make up carefully before you go to bed so that the pores are clean and get a chance to breathe rather than getting infected. Further, your old make up needs to be thrown out regularly even if the products do not come with an expiry date. Invest in new make up every few months and clean your brushes regularly too. 
3. Sweat: After a particularly intense work out session or after a run, you must remember to wash you face and take a shower so that the sweat and oil is can be removed, as these lead to breakouts if they are allowed to gather on the skin's surface and enter the pores. 

Taking care of your skin with a proper cleaning and hydrating routine is as important is getting the right nutrition as well.