Five Steps You Can Take Right Now to Clear Up Your Acne

Are you overwhelmed by everything you are hearing and seeing about what you need to do to clear up your skin? There are virtually thousands of acne treatments and millions of ideas on clearing up acne, but if you feel overwhelmed by it all just start off with these five steps you can begin right now!

1. Wash your face three times a day with a gentle soap, water and a clean washcloth. Yes, it sounds simple, but the very best thing you can do for your skin is to keep it clean! You can spend big bucks on special soaps with lots of great ingredients, but any gentle face or body soap will do.

Use warm water to help with the cleaning, but too hot water can over-dry. A clean washcloth is critical - a reused washcloth can re-infect your face with the germs you removed previously.

2. Swap out sodas and other sugary or diet drinks with lots of plain old water. I know, everywhere you go people are telling you to drink lots of water. That's probably because it does you so much good. Water hydrates your skin and helps it fight off infection and generally stay strong.

Water also detoxifies your pores and helps keep them clear. Studies show that both sugar and fake sugar products can contribute to poor skin in all forms. If you just can't stand plain water, add a lemon, lime or orange slice to spice up the taste.

3. Cut down on fried foods and other nut and kernel based oils. Yep, once again, you've heard it before, but fried foods and heavy oils are especially bad for problem skin. For some reason, peanuts and peanut butter are especially bad. Even if you change out fries for fruit or salad once a day you'll probably notice a difference.

4. Eat lots and lots of fruits and vegetables. Almost any fruits and vegetables will do, but if you can add several servings of fresh, and especially raw, fruits and vegetables to your daily diet not only will your skin improve but you'll feel better all over. Just grab a banana or apple for a snack and munch on carrot or celery sticks when you want something a little salty.

5. Get plenty of sleep. Another cliche? Well, like they say, things become cliches for a reason. Your body does all kinds of crazy things when forced to react to a lack of sleep, and many of them affect your skin. Our body uses sleep to repair itself, and to fight off all the negative things that try to attack it. This is critical to skin that is fighting acne.

Get started now! You may find you need more help to completely clear your skin, or this may be all you need. Either way, these five steps are critical to any skin regimen.

By : Elise_Smart