Everybody wants a great complexion; unfortunately, not everybody is blessed with perfect skin. Alas, there is still hope for those of us who are genetically disadvantaged. With good habits, a healthy diet, and the right medicines, great skin is within your reach.

Break Bad Habits and Start Good Habits

Do not let anything that is dirty or oily touch your face – ever. This includes your own hands. Even if you just washed your hands, they still have natural oil on them. Touching your face can be a very difficult habit to break, but the benefits make the effort worthwhile.

Your hands are not the only source of contaminants that threaten your complexion; your pillowcase is also covered with dirt and oil. Wash your pillow case one to three times a week. In between washings, you can flip your pillow over, so that you are sleeping on the side that is not covered with oil from your face and dust from the room.

If you are prone to picking your pimples, stop. While you are pushing junk out of your face, you are also pushing it further into your face. As a result, the pimple will soon be redder, it will take longer to heal, and it may scar. Certainly, picking a pimple is not worth a permanent imperfection. Instead, dab a little medicine (good medicines are covered below) over the problem area and let it heal.

Keep Healthy

Bad skin is sometimes a result of bad health. Specifically, dehydration and a lack of certain vitamins can cause acne. Make sure that you drink plenty of water (approximately eight glasses a day) and take a multi-vitamin. Even if these healthy habits do not help your complexion, you might notice other benefits.

Although eating greasy or chocolaty foods has been blamed for causing acne, there is no real link here. Unless you are smearing your potato chips over your face, they will probably not cause you to break out. At the same time, some people do react badly to certain foods. If you suspect that something you eat may trigger your acne, stop eating that food for a while. If your acne clears up, try eating the questionable food once more; if your acne flairs up again, then you can be fairly certain that the food is indeed to blame.

Moisturize

Moisturized skin is happy skin. Even if you have oily skin, you will benefit from the use of a moisturizer. Dry skin looks cracked and gross; this is not your goal. Even worse, skin can compensate for its lack of moisture by producing more oil, thus producing more acne.

You should apply a face moisturizer once or twice a day. Make sure that you use an oil-free lotion. Better yet, look for one specifically made for trouble skin; some lotions even contain acne-fighting medicines like salicylic acid.

Pick Out Your Make-Up With Care

Ideally, you should not wear any foundation, powder, base, or any other type of make-up that can clog your pores. However, many women with mild, moderate, or severe acne will not leave the house without at least a little make-up to cover up the imperfections. If you must use make-up, be sure to choose something that is light and oil-free. Look for make-up that is designed for problem skin.

Wash Your Face

Obviously, you need to wash your face. You should wash your face in the morning and before you go to bed; never go to bed still wearing make-up. The make-up and dirt will clog your pores and ruin your complexion. Do not wash your face more than twice a day, though; excessive washing will dry your skin out.

The sheer number of face cleansers out on the market can be daunting. However, many of the products being sold are very similar to each other. Most acne-fighting cleansers contain either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. If your acne is severe, you might need to use both of these medicines; if you only have occasional breakouts, salicylic acid alone may do the trick. Because everybody’s skin is different, you may need to experiment a little to find the combination and amount that works for you. Try to be patient.

While you are honing in on your perfect routine, be careful not to overdo it with the topical medicines. Currently, salicylic acid is found in lots of different products, not just face wash. You should not use a lotion with salicylic acid, a foundation with salicylic acid, and a face wash with salicylic acid; if you do, you will dry out your face. If your lotion or foundation is medicated, use a gentle, oil-free, medicine-free cleanser.

Visit a Professional

The above tips will be enough for most people. However, some people will continue to have skin problems despite the best habits. If you are among this group, visit your doctor. Certain prescriptions medicines are known to reduce acne. The birth control pill, for example, has helped many women achieve a better complexion. Accutane, a medicine that is specifically designed to fight acne, might be a good option for you, too. Both drugs can have serious side effects, though, so thoroughly discuss your options with your doctor.

Other treatments, such as microdermabrasion, may also help improve your complexion. Although at-home microdermabrasion kits do exist, you should probably consult a professional to make sure that the procedure will help, rather than hurt, your skin.

Remember – It’s a Common Problem

Most people suffer from acne at some point in their life. Some people get it over with during their teenage years, while other battle bad skin well into their forties. Whether you have an occasionally pimple or a continuous cycle of breakouts, you are not alone.

Of course, just because acne is a common problem, that doesn’t mean you are any happier about it. But even if you never achieve flawless skin, you can achieve good skin through proper care. Follow the above advice carefully, and seek professional help if you do not see any improvements.