Are You Making Your Acne Worse By The Way You Cleanse Your Skin?

You may think using hot water, a wash cloth, scrubs, drying soap, a heavy hand and washing the face several times a day will help you eliminate acne but actually you may be making acne worse. While maintaining properly cleansed skin is important when fighting acne, a gentle hand and gentle products are crucial.
Proper Cleansing For Acne Prone Skin - "Squeaky Clean" Is Not The Goal
Skin secretes waste and dead skin cells on a daily basis which makes daily cleansing important. For acne prone skin, your skin also deals with excess oil and bacteria that may clog the pores which along with the dead skin cells leading to pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, milia, etc, that are associated with having an acne problem.
When fighting acne, in order to keep oil control in check and to gently exfoliate the skin and pores, it is recommended that the skin be cleansed daily. Use a medicated acne cleanser that contains ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide that are designed for fighting acne. A natural alternative to these chemicals is to use tea tree oil which has been shown to be as effective as benzoyl peroxide in fighting acne.
You can also use an alpha hydroxy acid cleanser or one that is not medicated but which is suitable for your particular skin type (oily, combination, sensitive or dry).
When cleansing acne prone skin and using the cleanser of your choice, use tepid water and gently massage your skin, rinse and pat dry. If you wear makeup, make it a point to ensure that you remove it entirely at the end of the day before going to bed so that you avoid the possibility of clogged pores and worsening your acne. Even if you do not wear makeup, do cleanse your face before bedtime because the natural sebum (oil) on the skin can attract dirt and pollutants in the atmosphere.
No Scrubbing Please!
Scrubs are used to exfoliate (remove dead skin cells from) the skin. While exfoliation is important when fighting acne to prevent dead skin cells from accumulating and clogging pores, using scrubs which contain granules will only make acne worse. The same can be said for scrubbing the face with rough washcloths, sponges or puffs.
Acne represents skin eruptions that begin underneath the surface of the skin. There are thousands of sebaceous (oil) glands underneath the face, chest, back, scalp that help to lubricate the skin.
Oil travels from the sebaceous glands to the surface of the skin through hair follicles. The follicle is also lined with many cells that when they shed are carried to the surface by the sebum where they are then washed away. Sometimes these cells stick together instead of being shed probably due to the increase in oil production.
When these cells stick together, they plug or block the follicle. Underneath this blockage, a sac is usually formed (microcomedone) that contains sebum and dead skin cells in addition to the bacteria that feeds off sebum and dead skin cells.
As the sac continues to grow, it either becomes a blackhead, whitehead or pimple. In more serious cases, it may form painful cysts or nodules.
When fighting acne and you decide to vigorously scrub the skin, it may cause a tiny developing sac to break and spill its contents into the surrounding areas leading to the creation of a large, red, inflamed bump which is why scrubbing is not recommended to exfoliate acne prone skin.
To exfoliate acne prone skin, it is recommended to use an exfoliating mask that contains salicylic acid or glycolic acid once or twice a week. These ingredients help to remove dead skin cells as well as remove excess oil. Benzoyl peroxide is also commonly used in many acne masks. Clay masks are also a good alternative and absorb excess oil and help to unclog pores which is important when fighting acne. Clay masks also improve the skin's texture and minimize pore size.