Forming A Daily Clear Skin Routine
If you’ve had acne for any length of time, you’ve probably tried a wide range of products with underwhelming results. You may have even given some thought to your diet and other factors such as sleep and exercise. Unfortunately, most people fail when it comes to lifestyle changes simply due to lack of planning and commitment. So lets break down the main factors you need to keep track of.
There are 3 main factors that play a role in acne control: hygiene, diet & lifestyle.
First is hygiene - effectively washing your skin. For most acne sufferers, less is more when it comes to cleansing. That’s right, most people over-wash. I recommend using only a single gentle cleanser, twice per day (morning and night) at most, unless you did something during the day to work up a sweat or get yourself dirty. If you’re blasting your skin with a dozen different products and multi-step treatments, toss that stuff out. You’re probably doing more harm than good.
Next is your diet. Try writing down what you eat for a few days. Include both meals and snacks, and try to cut back on the latter. If you absolutely need to snack, consider skin-healthy fruits or vegetables. Take count of how many glasses of water you’re drinking (it should be at least 4 big, tall glasses every day!). Lower the carbs, fat and trouble food groups like dairy. Your diet also includes vitamin supplements, so if you’re using a vitamin B5 acne treatment like Clear5, write down when you take it and how much.
Lifestyle can seem like a broad topic, but basically take note of the day’s physical activity. Do you spend all day with your back glued to a chair? That might have something to do with your back acne. Do you exercise regularly? How is your metabolism? Are you getting enough sleep? All these factors impact the health of your skin. Allow your body to build a natural rhythm, sleeping and eating at the same times each day, and try to do at least some form of strenuous exercise (just rinse off that sweat afterwards!).
Writing things down is key. Give yourself a checklist of things to do during the morning, afternoon and evening, so you’ll know if you skipped drinking that glass of water before leaving for school, etc. Once you start getting organized with your skin care routine, you’ll naturally form good habits, and the combined effect can help in the fight against acne more so than any quick-fix product.
