So I made a tasty discovery the other day. While I enjoy Clearade’s lemonade flavor, sometimes you need to mix things up. Thankfully, lemonade can easily be mixed with a number of additional flavors if you’re looking for a change. I decided to try adding some instant tea, and the result is a surprisingly great Arnold Palmer.

I’ve tried the lemonade and ice tea powdered drinks from a number of brands, and Clearade mixes very well with the powdered ice tea from Arizona, Nestea and Lipton. It’s actually quite a bit tastier than the regular Arnold Palmer drink mixes that come pre-made. The trick is to adjust your proportions right. Especially if the ice tea mix also includes citric acid, you should use less than a full packet of Clearade, otherwise the tartness may be overpowering (for instance mix 1/2 packet of Clearade with 1/2 packet or Arizona ice tea mix). The unsweetened instant tea from Nestea is a good choice because it’s 100% pure tea with no additives, and can usually be found for less that $3 at stores such as Walmart. Adding one teaspoon to a packet of Clearade does the trick nicely.

With a balanced mix of instant tea and Clearade, the result is a refreshing beverage that some may find easier to drink on a daily basis than straight lemonade. You don’t have to worry about losing the benefit of clear skin, as tea actually adds more antioxidants. So give it a try, you may discover a new favorite flavor!

Well, the fact is that washing too often can be just as problematic for your skin as washing too infrequently. If you’re suffering from acne, chances are that your skin is already sensitive to irritation, and one of the surest ways to irritate your skin is to strip it of its natural layer of protection every few hours.

People with clear skin don’t have to constantly, obsessively wash. Doing so prevents leaves your skin extra vulnerable, since it doesn’t get a chance to build up the minimum level of skin oil that serves as its first line of defense. Excess oil is bad, but no oil can be even worse. Treatments like Clearade and Clear5 are so effective because they eliminate the excess oil without stripping it all away. Vitamin B5 works with your skin rather than against it.

Being in the business, it’s not unusual to hear from customers who wash with multi-step cleansers and/or take showers 2-3 times per day. My advice is always the same: wash less.

Constantly drying out your skin and slathering your face with chemicals is not the way to beat acne. If you wash with cleansers twice per day, consider doing so only once (such as before bed) and simply rinsing your face with water in place of your second full wash. If you take two showers per day, lower it to one unless you’re been exercising and worked up a sweat before the second.

As a general rule, try not to assault your skin with soap or cleansers more than once per day unless you actively did something to get yourself dirty. Use gentle products and was thoroughly when you apply them. When it comes to good hygiene, quality is better than quantity.

1) Be patient. Most acne scarring is caused when people try to pop pimples ahead of their time. Don’t let a sudden urge to attack your face get the best of you. Always wait until the white pustule is clearly visible near the surface of your skin before attempting to force it out.

2) Use a sterilized needle. Instead of just pinching your skin, give your pimples a path of least resistance to escape. First boil the needle to make sure that it’s bacteria free, then gently penetrate the skin just enough to reach the pustule. This way, when you apply pressure with your fingers, the clump of hardened oil and bacteria has an easy exit and is less likely to leave a crater as it bursts through the skin.

3) Follow with an antibacterial agent. Pustules aren’t always expelled from the skin all at once, and even when they are, the wound left behind can prove a nesting ground for new bacteria if you aren’t careful. Cover your bases by applying an antibiotic of antibacterial agent such as tea tree oil just afterwards. This will not only protect against infection, but can also help speed healing.

4) Leave those deep cysts alone. There are some pimples you should never try to pop, regardless of how tempted you might feel. Deep cysts can appear as painful, red lumps in your skin, usually with no visible pustule. These can be very uncomfortable, but you should never pick at them while the pustule is still lodged deep below the surface, as they are the number one most likely form of pimples to leave you with permanent scars. The risk isn’t worth it. Follow step 1 and just leave these alone unless the pustule rises very near to your skin’s surface.

Unfortunately, moisturizers are one of the most troublesome products when it comes to preventing acne, as they often do just the opposite. Poor quality moisturizers are a common cause of clogged pores, and even those that are specifically labeled as “noncomedogenic” can still cause blockage if they are applied too liberally.

So what is an acne sufferer to do? You can still protect your skin against dryness with a few smart practices and natural solutions. The first step is something I’ve written about a lot: drink enough water. Drinking a lot of water isn’t only important when you’re sweating in the summer heat. Doing so will keep your cells supple and protected against the brisk, dry air of winter.

While drinking water is great, washing too frequently - especially with hot water - isn’t. Every time you wash, you sap your skin of its protective layer of oil. This is even worse with hot water, as the heat drains moisture from your skin cells, leaving you more vulnerable to the elements. Keep your skin safe by washing less frequently and avoiding the temptation to use overly hot water before going out.

Another solution to consider is using natural moisturizers instead of the usual products. Rather than relying on chemicals that may clog your pores, try moisturizing with pure aloe gel. The sap from aloe vera leaves provides a safe coat of protection that also disinfects and reduces inflammation. Another great natural moisturizer is jojoba oil. This slightly waxy extract blends so naturally with your skin that your glands may be fooled into thinking that it’s sebum, tapering off producing more skin oil as a result. That means it can potentially prevent both dry skin and oily skin!

The goal of Clearade is two-fold:

1) We want to provide an acne treatment that is actually enjoyable.

It was essential that the product not only work, but have a genuinely refreshing taste. There are a LOT of vitamins packed into every serving of Clearade, but you wouldn’t know it by the flavor. We went through a bunch of revisions to make sure the taste was neither too sweet nor too tart, keeping an authentic lemonade flavor that is drinkable to the last sip. It’s never fun slathering creams and cleansers on your face, but drinking Clearade is something you can actually look forward to, plus it’s a great alternative for people who just don’t like taking pills.

2) We want to provide the same great results as Clear5, but faster.

Once Clearade dissolves in water, the liquid vitamins are delivered to your blood stream with a very high rate of absorbance, ensuring that your body gets more vitamin B5 faster - and that means faster results. Clear5 works great for most people, but some get frustrated having to wait through the initial month, and other people just don’t metabolize tablets well. With Clearade, the percent of users that see results in the first week is higher than ever, and the delivery method is effective even for those who don’t normally respond well to solid vitamins. This is really an acne solution for everyone.

For those that prefer tasteless, time-released tablets, have no fear. Clear5 is definitely sticking around. We plan to support both brands, although most of our current marketing push will obviously be towards the new product. Clearade is simply the next step in making vitamin B5 treatment more accessible to acne sufferers everywhere, even those that hate swallowing pills. So if you like lemonade, be sure to give it a try! We think you’ll be impressed with both the results and the taste.

Most systems today copy the Proactiv 3-step model, including a cleanser, lotion and toner or spot treatment. However, some don’t stop there, with several kits going as far as 7 steps to try and cover all the bases. When considering these products, most people just look at the price tag, ignoring the time and hassle that using these treatments can cost you.

Almost all topical acne treatments need to be applied 2-3 times per day. That means slathering on 3+ different products up to 3 times every day. You can easily end up spending an extra hour (or more!) in the bathroom just treating your face. For some people that may not be a big deal, but for many (especially us guys) it’s simply more trouble that the often underwhelming results are worth.

The time issue also directly impacts how many users see improvement, as the more trouble a treatment is to apply, the more likely users are to quit before the ingredients really kick in. And can you really blame them? Using an acne treatment shouldn’t have to be something that you plan your day around.

Even single-step products can be deceptive. Consider thermal devices such as Zeno. Not having to use a plethora of different products is great, but when you have to apply the device to each individual pimple for several minutes, multiple times per day, the cost in time can add up fast.

So what is the answer? In terms of convenience, oral acne vitamins definitely score some points. Many users will still need to take them multiple times per day, but the simple fact is that gulping a pill or drinking mix takes less time than applying creams, and you don’t have to visit the bathroom to do it. Just gulp it and forget it. The downside is that internal treatments can sometimes take longer initially to see results, but since those results are longer lasting, it’s a tradeoff worth taking.

Watch your back if you’re sitting down all day.

One thing you’ll be doing a lot of at school is spending time in a chair. If you’ve got back acne, this can potentially make your life harder. With your back glued to the back of a chair, sweat can build up and get trapped beneath your shirt, clogging your pores and inviting bacteria to fester. To avoid this, make sure to wear fabrics that let your skin breathe, and when you can get out of that seat (or at least lean forward and let the fabric air out now and then). Of course, this also makes a daily shower extra important.

Don’t stress out over schoolwork.

Stress can contribute to acne, and we all know that the pressures of school can be stressful. It’s easy to say “just relax”, but the reality is that it takes some effort. If your studies (or social stress) are getting you, learn to take a step back and put things in perspective. Getting agitated will only make your situation (and your skin!) worse. Don’t forget to get to sleep at a decent hour, as lack of rest is a big contributor to stress.

Schools are dirty. Hands off the face.

No matter how hard the janitor works, your school is anything but clean. Think of all the surfaces you may touch during the day – your locker, door knobs, desks, other people – there are no shortage of bacteria-ridden objects that your hands may come in contact with. Now imagine your hands transferring all that bacteria to your face. Yeah, not a pretty picture. So the lesson here is simple: don’t touch your face while at school. This is good advice in general, but is especially important while at a public environment like school. And wash those hands when you get home!

Keep your school lunch healthy.

Whether you make lunch at home or purchase it at the cafeteria, it’s easy to go the processed, junk food route, but that’s definitely not the best thing for your skin. Watch out for high-carb, fatty foods and high-sugar snacks. Try to work some fruit and vegetables into your lunch, and remember to drink enough water or low-sugar juice. Even if all your friends are drinking cola, buck the trend and skip the carbonated sugar water. Grab another glass of water after school as well. Your skin can’t get enough proper hydration.

Q: With Clear5’s time-release coating, how quickly does your body metabolize the supplement?

A: Our tablets use a coating that resists metabolism by your stomach acids, allowing the vitamin contents to be more gradually metabolized in your small intestines. This process usually lasts 4-6 hours, although the exact time frame can vary since some people have a faster metabolism than others. The small intestines also allow for a higher rate of absorbance, as there is less of a crowding effect for receptor molecules and less extreme acidity.

Q: If I experience an initial breakout, how long will it last?

A: Initial breakouts are fairly rare, but can potentially occur as the action of vitamin B5 tightening your pores pushes existing bacteria to the surface. Although unpleasant, you shouldn’t let an initial breakout discourage you, as getting that gunk out of your system is a good thing, and lasting improvement will follow. You’ll usually start to clear up within a week.

If your skin doesn’t improve within 2 weeks, you’re probably not experiencing an initial breakout at all, but rather an allergic reaction to one of the vitamins or minerals in our formula. We specifically tailor our formula to avoid the most common ingredients for these reactions (such as vitamins B3 & B6), but there’s always going to be someone out there with a rare allergy. If that’s you, then you may need a different means of treatment.

Q: When is it the right time to reduce my dose? And how much should I reduce it by?

A: This is a good question. You should be consistently clear before reducing your dosage. That means no new inflamed pimples in the last two weeks. Once your results are consistent and your body is used to processing the increased levels of vitamin B5, you can begin to taper off your intake. Start gradually. If you’re taking 6 tablets per day, lower it to 5 for the next week, then 4 the following week if your skin stays clear.

Many users will eventually no longer need to take Clear5 at all, but don’t rush when lowering your dosage or your acne may make a comeback. I was taking 1 tablet every other day for many months before I could quit altogether. If your body is used to pumping out acne, it can take some time for it to break the habit.

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.

Among cucumber’s benefits are its high content of vitamin C, calcium and amino acids. These nutrients help strengthen and rejuvenate skin tissue and play a role in soothing irritation, reducing the swelling from acne blemishes. The skin of the cucumber is also rich in key minerals, such as silica and magnesium, that can improve your complexion and promote skin elasticity.

Cucumbers have natural cleansing and moisturizing properties. Their high water content, along with acids that aid in water retention, make for a powerful combination. As an acne home remedy, try mixing cucumber juice with a tablespoon of milk for gentle all-natural cleanser, or mashing one up and mixing it with some lemon juice for a facial mask that will leave your skin feeling smooth and supple, as well as helping to balance your skin’s pH level.

Since cucumbers are mostly water, they function as a natural diuretic, purifying the inside of your body as well as your skin if you eat them frequently. They’re high in fiber and great for eliminating bacterial waste that may have been building up in your bowels.

Besides acne, cucumbers are also a useful remedy for sunburns and other sources of skin inflammation. And if you’ve ever seen pictures for beauty products that feature cucumber slices resting over someone’s eyes, that’s thanks to their use in reducing under-eye puffiness and dark circles. Whether applied topically or just added to your diet, this is one vegetable that is worth looking into.