We all want to clear up acne, right?  Having a zit is in some cases truly irritating. Truth be told, it is one of those things that drives me incredibly insane. Trying to combat a breakout & clear up acne is something I have become close friends with over the years. I never had chronic acne as a teenager and that’s pretty much stayed the same through my adult life however every once in awhile there it is… the dreaded pimple. Even if you’re doing everything right; a breakout can still come along on & rain on your parade. Is that not the worst?. Whether it’s that time of the month or I’m having a reaction to a new product. Mine always show up in the same spot and it just puts a damper on my entire mood.  I’ve come up with a few tips and tricks along the way that help me clear up acne and battle those dreaded breakouts. We’ve talked about acne face mapping and super foods for your skin but I wanted to go a bit further and really dive into what works for me in a quest to clear up acne!

7 TIPS TO CLEAR UP ACNE

1. DON’T POP IT. This is the biggest one, and I can’t stress it enough! Do not under any circumstances think that popping said pimple will make anything better. It won’t. Touching it won’t help either, you’re just transmitting more germs and probably making it worse. Popping it is going to leave you with further irritation, possible infection and some pretty crappy scarring. Just don’t do it. Fight the urge! Try using the apple cider vinegar toner or a favorite skin mask, instead!

2. If your hair touches your face in whatever style you wear it, try to abstain from wearing oil products when working to clear up your acne. I’ve found that this just makes the breakout worse and can even cause more pimples to start popping up.  Just pin those pieces back or try out this 20-second knotted up-do to keep your hair away from your face!

3. Try not to wear makeup if you’re really battling your acne, I know you probably think I’m nuts because we wear makeup to cover those blemishes but at the end of the day, it’s just putting you at risk of further contamination and preventing the acne from clearing up. I try to stear clear of wearing makeup when I am trying to clear up acne. If you absolutely have to wear it (been there, won’t leave the house without it sometimes) make sure you’re not using anything new that you don’t already know how your skin will react to.

4. If you’re using oil-based or alcohol based skin care products, try giving your skin a bit of a break from them and switch to something with active-ingredients known to clear up acne. One of my favorites solutions is the Clearasil Superfruits line! You could also try out some DIY Home Beauty Recipes to fight the dreaded pimple!

5. Always wash your face with a clean washcloth or brush head (if you’re using a cleansing brush, here is my favorite face brush) and switch out your pillow case to be sure there are no germs hiding there!

6. Over-the-counter products are life saving when it comes to battling breakouts! I have certain favorites that I always gravitate towards! Clearasil and Relogy to name a few! Find one that works for you and stick with it!

7. In the event that your breakout is crazy or you just feel like there is something off about it or you can’t get rid of it. Go schedule an appointment with a dermatologist! They will be able to guide you to exactly what products you need to be using and may even prescribe something!

WHAT DO YOU DO TO CLEAR UP ACNE?