Acne! What You Need to Know

I wake up, roll out of bed (literally sometimes), waddle toward the bathroom, look in the mirror and SCREAM! Red spots, white bumps and black holes have invaded my face! What am I to do?!?!?!

First, lets talk about acne. Why does it happen? There are three main reasons for it.

One, excess oil production. This is usually triggered by hormonal changes such as a upcoming period, pregnancy, menopause and birth control. It can also be caused by stress.

Two, Dead skin cells. Oil tends to get the dead skin cells to move more rapidly, cause your skin to be sticky and thick, which makes it clogged and forms as blackhead or whitehead.

Three, Bacteria. Your pores normally get clogged because of bacteria. Clogged pores cause acne and can last for awhile.

Now that we know more about acne, why don't we take a small test to see what type of skin you have. Knowing your skin type will help you know what type of cleanser is best for you.

Step 1: Wash your face with a gentle soap or cleanser and gently pat dry.
Step 2: Wait an hour. Do not apply anything to your face. Also not if your skin feels tight.
Step 3: Press a small piece of tissue to the center of your forehead, outer forehead, chin, center of cheeks, outer of cheeks and nose.
Step 4: Look at tissue and identify.

If you have oil on each piece then you have oily skin.
If you have oil on some piece, especially the center areas) then you have combination skin.
If you have flaky residue and no oil on all the tissue then you have dry skin.
If you have tight skin with no oil then you have dry skin.
If you have no oil, no flakes and no tightness then you have normal skin.

Now that we know our skin type, lets find out what cleansers are best for you!
Dr. Oz (famous for being a regular on the Oprah Show) and Dr. Roizen say that they like Neutrogena. I am also a fan of Neutrogena, so I am going to recommend all Neutrogena products in this article.

For the girls with the oily skin (like me) I would use Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser. It is best to use 'oil free' cleansers seeing as we already have oily skin. It treats blackheads and whiteheads and will work! Just remember, routine is key.

For the girls with the dry skin, I would suggest using Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Cream Cleanser. It have a moisturizer inside of it. It's not to think so that it won't clog your pores. Remember, routine is key. Also, you do not have to get the grapefruit. I just post it because I enjoy a fresh, clean scent. They have original and for redness.

For girls with normal skin, I would suggest using Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub. It's nice and light and it gets deep into your pores for maximum cleanness!

For girls with combination skin, I would suggest using the Neutrogena Wave. The vibrations helps the soap go deep into your pores and helps massage it in. Look at all the pads that go with it and pick out the one that best describes your skin.

Almost each Neutrogena product comes in an exfoliating form. I would suggest getting it. Exfoliating your skin means that you are removing the dead skin cells, which is one of the three main causes of acne. When using an exfoliating cleanser, do not scrub as hard with it. It may cause irritation.

Also, if you get acne on your body (like your upper chest, back and legs) then maybe the fragrance in your body wash is irritating it. You might need to use a non scented body wash. You may also like to try using Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub. It is like a face cleanser, but for your body. You can also get it in grapefruit scent, but if you aren't sure if it will irritate your skin, then stick with this type. Also, wash with a loofah! It helps exfoliate your skin and makes it soft and sooth.

So now, I wake up in the morning, roll out of bed (sometimes literally), waddle to the bathroom, look in the mirror and SCREAM because my face has fewer acne signs then it did two weeks ago!

What about you?