How to Keep Clear Skin and Prevent Breakouts in 7 Ways
There’s nothing worse than waking up every morning to a face full of blemishes. Not only can blemishes feel uncomfortable, but if left untreated, can lead acne scars, insecurities about skin and ultimately low self esteem. That’s why it is important to understand how to keep clear skin.
Finding the right regimen to prevent breakouts and get clear skin will sometimes boil down to trial and error in other to find what works for you.
The most important thing is to do what you can to keep breakouts under control so that they do not lead to scarring which can be even more of a challenge to treat.
Thankfully, nowadays there are a multitude of treatment options to prevent breakouts and get clear skin. It is a good idea to seek the advice of a dermatologist or skin care consultant to discuss treatment options available and which one would be most fitting.
Here are some helpful tips on how to keep clear skin
Use an exfoliant
In the article 6 ways to get smooth skin, I mention the importance of exfoliating. I absolutely cannot stress the importance of this enough especially if you have blemish prone skin. Our CHIOMA Glow Peel is a glycolic serum and mask designed to exfoliate and renew the skin.
Exfoliating helps to remove dead skin cells, stimulate cell turnover and reveal new skin. If you’re looking for how to keep clear skin, this is a critical step, especially for consistent acne sufferers and should be done at least twice a week.
I also highly recommend against using the commercial skin scrubs as their granules are usually too large, which can potentially irritate the skin. Instead look for pharmaceutical grade scrubs which tend to have finer granules.
Use a cleansing towelette prior to cleansing
Blemishes are often caused when dirt and oil becomes trapped under the skin. Blemish prone skin types often suffer from oily skin and that is because dirt and bacteria is attracted to oily, damp surfaces.
Cleansing the skin twice a day will help to keep the pores clean. On my how to keep clear skin quest, I discovered a method to achieve a deep cleansing treatment. This method work especially well for the makeup wearers. It is basically wiping the face with a gentle cleansing towelette prior to cleansing.
This helps to remove excess dirt, oil and makeup, and allows the foaming cleanser to penetrate much better. It is important to use a gentle, non-irritating towelette to prevent from over dring or irritating the skin.
Two of my personal favorites are Burt Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes for sensitive skin and Yes to Cucumber Facial Towelettes. Both products are fairly inexpensive and I found them to be extremely gentle.
One towelette is enough to do the job prior to cleansing.
Use a toner after cleansing
One major how to keep clear skin is the regular use of toners. Toners serve two main purposes, 1) they help to remove dirt and grime left over by cleanser and 2) they help to return the skin to its normal ph levels. Our CHIOMA Glow Water is a facial toner mist with hyaluronic acid to support clear, youthful skin.
Returning the skin to its normal ph level is beneficial because skin that is off balance and for example too alkaline, increases its chances of attracting acne causing bacteria.
Healthy and normal skin is slightly acidic which helps it to fight off bacteria. Therefore, using a toner is essential to getting the skin back to a healthy state. I personally am a fan of natural witch hazel as toner.
Use a salicylic acid based moisturizer
Salicylic acid treatment is excellent for blemish prone skin as it is an exfoliating that is powerful at penetrating the skin and unclogging the pores.
Using a salicylic acid based moisturizer in conjunction with acne fighting treatments can work wonders. If you’re seeking how to keep clear skin, this treatment should be applied regularly to the entire face and not just spots.
If you are combining a salicylic acid moisturizer with other acne treatments, it is a good idea to use a gentle product that will not irritate or dry out the skin. I personally like the Clean and Clear Oil-Free Dual Action Moisturizer with 0.5 percent salicylic acid.
Incorporate supplements such as Zinc
If you do decide to invest in a dietary supplement, one to look into is zinc. There are studies out there with great results in the reduction of acne with the intake of zinc supplements.
Interestingly, one study done in India even linked acne vulgaris to a deficiency in zinc.
Our Clear Skin Anti Blemish Detox herbal blend is formulated with a combination of plant extracts that help to detox the body and the skin to fight and prevent blemishes. In my article, how hormonal acne almost ruined my life, I share my struggle with cystic acne and why blemishes are actually an indication of what is going on inside the body.
Avoid pore clogging products
The internet has done wonders in providing information on a wide variety of topics. For blemish sufferers, it has armed us with information we need to make smart skin care purchases.
There are so many products in the beauty market pitching to do this and that, and many of them filled with pore clogging ingredients that wreak havoc on our skin. For those of us with blemish prone skin, it is important that we steer clear of these products as they add to our skin care woes.
To do that, we need to know how to read ingredient lists of beauty products. In the article ‘Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid for Acne Prone Skin‘, I list 77 ingredients to watch out for when shopping for skin care products.
What tips do you have on how to keep clear skin? Please share in the comment box below
Keep up the good work.
Thank you : )
Melt 2 uncoated Aspirin in Lemon juice(from the fruit not bottled), spread mixture on face and let sit for 10-15mins. Rinse out, pat face dry and moisturize with jojoba oil.
Great tip Hannah! Thanks for sharing : )
Thanks for this article I have been trying out different towellets and often seen the Burt Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes but never tried them, but now I think I will give them a try. Also love the receipe for the facial scrub. If my skin is oily should I still put the olive oil in? or can I put some avocado in?
Hi Patty, thanks for stopping by. Yes, I love love love Burt Bees cleansing towelettes, they’re super gentle and work well as a pre-cleanser. If you have oily skin, try Argan or Jojoba oil. You can check out the article I did on best natural oils for oily skin for more oils. Hope that helps, thanks!
Great blog article. Keep up the good work.
Hi Ms. Ebele,
I have an oily skin, should I still need to use a moisturizer? Would like to, but everytime I apply it, it makes my face even more oily, can I do something about it?
Hi Aurident, yes it is very important that you do use a moisturizer, here’s why. Moisturizers helps to put and lock moisture into the skin which prevents it from drying, flaking and premature aging. If you do not use a moisturizer, your body actually produces more oils to make up for the dryness. Which means your skin will get oilier. In addition to having oilier skin, you might still experience dryness and flakiness especially in areas of your face where your body does not produce as much oil, typically around the mouth and eyes. There’s nothing worse than having extremely oily skin that is dry and peeling. To moisturize oily skin, you can use a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer or one in a gel form. One of my favorite drugstore moisturizer for my oily skin is Cetaphil moisturizing lotion. Lush cosmetics, which is bit pricier also has some great moisturizing products that are very light. I’ll be doing an article soon on the best moisturizers for oily skin, so stay tuned. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any additional questions : )
Keep skin moisturized and hydrated to keep up with good and healthy skin.
Hi Erin, thank you for the comment, couldn’t agree more 🙂