So you are past your teens and many of you still get the occasional blemish or two, and unfortunately many of the spot treatments and acne regimens out there are designed for the excessively oily skin of teenagers caused by hormone imbalances. There are several environmental factors that can play into your adult blemishes such as stress, sleep cycles, and excessive drinking.  These factors are sometimes unavoidable, but there are ways to clear up those blemishes quickly, and even tackle them before they start.

If you haven't already, switch to a foaming cleanser, which will clean deep into pores and clear out any bacteria that may be trapped.  Try:

CLINIQUE Ance Solutions Foaming Cleanser
This cleanser can be used during and after breakouts to help maintain overall complexion, as its active ingredient, salicylic acid is a great antibacterial.

$18.50 Clinique www.clinique.com

When you feel a breakout coming on, add a toner or skin tonic to your daily routine that will provide further anti-bacterial quality for your skin.  For adults, I recommend an alcohol free skin tonic to prevent over-drying of the skin.

JOHN MASTERS ORGANIC Bearberry Balancing Serum

$24 - John Masters Organics www.johnmasters.com

Remember, don't forget to continue moisturizing even throughout the breakout.  If your skin gets dry, it will produce excess oil, which can lead to further breakouts, though you may want to switch to a lighter one.  When I experience a breakout, I switch to:

SKINTACTIX Treatment Moisturizer

$14 - Skintactix www.skintactix.com

If all else fails, and your blemish still rears its ugly head, try a spot treatment.  In my experience these don't do alot other than make you feel better about treating an unruly zit, but the active ingredient in spot treatments (Benzoyl Peroxide) oxygenates the skin and the bacteria that cause acne can't survive in oxygen, so there is science behind it.  It doesn't matter what brand you choose, but look for a concentration of 5% or 2.5%, not 10% like some of the "maximum strength" creams out there contain, as they will over dry the skin and cause other problems!

We all get self conscious about our complexion. Maybe we had bad skin as a teenager, maybe you are one of 25% of adults suffering with acne...or maybe you just want to clear up the occasional blemish. Whether you suffer from mild to severa acne, the best solution is to use one of the following treatment options. Whatever you do, DO NOT pick at acne, which can result in more iritation or even permanent scarring!

FIRST,
Avoid acne triggers such as stress, excessive persperation, and certain foods.

SECOND,
Use only cosmetics that are oil free, mineral, and organic. Some good brands include Bare Escentuals and Philosophy.

THIRD,
Use the following acne treatment remedy:

A) Use a gentle face wash to clear surface oils.
B) Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Treatment. It oxygnates skin with a mild drying and exfoliating effect. Skin bacteria can't survive in oxygen, and this treatment has proven effective for most people.
C) Moisturize. Since the benzoyl peroxide is drying, you can restore balance with a light moisturizer. I like to use one with at least SPF 15 to counteract damage to the skin by the sun. Additionally, acne conrol products make the skin more sensitive to sun exposure.

I have read many reviews, and based on research, The Acne Solutions line from CLINIQUE seems to be one of the most effective treatment programs on the market. I recently had the pleasure of testing these products with brilliant results. Clinique recommends using this regimine twice a day, but I found using a gentle cleanser in the morning with a SPF moisturizer, and the Clinique Acne Solutions program before bed worked extremely well without drying out my sensitive skin excessively. The foaming cleanser left my face feeling clean but not overdried, and the clearing moisturizer and mask were very effective in reducing my moderate acne!


$32.50 for starter kit - Major Department Stores Nationwide

ADDITIONAL TREATMENT

SCRUB - 1-2 times per week. I loved the BIORE Pore Unclogging Scrub, which really helps clear out blackheads.


$6 - Drugstores Nationwide

MASK - 1-2 times per week. A clay mask like this one from ZIRH is great for balancing the skins pH, which regulates oil production.


$20 - Sephora Stores www.sephora.com

TONER - The debate is up in the air on toner, but I like to use a toner every other day to help remove excess oil, makeup, cleanser, and moisturizer residue. Try to avoid one which has a first ingredient of alcohol, which actually can increase oil production in the skin. BURT'S BEES Garden Tomato Toner is a great all natural toner that doesn't cause excessive drying!


$12 - Drugstores Nationwide

EGG WHITE MASK - Many people find this VERY effective at reducing redness and removing blackheads. Lightly beat 1-2 egg whites in a bowl. Paint onto face wth a brush. Apply pieces of 2-ply toilet paper over the egg white (like paper maiche). Brush another layer of egg white over the paper. Allow to dry thoroughly (It will be very stiff). Peel off face in an upward motion. Rinse face with cool water.

If this regimine still leaves you feeling down about your skin, definitely see a dermatologist, who can offer several antibiotic and retinoid perscriptions to clear up severe acne. A word of warning: Perscription acne medication often has SEVERE side effects, so only use this as an absolutely last resort.
Good Luck!