The first thing to remember when dealing with acne is this…. BE GENTLE. Resist the temptation to use very aggressive or abrasive techniques, procedures or  agents in treating acne.

Its also important to note that there is no “one hat fits all” method in treating acne… as there are many causative agents . Acne might be as a result of food allergy, overproduction of sebum by the oily glands, in grown hair, skin irritation, stress, hormonal issues, presence of acne causing bacteria on skin etc.

So the acne treatment to be embarked upon would invariably depend on the true cause of the acne.

My acne is caused by improper shaving and ingrown hair, and the steps outlined below are based on  personal experience with this type of acne.

  1. Cleanse the face with a good foaming cleanser. BSN Exfoliating Face Wash is perfect for oily skin types and is formulated to be mildly exfoliating with the enzymatic action of papaya extract and deep cleansing properties of white kaolin clay.

2. Removal of dead skin cells to reveal clearer, newer skin cells, which  helps to expose the hair endings that have been trapped in between the dead skin cells, as well as help skin care products penetrate the skin more easily, as the overlying dead skin cell have now been removed.

Usually, lactic acid or glycolic acid can be used as chemical exfoliants to achieve this, but must only be administered by professional dermatologists.

However there are milder formulations sold over the counter that contain either lactic or glycolic acid to can help achieve similar effects at home e.g BSN Glow Skin Toner is formulated with lactic acid and can be used for this purpose.

This is how I use it … I make a paste of white kaolin clay and BSN glow face toner, and then use it as an exfoliating face mask. Rinse out the mask after 10- 15 mins . You might experience a slight tingling sensation  due to the lactic acid.

I choose kaolin clay because its a very good skin cleanser and would help to mop up excess oil from the skin.

Caution!.. Skip this step if you have very bad or severe acne.

This lactic acid mask should be done at least once a week.

3. Equally helpful, is a charcoal mask, which is a paste of activated charcoal and water, you can use any over the counter activated charcoal mask of your choice, but be careful with peel off masks especially with bad acne or after a lactic acid peel or mask. Wash off masks are more gentle.

Charcoal is very useful for purifying the skin and eliminating toxins from the skin surface.

 

 

I hope this post helps someone.

How do you manage your acne? Please share your comments with us.

Thanks for reading!

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