Beauty Column

How to Win the Battle Against Breakouts

By Sheena Shaw

You wake up this morning, happy and all, but realize something is quite different about you. You get up, use the bathroom, brush your teeth, even washed your face and bam! There it is! A huge planet sitting on your face. That's right, a PIMPLE!

Breakouts are the worse and seem to appear at the times you want to look your best, such as a hot date or a photo session. No matter if they are blackheads or whiteheads, pimples can ruin anyone's mood and day. Not everyone experiences acne, but most do and are caused by various reasons. Stress, food, cosmetics, dirt, and hormones are common factors of how one can have breakout, causing people to experience whiteheads, blackheads, cysts, pustules, papules and nodules, which are different types of breakouts.

Knowing what is on your face and how the breakout got there is just an uphill battle, but the next step is finding the treatment. Treating acne requires a lot of patience. Every day, people see commercials about products that seems as it is the magic recipe to anyone's face, but it isn't. You should find a good cleanser that your skin can work with: a product that will unclog pores, kill bacteria, and minimize oil residue in your face. Choosing an effective product is such a gamble, not only with your money, but your face.

Some commonly used products that may appear on commercials are the so-called best product out there such as Proactivâ, Clean & Clear and others. The question is which one is the right one for you? For instance, Proactivâ is beneficial in many ways. It is a three-step system that renews, revitalizes and repairs your face. As a past customer of Proactivâ, I must say it does not work for all faces. When using Proactivâ, within the first month, your face becomes dependent of this product. If you miss one day of using this product, your face will automatically breakout. Proactivâ is supposed to prevent breakouts all together, not temporarily.

Another overly advertised product is Clean & Clear. Now, I have tried this product, it does sound more effective. It aids people with oily, dry or combination skin. research shows that Clean & Clear reduces breakouts faster than Proactivâ in the same amount of time.

To be honest who actually knows what is best for your face? A method that works best is simply washing your face once or twice a day, using a mild cleansing bar or liquid like Dove or Neutrogena. Be aware of not squeezing any potential bumps, avoiding damage to your skin. Playing with or popping pimples makes bumps stay redder and bumpier longer. Any marks that are left will take up to months to fade away if left entirely alone. Best of luck in the products you choose and enjoy the silky smooth you.