Acne causes and solutions

Looking back I realize just how lucky I was with my skin during the dreaded teenage acne years. I always had relatively good skin. Other than some blackheads around my nose and chin and a few small zits that would pop up once in a while, my skin was clear and always looked healthy.

Well, I might have been lucky for most of my youth, but two days before prom, my worst nightmare came true. I was so excited for my senior prom. I was going with a guy who I really liked. We were just friends at the time, but I had a big crush on him and was so excited that I was bringing a college guy to my high school prom. I found the most beautiful dress and my friends and I planned a perfect night.

As all the plans were falling into place, I noticed something right above my upper lip, almost in the center of my face, under my nose. My face hurt there and it looked red and irritated. Sure enough the largest zit possible formed and it just kept getting bigger and more irritated the more I tried to treat it. I was so stressed when I saw it; it was all I could think about and all I could see when I looked in the mirror.

I washed my face with cleansers, tried to dry all the excess oil, used spot treatments and nothing worked.

It was in the worst spot, right where cover up and lip gloss meet....

Luckily, by the late afternoon the zit at least flattened, so there was no longer a 3 dimensional monster sticking out of my face. I was able to cover it up (repeatedly, all night long) and you can barely notice it in the pictures. It definitely prevented me from relaxing because I was constantly worried about it, but at least I was the only one who noticed.

What could have been the perfect night was ruined by a zit. I wish I had known of some better acne treatments ...

The reality is that everyone is different and there are many factors that can cause acne. The following (in no particular order) are common causes of acne. For most people it is a combination of a few that cause breakouts.

(1) Hormones
(2) Diet
(3) Vitamin Deficiency
(4) Stress
(5) Environment
(6) Bacteria
(7) Heredity

and more...

I've tested a lot of acne cleansers in my life and in my experience, my favorite cleansing and toning products are:

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Neutrogena Deep Facial Cleanser
Murad Clarifying Cleanser
Clinique Acne Solutions
Dermalogica Clearin Skin Wash

Once acne appears on your face, I have found that the best products to treat acne are those that reduce inflammation, increase cell turnover, offer protection and keep the skin hydrated.

There are so many acne medications out there. After a quick survey I found these to be the most popular:

Neutrogena On the Spot Acne Treatment
Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment
Clinique Acne Solution Spot Healign Gel
Murad Acne Spot Treatment
Proactive Solution 3 Step System