Do's and Don'ts for Acne

Do:

• Use a really gentle cleanser - this is really important, you don't want to strip the skin as it will produce more oil/sebum and probably create more breakouts.
• Moisturise! As a teenager, I thought that if I moisturised it would make my breakouts worse - how wrong I was! As above, you don't want to force your skin to create more oil. It will be happier hydrated! You can get lightweight moisturisers from lots of brands, try La Roche Posay.
• Check your shampoo/conditioner - if you have acne/spots around edge of face, jaw, back, it could be what you are washing your hair with. Check for paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil) this clogs pores and it might be worth switching.
• Use a gentle exfoliator and not too often. Exfoliate with  exfoliating pads or products such as Lactic acid or Salicylic acid. Clarins gentle exfoliating toner is a good one.
• Consider supplements such as Fish oils see Caroline Hirons cheat sheet on acne. These do seem to have a real impact on clearing acne, eczema and all sorts of skin conditions.
• Drink lots of water, particularly hot water and a slice of lemon. I know this is what you hear everywhere and is probably very boring but it's so true. It really cleanses your digestive system, which often shows discomfort on your face through spots. Doing this every morning may really make a difference to your skin.
• Look at your diet - too much sugar? fats? Again, this may be a bore but eating lots of greens and other healthy foods can clear up some people's skin.
• Be careful about the amount of alcohol in products. This can be too harsh for many skins.

Don't:

• Use beaded scrubs or scrub too much or too hard. This can really inflame and spread acne. You need to be kind to your face. If you are too abrasive, your acne may bite you back!
• Use too harsh a product, cleansers and moisturisers should be calming and hydrating.
• Use soap or foaming cleansers - these can really strip your skin and leave it feeling tight and uncomfortable. Use milks, oils or balms instead.
• Eat sugar or refined foods if you can help it. These products can have a major impact on a lot of people's skin. Perhaps try wholewheat and other grains and avoid refined sugars, choosing date syrup, maple syrup or honey to sweeten things instead. Ella Woodward has some fantastic recipes if you have a sweet tooth to avoid sugar.
• Overload your skin with products. Keep your routine simple - you may need to pair down your products and just stick to cleanser and moisturiser. Perhaps looking at a serum or treatment at night. La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo is fantastic!