Tips that Help Get Rid of Acne

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SKINCARE TIPS Get Clean First

As obvious as it sounds, for an acne-treatment system to work properly, you first have to know how to wash your face. In general, you want to use lukewarm water to wash your face or any other acne-prone areas, like, your chest or back. Make sure your hands are clean before you wash or apply products. Washing hands with soap and warm water is fine. Also, remove any eye makeup with oil-free makeup remover pads. Dampen skin with lukewarm water and apply a large coin-sized amount of the cleanser/exfoliator over your entire face. Massage for twenty seconds to a minute in a circular motion, rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. If you are using the Proactiv+ Re-texturizing Toner, swipe on skin with a pure cotton pad or ball before applying steps 2 and 3.

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SKINCARE TIPS Hot Water Won't Kill Bacteria

Hot water doesn't remove the p.acnes bacteria, or kill it. Rather benzoyl peroxide can kill the bacteria in your pores. Hot water just dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow, making a red face redder. It's best to use lukewarm water on your face, which is more pleasant anyway.

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SKINCARE TIPS Pore Habits

Hot water can't "open your pores" either. Pores cannot "open" and "close," like a clam, because there are no muscles in pores. They can look more open or closed depending on how many dead skin cells are piled near the pore, making a tall crater and the illusion of a larger pore. Conversely, cold water cannot close your pores, another well-worn myth.

Allowing oil and dead skin cells to collect in your pores will also stretch pores out, making them appear larger. This also happens as we age, when the skin's structure becomes more lax.

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SKINCARE TIPS Exfoliation is Your Friend

Exfoliation is the gentle physical and chemical removal of dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. One of the main causes of acne is a build-up of dead skin cells that haven't completely sloughed off and mix with oil to create a plug inside your pores. Tiny, smooth, round, exfoliating beads, in combination with salicylic acid medication, help shed the dead cells and dissolve the plugs. Exfoliation also prepares your skin for the medication that you will leave on after cleansing. Plus, as we age, dead skin cells sit on the surface of skin, making it look dull and dry; exfoliation brings back our natural radiance.

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SKINCARE TIPS No Scrubbing Allowed

Scrubbing and exfoliating are two different animals. Exfoliation is the gentle removal of dead skin cells. Scrubbing is the near-violent attack on your skin in the false hope of scrubbing away your acne. Not only is it impossible to scrub away your acne, it can cause micro-tears of the skin, making it vulnerable to infection and inflammation. Over-scrubbing also strips skin of natural oils, which can cause your skin to compensate and produce more oil, just what you don't want if you have acne.

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SKINCARE TIPS Abstain from Rubbing Alcohol

Isopropyl, or rubbing alcohol, strips the natural oil from the surface of your skin, breaking down the skin's own moisture barrier, making it vulnerable to rashes and infections. Completely drying out your complexion is not a way to fight acne. Plus, your skin will compensate and produce more oil; we know overproduction of oil is one of the steps in acne formation. So skip the alcohol. You can add Proactiv+ Re-texturizing Toner to your regimen if you want more toning benefits.

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SKINCARE TIPS Pick Your Treatment, Not Your Pimples

Be very careful about both: Picking the right treatment for your acne and NOT picking your skin. It's tempting, but you are not going to "clean out" your pores by squeezing your pimples. You will only make your acne worse and it will take longer to clear. Popping whiteheads and pustules creates inflammation (redness and swelling) and possible scarring, which takes your acne to a higher level instead of controlling it. When you "pick," your blemish is more likely to evolve into a flat pink-red mark that eventually becomes a dark mark that can take months or even years to fade. True acne scars are deep pits or shallow broad indentations that last a lifetime and may emotionally impact your life forever. That's why staying one step ahead of the acne process with Proactiv+ is your best offense and defense against acne.

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SKINCARE TIPS Spot Treatment Doesn't Work

Proactiv+ is applied over the entire face, not individual pimples, because acne is in various stages of formation in any one of the 10,000 pores on your face. It is unpredictable where the next breakout will occur! Because it can take two to four weeks for a pimple to surface, you have an excellent chance of stopping an acne blemish from happening. Consistent daily use is key; Proactiv+ works when you are using it regularly.

Acne is not curable, even with prescription medication. This is why your acne will likely return if you stop treating it once your skin is clear. We understand why you might be tempted to discontinue using Proactiv+ after breakouts have stopped, but it's important to realize that you are clear because the medicines in Proactiv+ are working! Given the fact that teen acne lasts about six to seven years, and adult acne can easily last 20 years; committing to an acne-treatment system is crucial to getting and keeping a beautiful, healthy-looking complexion.

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