Your skin is daily exposed to many environmental pollutants and dirt trapped on the skin’s surface causing along with other factors, breakouts. Although acne is not caused only by bad hygiene, washing is vital for removing unwanted dirt and oil trapped on the upper skin layers and helps prevent further breakouts.

Here are some useful tips to wash your acne prone skin without aggravate your condition:

1) Wash 1-2 times daily. Physicians agree that the ideal frequency to wash your skin twice daily, preferably in the morning and before going to bed. Also excessive washing doesn’t always mean better results-If you constantly wash your skin, you remove your skin’s natural oils and the skin reacts be producing more oil and more breakouts.

2) Use gentle oil free formulas that don’t contain alcohol. Many cleansers contain harsh chemicals which often cause adverse reactions in sensitive skin types, dry out the skin or simply aggravate the condition. Many times a product claims to fight acne but in reality some ingredients found in the formula may cause light to mild skin damage. A product with too many ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s better than a simple and gentle formulation. Rule of thumb: If you see many ingredients in the label that you have no clue what they are, avoid purchasing the product and choose a simple formula with neutral ph instead.

3) Use your fingertips. Apply the cleanser with your fingertips using circular motion and avoid using washcloths or loofas which may irritate the skin –leave those only for thicker parts of the body such as ankles and elbows. Also, avoid cleansing scrubs with large granules because they tend to irritate the skin and sometimes cause more zits to appear.

4) Rise with lukewarm water. Lukewarm water that is not too hot or cold, is ideal for washing your acne prone skin because it’s more gentle on the skin and doesn’t cause redness or the tight feeling  associated with freezing cold water.

5) Always use a clean and soft towel after washing. If the towel is dirty or not soft enough you’ll get bacteria or irritate your skin. However it’s best to wash your towels with a gentle fragrance-free detergent- harsh detergents on clothes and towels are often associated with skin irritation and more breakouts.