

Zits. The mere mention of the word brings terror to teenagers and grown-ups alike. They have a knack for appearing when you least like them to -- a day before prom night, hours before a blind date, and minutes before your center stage performance. This dreadful skin problem has neither mercy nor respect for anyone -- whether you're a hot celebrity or a regular teenager, getting a big, fat, pus-filled bump can happen to you. But instead of freaking out whenever you see one of these monsters creeping up your face, you should do something about it.
The bad news about acne is that there are about a dozen of reasons why they just pop almost out of nowhere. According to the skin care specialists at Healthypores, acne occurs when a pore breaks down and blocks the oil within which causes the inflammation that results in acne.
Some of the well-known culprits of acne include improper diet, stress, overactive hormones, bacteria, vitamin deficiency, evolutionary biology, or a combination of all. The good news is that there are also about a gazillion things that can help you fight off acne and other unwanted skin problems. Since acne starts in the pores, keeping the pores clean is one of the best ways to keep acne from plaguing your skin.
First and foremost, the skin is the outermost layer of the body and is essentially its first line of defense against various elements. It covers approximately 19 square feet, so it's more or less the largest organ of your body. What's more, the skin (particularly that on the face) is the first thing people see when they look at you, so it's really important that you keep it clean, smooth, and acne-free. The only way you can do that is if you follow a good skin regimen.
The truth is that there is only one good skin regimen and it includes three (sometimes four) steps: cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. These three skin care steps are the basics, and they should be done everyday if you really want to maintain your beautiful skin. Experts at Healthypores.com even recommend that you do this skin regimen twice a day, right after you wake up and right before you sleep.
1. Remove your makeup before washing your face.
Most cleansers work better and more efficiently if your face is thoroughly wet. Removing your makeup ensures that the oils in the cosmetics would not repel water and allow the cleanser to reach a good lather. You can do this by using baby oil or makeup remover on cotton balls and rubbing the makeup lightly off your face.
2. Wash your face thoroughly using lukewarm or room-temperature water.
Never wash your face with water that is too hot or too cold. Extreme temperatures can break capillaries, dehydrate skin, or even aggravate pimples. Studies also show that there is a marked improvement between the effectiveness of cleansers used with water of the right temperature over those that were applied with hot or cold water.
3. Use a gentle anti-acne cleanser specially formulated for your skin type.
If you have hypersensitive skin, you should choose a product that is mild and hypoallergenic. Meanwhile, if you have very oily skin, you might want to choose something that's slightly stronger than your regular cleanser. If you're uncertain about what kind of product to use, you should consult your dermatologist first or just go for one of those dermatologist-tested products that are good for any skin type like the Healthy Pores acne system.