What actually has been clinically proven is the fact that while wearing makeup on regular basis does not “cause” acne, it actually does trigger or “aggravates” an already existing acne conditions.

How wearing make-up can trigger acne flare-ups?

There are a number of factors that can make acne flare up or lead to “breakouts”, although triggers can vary from person to person and depend on a number of other factors such as age, gender, weather, hormones and stress related conditions.

The following two make-up related factors have been thought to be important in the “triggering” of acne attacks.

Cosmetics: Some specific cosmetics, oils, gels, cleansing lotions and facial masks are oil-based or oil-friendly. These make-up and hair care products can easily clog skin pores. Therefore, before buying any of such stuff, you should specifically look for the following terms on product labels: “oil-free”, “non-comedogenic” or “non-acnegenic”.

Over washing: Actions like cleaning or washing your skin frequently, scrubbing/exfoliating, or using strong cleansers or astringent products can actually strip the skin and irritate it. This can lead to more severe acne.

Make up tips in acne

• If you wear make-up, you should ideally use dry powder or hypoallergenic, water-base make-up

• Using skin care products labeled “nonacnegenic,” “noncomedogenic,” “oil free,” or “will not clog pores” can help.

• If you tend to have oily hair or dandruff you might benefit from an anti-dandruff shampoo.

• Also avoid unauthentic face creams or oils and oil-based hair tonics.

• Wash your face twice daily (yes, just twice and not more) with mild soap and water. Don’t be too rough while washing and avoid astringents and abrasives as they can cause skin irritation and in general do not help improve acne.

• Prefer to use a clean wash cloth and towel every time you wash your face to prevent acne flare-ups. You should also clean makeup brushes, applicators and sponges after every use to avoid pimples. Bacteria build up on these materials and may contribute to acne flare-ups.

• Avoid unnecessary exposure to sunlight. Wear a sunscreen under your makeup or select moisturizers or foundations with an SPF protection level of at least 15.

Using a natural, herbal-based safe complete “acne care” system like “Clear Skin Max” can help you get rid of the acne flare ups due to its combined mode of action. The 6-component system not only clears your clogged pores in a safe natural way but also naturally “empowers your skin” internally so that it will not only prevent itself against any future acne attacks and will also help you wear make up in usual way on daily basis.

That’s how, using the right make up products and a complete acne-care system such as Clear Skin Max can be your best tool to prevent your face and the body against those notorious acne flare ups.

Tea Tree oil is extracted from the Melaleuca altermifolia tree which is native to Australia. The oil is extracted by steam distillation of the leaves of the tree and has been traditionally used by Australian aborigines for centuries. It has become so popular that nowadays it is grown literally all around the world and revered for its antibacterial, anti fungal and anti viral properties and has a wide variety of uses. Tea Tree oil has a very distinctive strong smell and is greenish yellow in appearance.

How Can It Help My Acne?

Tea Tree Oil is a very powerful and popular acne remedy. Its potent antibacterial and anti-fungal property helps kill the bacteria that causes conditions like athlete’s foot, cold sores, ringworm.

It is highly effective at banishing acne blemishes. It is far less caustic than some acne treatments and 100% natural too. Tea Tree Oil can be used in many forms in soaps, facial washes, in blemish sticks and it is usually applied topically to the affected areas.

Tea Tree Oil should not be used undiluted, if bought in its natural form. Applying Tea Tree Oil onto pimples and leaving it overnight will give a definite reduction the next day thus making it an ideal quick treatment.

How Do I Use Tea Tree Oil?

When using Tea Tree Oil in its natural form care should be taken not be apply to the skin in full strength. It should be diluted in an oil such as olive, apricot, almond or avocado oil.

One ounce (2 tbs) tea tree oil to 4 ounces (1/2 cups) or more of the oil of your choice. Some people suffer sensitivity to Tea tree oil so it is best not to immediately apply all over your face, apply to a small area and see if you get any adverse reaction. If not then you can topically apply the Tea Tree to the blemishes, it is best to avoid using it all over the face unless you are using a facial wash or treatment with Tea Tree Oil extract in which case it should be gentle enough to use.

Once or twice a day is all that is needed to treat acne with Tea Tree Oil, any more than that could irritate the skin.

Are there Any Other Alternatives?

An excellent anti acne treatment is Clear Skin MAX. One of its active ingredients is Tea Tree Oil making it the perfect solution to your acne woes. It is an effective and natural five step acne treatment, each part of the kit individually tackles every stage of acne, working together to thoroughly cleanse, remove impurities and open pores to gently kill off blemishes and stopping new ones from forming ensuring your complexion stays fresh, clear and glowing.

Click here to purchase online from their official website here.

1. Acne Treatment Cream

The most common side effect of using acne treatment creams is allergic reaction. It ranges from redness, drying and flaking, itching and swelling of the skin. Feeling of burning is sometimes present too.

Retin-A, a topical treatment for severe acne, may cause an already sensitive skin to become blistered, puffed and red. In some cases during its early usage, worse situation may occur especially in areas where acne attack is rather unseen.

2. Astringents

Just like acne treatment creams, astringents also exhibit the same side effects such as swelling, redness, dryness, itching or burning. It is recommended that the user should avoid excessive exposure to sunlight since skin discoloration may also occur.

3. Oral Antibiotics

As for other diseases, over exposure to antibiotics may lead to bacterial resistance. The same goes with acne. Prolonged usage of antibiotics to treat acne may in turn lead to resistant bacterial infection. Tetracycline is one example of acne treatment antibiotic. Here are its common side effects:

• anemia
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• fever
• itchiness
• photo sensitivity or abnormal sensitivity of the skin to sunlight
• rashes
• allergic reactions
• vision disturbance
• dizziness
• diarrhea
• may affect a nursing infant therefore is not recommended for breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women

Erythromycin, another common acne antibiotic, also has several side effects. Several users reported the following symptoms:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• seizures
• confusion
• mild to serious allergic reactions
• abdominal pain

All oral antibiotics have the ability to cause candidiasis or vaginal infections of yeast (by Candida albicans) in women. Among all acne oral antibiotics, Tetracycline appears to be the most common to have infection as its side effect. Also, oral antibiotics tend to lessen the potency of contraceptive pills.

4. Acne Laser Treatment

Acne laser treatment is intended to destroy the oil-producing glands of our skin, without destroying the epidermis or the outer skin layer, thus it may be painful. It also produces temporary redness and swelling. Such symptomatic side effects of this kind of treatment may require additional treatment during the process of healing. Also, laser treatment may be left with uneven pigmentation on the skin. Aside from these physical side effects, laser treatment also needs to be done regularly and can be quite costly.

5. Cosmetic Procedures

Chemical peels are often used with creams to generate new skin cell growth. The result is a youthful looking skin. However they have side effects that include scarring, abnormal skin color, redness and blisters.

6. Acne Surgery

Not as popular as before, acne surgery has its share of side effects. Aside from scarring, there is also a possibility of developing serious infection when acne cysts are not carefully drained.

There you have a brief idea of the side effects of the various treatments. Now, you know what to look for in you ideal acne treatment. It is advisable to go for a natural, holistic cure, rather than a chemical based one.

What is Acne Laser Treatment?
There are various different acne laser treatments but typically a carbon dioxide laser light is shone on the skin to target the bacteria that causes infection that leads to acne, it encourages the skin’s natural repair. It burns away the sebaceous gland which produces the oil and burns away the follicle sac from which the hair grows. Not only is the acne significantly reduced but scarring caused by acne is reduced. Acne can be cured successfully with laser treatment sometimes in just a couple of sessions.

How Does Acne Laser Treatment Work?
Acne laser treatment works by heating the top layers of skin over and around the acne damage, this helps to kill off the acne bacteria, reduce the redness and halt the over-activity of the sebaceous glands so the oil production is reduced resulting in less spots occurring. Laser treatment can also help to minimise the appearance of scarring by remodelling the top layers of skin and making tiny holes in the damaged tissue only so the undamaged areas of skin aid in the healing. Collagen production is replenished underneath the damaged area.

What Are The After Effects Of Acne Laser Treatment?
Some people (but not all) will suffer some form of minor side effect. Roughness of the skin, discolouration and swelling of the area that has been lasered has been reported. Some people may experience a tingling or hot sensation during the procedure, others liken it to having an elastic band pinged across the skin but generally any discomfort felt during acne laser treatment is minimal.

How Much Does Acne Laser Treatment Cost?
Prices for Acne laser treatment vary, in the UK prices can range from £150-350 but it depends on your individual circumstances, that is, how advanced the acne is and where you are having the treatment.  Doctors are reluctant to perform this procedure on any kind of health insurance as it can be extremely expensive as most people need a few sessions and even then there is always the possibility that it may not work as well as hoped so it is normally a very last resort when no other treatment or medication has helped.

• Grind nutmeg with unboiled milk and apply on affected area. This works as a magic. Pimples should disappear without leaving a mark.
• Make a paste by mixing 3 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. Repeat for two weeks, pimples will disappear forever.
• Apply a mixture of 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder.
• Make orange peel paste by grinding it in some water. Apply on and around pimples.
• Rub fresh garlic on and around pimples. Pimples will disappear without a mark with regular applications.
• Mix 1 tablespoon groundnut oil with 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice to prevent formation of blackheads and pimples .
• Apply fresh mint juice over the face every night for the treatment of pimples, insect stings, eczema, scabies, & other skin infections.
• Apply a paste of fresh fenugreek leaves over the face every night for 10-15 minutes and washed with warm water. This will prevent pimples, blackheads, and wrinkles.
• Apply juice of raw papaya (including the skin and seed) on swelling pimples.
• Apply fresh lime juice mixed to a glass of boiled milk as a face wash for pimples.
• Mix lime juice and rose water in equal portions. Apply on affected area. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with lukewarm water.
• Apply ripe tomatoes pulp on pimples and kept up to 1 hour, then wash.

Is it contagious or not?

For any diseases or condition to be contagious, there has be an agent that is passed on from one person to another. For example like in ringworm, where one can pass on the fungus and affect another person. Acne causes have nothing that can be passed on from one person to another. There is nothing that we can catch from others that will cause acne on our skin.

Acne is caused by the excess production of sebum that is hormone related. The gland block that forms and makes the sebum remain inside is only dead skin and is also caused by hormonal and other little known reasons. The bacteria P.acnes that inflames the acne is found on the skin of all of us. None of the mentioned three reasons for causing acne can be passed on. So acne is not contagious.

What precautions should you take to keep acne at bay.

Avoid stress, as it can often trigger acne. Whenever you take any hormones or are nearing pregnancy, consult your doctor about acne possibility and take preventive measures. Keep the top layer of your skin healthy, wash your face twice a day and keep it clean of dirt and oils. All thses should help you keep your skin acne free or lessen the outbreak of acne.

One of the factors is the increase in androgens during puberty.  Androgens are hormones, that can cause the enlargement and over stimulation of the sebaceous glands in people with acne.

In both males and females, the increase in androgens during puberty can cause these sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, which is oil.  This oil mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria on the skin and blocks pores.  Inside of these blocked pores bacteria multiplies and leads to swelling, which then causes spots and pimples.

Some researchers also believe that acne is hereditary or has genetic roots, and that people with parents who had acne are more likely to inherit acne.

Though stress has not been found to be a direct cause of acne, it can lead to aggravated cases of acne.  This happens because when someone is laden with anxiety, their body produces hormones such as cortisol, which can exacerbate acne.

Other possible causes of acne include certain medications, drugs, steroids, have or oily make-up, and harsh skin cleansing.

Greasy foods and dirty skin have often been blamed for acne, but there is little evidence supporting these as direct causes of acne.

That about briefly covers some cause of acne. Acne is not treatable but can be controlled in most cases with over the counter preparations.

Many things can irritate or make acne flare up but pimples are caused from when the hair follicles in your pores in your skin get blocked and the sebaceous gland produces an excessive amount of oil. Although no one is totally sure why acne occurs, it is believed it can be a result of the following:

1. Bacteria accumulating in the sebaceous glands
2. A collection of dead skin cells
3. Overactive sebaceous glands producing too much oil due to hormone fluctuations
4. Using oily make up, such as greasy foundations and overly thick moisturizers

The sebaceous gland gets clogged when the oil (otherwise known as sebum) cannot leave the open pore so turns into an obstruction. The skin around the pore can swell and a white plug formed of dead cells of oil can form, this is what is what is known as a whitehead. If the plug does not fully close the pore you get a black appearance which is called a blackhead.

Pimples can become infected when the whiteheads rupture underneath the skin’s top layer. This allows the dead cells, bacteria and oil to seep into the surrounding tissue. If this outbreak is very widespread and severe, you could develop an infection called cystic acne which is very large, unsightly and painful red bumps Even if the boils disappear you could be left with permanent scarring. Prompt treatment of this is essential to minimise the possibility of permanent scarring so visit your doctor as soon as possible. It is important to remember that anyone can suffer from spots at any time even after treatment but will be a lot less severe.

Getting acne is not a nice experience. Acne on the face makes us look and feel unattractive and dents our self esteem. Keeping our chances of getting acne low, should be our priority. Towards that end below are listed 7 factors that aggravate acne, keep an eye on these and your skin will be thankful.

1. Hormones: It is known that androgenic hormones lead to pore blockage and increased oil production in acne. The blockage of the pore leads to oil buildup within the pores( blackheads and whiteheads). This oil blockade in the pores leas to bacterial growth, which in turn lead to zits.
2. Scrubbing: Using an abrasive soap, picking on your skin or rubbing it too much may cause the walls of the pores to break and increase your pimple breakout. Popping blackheads or whiteheads can also leave behind scars. While, frequent washing can cause dryness of the skin and increased oil gland activity.
3. Foods: Certain foods like chocolates, sweets, colas and fried food, contrary to popular myths, do not worsen acne. Nw studies suggest milk products might worsen acne in some. Pay attention to what you eat, and if any food worsens acne, try removing it from your diet and see if it helps.
4. Make up Products: Certain types of may clog your pores. Avoid oil based moisterizers and cocoa butter. Water based and oil free make up is best. Also, avoid using greasy makeup removers.
5. Hair Care Products: Certain hair care products like conditioners, gels and hair sprays can also aggravate acne by blocking pores. Damp hair, when in contact with your neck and back can contribute to acne.
6. Psychological Stress: Any negative emotion or stress can influence you general health and can aggravate skin disorders, especially acne.
7. Environmental Toxicity: It is know that toxicity in your surrounding can aggravate acne

Now that we know factors that aggravate acne condition, we can work towards prevention by avoiding the factors that can block our pores. Especially thick moisterizing creams, sweat and dampness, helmets and pads.

As they say prevention is better than cure and it never harms to be careful when it comes to acne.

You do don’t have to look beyond your kitchen to find natural acne home treatments. Below you can find some tradition methods of treating acne and maintaining a healthy complexion.

1. Egg Yolk Mask: It might seem an odd way to treating acne but it is an excellent way to remove excess oil from the skin. The procedure is simple, apply egg yolk with a cotton ball or pad to your spots and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before washing off thoroughly with cold water.
2. Lemon Juice and Rose Water: Mix them together and apply all over the face with a cotton ball, leave for half an hour and rinse. Try it for 3 to 4 weeks.
3. Sour cream, yoghurt and oatmeal: Take one table spoon each of sour cream,yoghurt and ground oatmeal, mix them together with 3 to 4 drops of lemon juice and apply to your face. Rinse off thoroughly after 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Groundnut Oil and Lime Juice: Mix one table spoon of groundnut oil with one tablespoon of lime juice. Apply directly to the affect spots with a cotton bud. This prevents further outbreaks of acne.
5. Honey and Cinnamon: Mix honey and cinnamon powder to make a fine paste, and apply on the pimples. Leave it over night and wash off with warm water the next morning. Repeat this over 2 to 3 weeks to see amazing results.
6. Apple and Oatmeal: Mash half a cup of apple, add half cup of cooked oatmeal, one tablespoon of lemon juice and one slightly beaten egg white to make a fine paste. Apply in adequate quantity to your face, leave for 15-20 minutes and then rinse off with cold water.
7. Turmeric and Neem: Make a fine paste of turmeric powder and neem leaves. Apply to the affected areas, leave for about half an hour and wash off with lukewarm water.
8. Almond and Honey: Take small amount of ground almonds, mix with honey to make a fine paste. Apply with a hot washcloth or flannel then rinse it off with cold water.
9. Sandalwood: This is very cooling and will reduce any inflammation cause by acne. Make a paste of sandalwood and black gram, apply to your face, leave overnight and rince the following day. This is an excellent treatment to reduce redness and irritation caused by acne.

These 9 simple home remedies will help you control you acne greatly. In case you still need help, look around at our acne treatment reviews for more help.