The sad truth is, even with regular cleansing, some people still develop dark spots, also called hyper- pigmentation by dermatologists. It is characterized by pockets of discolored skin that remain even after pimples or skin bumps have disappeared. Hyper-pigmentation can be caused by many factors that can be external or internal. Among internal factors, we have certain illness such as Edison’s disease and some hepatic problems. If someone is taking too much iron, for instance, it can cause darker areas on the skin. Hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause also have a role to play. The deficit of certain vitamins and minerals such as calcium and vitamins A, E and B also can cause hyper-pigmentation.

The common culprit is the increase in melanin that occurs after skin is inflamed or irritated, or too much exposure to the sun. People with darker skin tones such as South Asians and Latinos are more likely to face this kind of problem.

While persistent dark spots can be remedied at home, health experts advise people to FIRST check with a dermatologist to make sure that the spot is harmless and can be left alone in place. After that, there are simple ways to effectively eliminate dark spots in your skin. For some, simply applying creams and sun block might work. For others, they might require skin peelings. No matter what, it is best to consult with your dermatologists.

Here are simple tips on how to get rid of those persistent dark spots.

1. Use sunscreen daily with SPF 15 or higher. It is always wise to block the sun that darkens our skin. This will also minimize our risk of acquiring skin cancers.
2. Do not pick your pimples or zits since it will result to scarring.
3. Pick up a product that contains mild hydroquinone since it is the main ingredient in most skin bleaches. If you cannot tolerate hydroquinone, try skin brighteners. Hydroquinone is usually used with glycolic acid and tretinoin.

Always remember that skin bleaching is not instant. It may take you three months to a year to fade the darkened skin depending on the type of your skin tone. Moreover, try not to abuse skin. If you have persistent skin problems like acne that leave scars, treat them immediately and stop the cycle.

Remember, prevention is always better than cure.

Skin experts and practitioners recommend several natural acne treatments. Here are some that we have compiled just for you.

• Wash your face twice a day (thrice at most) with gentle and unperfumed cleanser. Avoid using soaps as they contain harsh chemicals and ingredients that can damage your skin.
• Avoid touching your face. Stop putting your hands by your face! I am often guilty of this resting my hand on the side of my head while reading. Also rubbing or bracing your chin is another common problem when thinking. Avoid rubbing, touching, or itching your skin with your hands. Your hands contain a lot of bacteria that can cause acne flare-ups. It is probably one of the most difficult things to avoid since much of the hand to face contact throughout the day we are unconscious of. Make it a habit to avoid hand contact and be conscious of it during the day to avoid bacteria.
• Avoid the temptation to pick, prick and squeeze your acne. This will send the infection deeper into the skin and can cause severe scarring.
• For mild to moderate acne, you can use over- the- counter topical ointments, solutions, lotions or gels that contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or azelaic acid as an alternative to benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is best at killing P. acnes and may reduce oil production. Resorcinol, salicylic acid, and sulfur help break down blackheads and whiteheads. Salicylic acid also helps cut down the shedding of cells lining the follicles of the oil glands.
• Topical antibiotic solutions and lotions can also be applied.
• Tea tree oil is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial agent and has a drying effect on the skin. It keeps the P. Acnes bacteria at bay along with decreasing facial oiliness, which makes this oil a worthwhile investment.
• Sulfur helps to heal existing blemishes by unblocking pores.
• Alpha or Beta Hydroxy Acids (AHA or BHA) works by keeping the skin exfoliated. Glycolic acid, the most well-known of the bunch is a useful adjuvant therapy for mild acne. Mandelic acid, a lesser known one, but one that combines the keratolytic properties of glycolic acid with natural antibacterial properties that help reduce the presence of P. acnes, may be considered a more effective alpha hydroxy acid in treating acne lesions. It is also much less irritating than glycolic acid, a factor that may be very important to those with sensitive skin who are unable to use other agents such as Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, or salicylic acid. It is effective in treating mild cases of acne on its own, and can be used successfully with other therapies on moderate acne.

These treatments are usually effective for mild to moderate acne problems only. The effectiveness usually takes several weeks or approximately three to six months to be noticed. For more severe and serious acne conditions, do not hesitate to consult your dermatologist.

There are five major types of skin. Understanding your skin type is the best approach to your personal skin care.

* Normal skin—is the type of skin that we’d all love to have. This is the “healthy” type of skin. This type is the not too oily, not too dry type, characterized by few blemishes, generally firm and smooth with small pores. When you pull the skin away from the bony structure, it springs back to normal position. Lines and wrinkles are appropriate for age.
* Dry Skin—due to environmental exposure to harsh elements and very often lack of water skin may flake off and feel tight in your face. It may lack natural oils, may look rather flaky with small pores, blemishes and blackheads. Without adequate moisture, dry skin can easily become chapped. As dry skin ages, it’s more likely than other types to become wrinkly.
* Oily Skin—skin may look oily and coarse, may have recurring blackheads, acne and large pores. The texture of skin is thick; the touch is often sticky. This type is usually youthful- looking due to the presence of oil on the skin. Often, individuals with oily skin have a tendency to develop acne in their teen and middle years, and overgrown oil glands, or sebaceous hyperplasia, in the middle and late years.
* Combination Skin—varies according to your skin type. This is the Jekyll and Hyde type of skin, often with split personality. This type may be characterized as oily on the T-zone (the area that stretches from the forehead down to the nose and chin), and dry to normal on the cheeks and around the eye area.
* Sensitive Skin—people with sensitive skin are the most prone to allergies, rash, sting, and burns. This type of skin gets irritated easily and can go very red and blotchy. This type will have a lot more trouble to environmental factors and tends to be very sensitive to cosmetics.

Know your skin and take care of it. It is your glory to being healthy and beautiful.

The teen years are a trying time for any person. Although the worries and cares of adulthood are still far into the future, the teen is not exactly a happy and relaxed person. The carelessness and ignorance of childhood makes room for rebellion and questions about one’s values and place in the world. Looking for their own road through life teens feel insecure and, often enough, misunderstood. Unfortunately, if the search for a place under the sun is not enough, teenagers also have to deal with other problems, such as acne. This unsightly condition is the bane of many teenagers because of the effects it has at psychological level.It doesn’t take a lot to foster a negative self image in a teenager. Most of them are at least somewhat insecure about their outward appearance because of various real or imaginary blemishes. But a real condition that causes true discomfort and mars a young face is something else altogether. The fragile self image and self respect of teenagers are hard pressed to cope with the pressure exerted by the opinions of others and the comparisons with various role-models that teenagers find for themselves. In extreme cases, the negative self image turns into self hatred and the disfiguring condition is seen as a cruel instrument of self punishment for failing to rise up to some standard or other.

Here are several things that you should avoid when washing your face. Remember that it is our aim to make your skin healthier and beautiful.

1. Do not wash face too often. Washing your face doesn’t mean you have to wash it every hour of the day… Experts recommend ONLY two or three times per day. Frequent washing may dry out your skin thus increasing your risk to irritations that may even cause acne. Moreover, if the skin is too dry, your glands will produce more oil to compensate for this loss. This means that the risk of getting too much sebum also increases.
2. Do not use harsh soaps and cleansers. Never use bar soaps or bar cleansers. The ingredients that keep these soaps and cleansers in bar form can clog your pores and irritate your skin… plus, they can help foster breakouts. Harsh soap and cleansers can strip off the skin’s natural lipids thus irritate your skin. Choose cleansers that are mild and non-comedogenic, hypo-allergenic, and soap-free. There are several products like this in the market like Cetaphil, Burt Bee’s or Neutrogena. Dilute your cleanser with enough water when you wash… The less concentrated your cleanser, the gentler it will be.
3. Do not use too much cleanser. Even if you are using mild cleansers, it is best to dilute it with water (a palmful will be sufficient). The less concentrated your cleanser, the gentler it will be for your face.
4. Do not use cleansers containing alcohol. Alcohol will upset your face’s natural ph level, thus causing irritation. Using toners and astringents may feel wonderful… but over-using these will irritate your skin!
5. Do not just use products. Instead, know your skin type. For dry skin, look for products with cocoa butter or glycerin. For oily skin, look for products with benzoyl peroxide, citric acid or salicylic acid. For sensitive skin, look for aloe vera, almond oil or chamomile.
6. Do not under rinse. Residues left behind can actually clog your pores. Facial cleansers can leave an invisible residue behind which can clog your pores. Rinse three times, then rinse again!
7. Do not exfoliate often. Removing dead skin cells can make your skin less dull but you should not overdo it or you will injure your skin. Too much scrubbing will make your skin dull and flaky. Avoid abrasive facial pads and grainy facial scrubs.

Remember, in everything that you do, simplicity and moderation is often that key. Do not abuse your skin. Go easy and gentle. And put your best face forward.

There is a way to a blemish-free skin

If you are having problems with the old enemy, acne, and you are trying to find a solution to it,you are in the right spot. You’re far from being alone in this matter, as nearly 70% of all youths suffer from more or less severe forms of acne. And for many people, moving into the late 20s does not mean an end to acne, but the same old problem.

The most embarrassing, of course, is facial acne. Pimples on you back or chest can be hidden under clothing even in the summertime, but your face is always exposed. Every person you meet will look you in the face and even if no comment is made you know what they are all thinking, don’t you? Fact is, people tend to judge others from the clothes they wear, the state and color of their skin and other such superficial aspects. If your here because of that …. just keep reading.We will guide you on choosing the best product on how to get rid of acne

Causes of acne

Facial acne is easier to treat than body acne, but has a bigger chance of coming back in the form of flare-ups. Dust, air pollution, cosmetics and shaving are all factors that work in favor of acne by irritating your skin or clogging your pores. Moreover, dust and air pollution also bring the bacteria, which are responsible for pimples. Whenever a pores is clogged with sebum and dead skin cells, bacteria seize the chance and start multiplying in the sebaceous follicle. Before long, the follicle turns into a blackhead or a whitehead (in mild cases), or even into pustules or papules (in severe forms of acne).

While the market is practically awash with products promising to treat acne and teen magazines are drumming up for this or that trendy cure, we have conducted our own independent research into this issue. What we found is that most products are using either ineffective ingredients that do nothing for your skin beyond a short-lived improvement, or are made of strong chemicals. For instance, ProActive contains Benzoyl Peroxide, which is a strong substance known to cause rashes, skin irritation and crusting. Our advice is to stay away from such hazards to your health.

The best acne treatment on the market

However, we do recommend a skin cleansing system that held our interest through both its quality of ingredients and safety record, since no customers complained of side effects. The ClearPores System is composed of deep facial and body washes, a herbal supplement and protection creams for face and body. The washes are based on the effective SD Alcohol and Salicylic Acid solutions that open the pores and cleanse the skin of dirt and bacteria, while the herbal supplement helps the body fight bacteria from the inside.

Unlike other skin cleansing products, ClearPores does not leave your skin shining with excess sebum or dry and swollen. By opening the pores to remove dirt and by fighting bacteria at the roots, the system makes sure you’ll no longer have to suffer whiteheads and blackheads on your face. It also helps reduce inflammation and rebuild damaged skin cells in order to make your skin healthy and smooth. And if this was not enough, the product is backed by an amazing 6-month money back guarantee that makes usage virtually risk free for you. What more could one ask? get rid of acne now.

Why spend your time feeling bad about your face and body when you can put an end to this nuisance with the help of the 3-part ClearPores System? We recommend it to all those who are struggling to hide or fight acne. No more will you have to be afraid of meeting new people. No more will your skin stand between you and a good time. With ClearPores, you can turn the tide of this struggle and win!