The severity of acne varies from person to person. Some may experience only a mild outbreak during adolescence while many people have to deal with a severe outbreak in their later years, when one thought acne was least likely to occur. These skin care tips are common for all skin types and all forms of acne.

Clean the skin gently
The last thing you should do, if you have acne, is to scrub your skin with strong detergents and soaps and rough scrub pads, in the hope that it will bring to an end the acne outbreak and oil production tormenting your skin. Doctors recommend that people with acne should wash their face and other acne prone areas of the body gently and use a mild cleanser, morning, evening and after heavy exercise. Scrubbing only makes the problem worse. Wash from under the jaw to the hairline and rinse thoroughly afterwards. Astringents are not recommended as they tend to irritate acne prone skin. Only put astringent in spots where the skin is very oily which needs to be soaked and removed. Dermatologists also suggest that patients with oily hair, shampoo it everyday.

Don't pick pimples
Squeezing pimples can do no good. In fact it makes the acne much worse as one can develop permanent and dark spots. You should also avoid touching and rubbing your lesions.

Shave with care
Men with acne should try out electric and safety razors to see which suits them more. If you use a safety, razor do soften your bristles with soap and water prior to shaving. Use shaving cream. Shave only when necessary and with a light hand.

Always use sunscreen
Acne medication sensitizes the skin to sunburns. A suntan that darkens the skin or sunburn that reddens the skin has the benefit of hiding the skin blemishes. However these advantages are short lived and in the long run excessive exposure to the sun ages the skin more rapidly and you run the risk of developing skin cancer.

Choose cosmetics with care
If you are prone to acne you may need to re-look at the cosmetics that you buy. Go for the oil free or non-comedogenic products. Avoid oily hair products that tend to drip to the forehead and close the skin pores.