Acne is irritating skin disorder affecting individuals since time immemorial. It indiscriminately affects people of every race, gender and age emerging in highly visible parts of the body. It often leaves individuals psychologically vulnerable with lack of self confidence and low self esteem. It is the most embarrassing nuisance.

Acne is caused by number of factors. The two most predominant causes are hormonal changes during teenage years and wrong food habits.

During adolescence our bodies undergo rapid hormonal changes. The main hormone responsible for acne is androgen. Androgen is a male sex hormone that is secreted by females as well, to a lesser degree of course. One of the functions of androgen is to activate the production of oil from skins oil glands. During this time, as the rapid changes occur, the over-production of oil causes the ideal media for the bacteria to grow. The glands start to swell and as our immune system fights this imbalance the secreted toxins are formed with the development of inflammation and pus.

During adult years we are what we eat. Once we consume excess amounts of greasy foods the body organs such as kidney and liver become overwhelmed and the obvious need for excretion of these toxins becomes necessary. Majority of the immune system is located in the intestines.

One way the body excretes some of these toxins is through the skin.

The bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, become active due to abundance of "food". They start reproducing causing the glands to swell and once again the inflammation and pus. The byproduct is acne as we know it. This is Mother Natures way of telling us of the imbalance in our system.

The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is so true in this case.

If you eat a balance diet and watch your fat intake, majority of the problems will be solved. As with many other ailments the main objective is to cleanse your body from toxins, whether specific or general. Drink plenty of water and eat fruits and vegetables to detoxify and cleanse your system.

Once acne is formed there are number of ways to take care of it. First and foremost wash the affected area with soap and water. Wash away any excess oils present on your skin. You do not want to give it any more fuel than it already has. Most of the time this simple procedure will get rid of the bacteria before the full blown acne has a chance to form.

Bacteria, being a living microorganism, have its optimum range of conditions that it strives on. Remove those conditions and you have taken care of the immediate problem.

In the olden days the solution was to wash your affected area with either lemon juice or vinegar. Both of them being acidic compounds lower the pH of the affected area. By lowering the pH you are essentially killing the bacteria thus temporarily solving the problem. There is large range of products on the market that achieve similar results, ranging from hydrogen peroxide, home remedies, to different antibacterial creams. All of them are focusing on the after-the fact treatments.

Just remember, you are not alone and this is a problem that has been affecting people for centuries.