Always start a good cleansing skin care program with the essential clogged pore fighter - EXFOLIATION! Store shelves are lined with countless exfoliation options. Beautiful skin treatment programs use natural skin care products.



Culprit - Clogged Pores. As soon as oil and dead skin cells start building up in a pore, bacteria have a feeding frenzy that helps them multiple and will eventually cause a pimple. KEY ACTION - You can prevent clogged pores by keeping dead skin cell build-up to a minimum and avoiding face and hair care products that contain pore-clogging ingredients like mineral oil, lanolin, and shea butter.

Most store options include manual scrubs, glycolic, salicylic acid, and gentle enzyme-based products. Simply put, exfoliation works by removing dead skin cells that contribute to blemish formation. It generally takes several weeks to see any results but exfoliation is extremely helpful.

The next acne skin care product that is a clogged pore fighter is called retinoids. While retinoids may go by many names, they are all derivatives of vitamin A, which affects the way the skin turns over and prevents dead cells from sticking together and clogging the pores. While most retinoids are over-the-counter, there is also a prescription version that is called Ziana that combines retinoids with an antibiotic to specifically target bacteria. Retinoids are great for patients with adult acne because it helps with anti aging.

Retinoids work to prevent clogged pores by speeding up the skin's natural rate of exfoliation. Retinoids help decrease the stickiness associated with the dead cells and lessening the chances the pores will become clogged. Results may be seen in 2-3 months but acne may worsen before it gets better.

There are side-effects with retinoids, the most common of which is dryness and irritation, which tend to decrease with continued use. Start using retinoid creams every other night and gradually work up to every night - this might help keep side effects to a minimum. Good News! The cost may be covered by insurance.

A cleansing skin care program for oily skin, which ultimately drives adult acne, needs special effort. Experts are generally convinced that hormones are the major cause for oily skin and that is primarily because acne coincides with puberty. But the fact is that genetics, the other facial skin care products you use, and even your medications (especially oral contraceptives) can rev-up the oil glands. When excess oil and dead skin cells clog up the pores, bacteria can multiple and lead to breakouts.