Getting Healthy Skin is Now Easy

Healthy skin. You see those two words and you think you’re still a few years away, don’t you? I remember life as a teenager. I remember being so thankful every day that I woke up zit free. Then the age of 16 rolled around, and a few of the zit reconnaissance force came to check out my face for a potential invasion. Thinking ahead, I tried everything over-the-counter that I could find at any store that carried acne products. I didn’t only want healthy skin; I felt I needed healthy skin. How do you impress your peers without it?

How to Get Healthy Skin

Unfortunately, I was one of those people who kind of gave up, and “dealt” with problem acne for about a year—dreaming of a clear complexion and healthy skin. Little did I know it was attainable, and that through a little effort and consistency healthy skin and a balanced complexion was a possibility.

For starters, it is worth knowing—acne does not equate to unhealthy skin. It certainly may suggest a skin aesthetic which is unhealthy, but there is still a significant amount of health remaining in the skin, as it continues to function, offering protection and serving its physiological purpose. To a certain extent, however, the health of the skin is affected by the presence of acne—something that can be treated and prevented with a simple and focused effort.

Healthy Skin – The Big Picture

Healthy skin begins with the understanding that the skin serves as the body’s largest organ. Knowing this, it is easy to understand that total skin health will come from the inside as well as the outside. Offering the skin optimal nutrition through diet, including the ingestion of appropriate amounts of water, will be the first step in achieving long lasting, healthy skin. The skin thrives on proper hydration for optimal function. When you consider the fact that nearly everyone replaces water with acidic soft drinks, coffee and now the energy drink fad, it’s no wonder the “western world” suffers from acne far more than other cultures.

Healthy Skin Through a Skin Care Regimen

To combat acne from the outside and achieve healthy skin, it is necessary to address the issues that cause acne. While there are many variables that you may already be aware of, did you know: All acne is formed in the same manner? Whiteheads, blackheads and cystic acne is all caused by dead skin cells, the P-acne bacteria and sebum (skin oil) combining in a follicle to create a clog and develop as an infection.

A daily skin care regimen will help to treat existing acne, while preventing additional acne from forming. To start, a mild, exfoliating benzoyl peroxide based acne wash will help to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, while attacking the bacteria on the surface of the skin and in the pores. Once the skin has been prepared with a cleanser, an astringent or skin toner/relaxer will help to calm the skin and constrict the pores from being easily penetrated by bacteria and dead skin cells.

Following this step with a quality acne cream will help to further cleanse the pores of bacteria, while helping to prevent the development of additional bacteria on the surface of the skin, thus preventing the development of more acne, paving the way to healthy skin. Finally, an oil-free moisturizer can be used to help offer hydration to the skin, protecting against any dryness associated with acne treatments.