A lot of acne is caused by acne cosmetica, which is acne caused or aggravated by cosmetics and skin care products. You may notice you have acne along your blush line, blush frequently causes cosmetic acne because of the coal tar dyes (also known as D&C Red dyes), and the fatty compounds used to keep powdered blush in cake form. Pressed foundations or dry foundations in cake form are terrible for acne prone skin.

You also need to stay away from moisturizers that are made for dry skin, because they often contain fatty acids that provide emollient properties for dry skin, but are too much for acne-prone skin and trigger breakouts.

A very misleading term in skin care is “oil free”. Unfortunately, there are many “oil free” products on the market that are oil free, but contain high amounts of fatty acids, fatty esters, and comedogenic spreading ingredients. These fatty ingredients really plug follicles making acne much worse.

Look for moisturizers designed for acne prone skin that contain water binding humectants, such as glycerin, Sodium PCA, hyalouronic acid, or sorbitol. All of these ingredients are non-comedogenic and will add moisture without fatty compounds. These lotions will feel “wet” rather than creamy, because they are fluids.

Some acne treatment companies are saying their products are made for acne prone skin, but this doesn’t always mean that they really are. I would suggest looking into every single ingredient a product contains before buying it.

Control Oil

If you have really oily skin you need a face wash that remove excess oil. You need to wash your skin twice a day with a cleanser that is strong enough to remove oil, but not so strong that is leaves your skin feeling stripped and irritated.

Toners for oily and acne prone skin also help to remove excess oil. Acne toners may contain chamomile or aloe. These ingredients help to soothe acne and reduce redness.

Avoid Irritating the Skin

Over washing or overusing strong acne treatments may irritate and strip acne-prone skin. Overuse of acne masks or peeling agents such as Benzoyl Peroxide will cause inflammation which can result in more acne breakouts. In fact, there is a type of acne known as acne detergicans, which is cause by over washing the face. Skin should be washed twice a day, never more than three times a day.

Avoid Environmental Aggravators

Constant exposure to greasy environments such as a kitchen at a fast food restaurant, may contribute to acne breakouts. Eating greasy food hasn’t been proved to aggravate acne, but being exposed to a kitchen with grease in the air has been proven to make acne worse.

Heat and humidity are also a factor in acne. Teenagers in the South have more acne problems that any other area in the US. The humidity makes it so the oil doesn’t evaporate from your skin. If you live in a humid area make sure you are consistently using a good face wash designed for acne-prone skin.

Reduce Stress

Stress can certainly make acne worse. Mainly because of the hormonal fluctuations stress causes. Reduction of stress (especially in adults) will definitely improve acne. Exercising regularly is a great stress reducer. Making sure to get enough sleep will also help to reduce stress and allow your body to better care for your skin.