By Zareen Muzaffar

With a little caution and care, we can alleviate the causes of troubled skin. Here are a few tips to consider when you see that little fella on your face.

Note: These tips are for mild acne. For extremely trouble prone skin or severe acne, please visit a dermatologist.

Skip Exfoliation

We usually exfoliate our skin twice a week. But I feel it’s better to skip exfoliation if you are breaking out. Wait till the breakouts subside or at least minimize before returning to your exfoliation regimen for removal of dead skin cells.

Recommended: Zein Obago (ZO) Skin Health, Exfoliating Polish available at Boots Pharmacy (Sahara Mall and Olaya St.)

Choose Cleansers Wisely

There are some cleansers that over dry the skin causing more breakouts. Harsh cleansers strip the skin of its protective barrier leaving it exposed to bacteria that causes pimples.

Recommended: Use a mild cleanser such as La Roche Posay Derma Cleanser or Bioderma’s Sebium cleansing gel; both available at Nahdi and Boots Pharmacy.

Don’t Touch and Pick

Some people believe popping pimples is the best way to get rid of them. Ask any doctor and they will tell you otherwise. Squeezing not only causes irritation and flare-ups, it further aggravates pimples.

Please don’t forget squeezing breakouts has more chances of leaving scars on your face.

Spot Treatment

For very mild acne or some breakouts, spot treatments can work wonders. Tea Tree oil at Body Shop or products that contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid can be used to treat the pimple.

Recommended: Danube carries these spot treatments but Whites, Adama, Boots and Nahdi pharmacy specialists can assist you with finding the best one too.

Keep Hair Away:

Keep your hair tied and away from your face, especially if you are breaking out on the forehead, back or neck. Shampoos and conditioners contain harsh chemicals
and fragrances that can be harmful for sensitive areas on your face.

Avoid Dairy Products

No direct link has been established between dairy products and breakouts but dairy does contain components that may stimulate oil glands. The additional androgen hormones in cow’s milk can potentially cause hormonal imbalances in women that lead to breakouts. Next time you break out try cutting out dairy for a week or two and see if it makes a difference.

Recommended: Replace cow milk with Almond milk available at Danube, Lulu and Tamimi Supermarkets.

Increase Water Intake

Water intake helps improve digestion and flushes out the toxins in your body. All these help in clearing up the skin and gives you a glowing radiance.

Clean your Makeup Brushes

Some of us use makeup brushes as part of daily makeup routine but we tend to forget the bacteria that gets accumulated in those brushes. Wash your brushes at least once a week and leave them to dry. To wash brushes you can use your cleanser mixed in water.