There is a time for everything. A time for getting rid of acne, and a time for preventing it. A time for treating wrinkles, and a time for preventing them. A time for treating scars, and a time for preventing them. But if you want some awesome clear skin tips, this is the right place.
This article is intended to help you prevent the onset of skin conditions. Lucky for us, when it comes to prevention, time is our ally. The sooner we act, the more chance we won't have to deal with wrinkles, acne, or scars. We can make sure our skin remains young and healthy.
And rest assured, it's not only us ordinary people who need to work hard to keep our skin clear and fight acne. In case you missed it, high-profile celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Bella Thorne, and Katy Perry are also struggling with acne. We're not sure about you, but that definitely makes us sleep better.
Another thing that might help you get better sleep is our 100 tips for flawless skin article. It's a great primer for all the advice, treatments, and preventive remedies you'll read here, so if you haven't checked it out already, now is the time. (For a more condensed list, check out our list of the top 30 beauty tips for women struggling with acne.)
If you have, read on because we're about to go deep into skin health prevention and show you how to achieve clear skin naturally in 30 days. But, first things first.
Why Does Our Skin Go Bad?
You know, those out-of-the-blue, unexpected acne bouts. Why do we have them? The long answer would have to go into detail about the anatomy and physiology of the human body. But let's keep it short and just say that, well, aging happens. In fact, our skin begins to age at the early age of 18.
Surprised? If you look close enough (with a microscope), the signs are there. Our skin blooms to its full potential at 18 and begins its long cycle of regenerating itself over and over again until we leave this place.
But, since our body goes through different phases in each era of our lives, its needs keep changing too. This means that depending on your age, you'll face different challenges when it comes to skin health. You'll need to pay attention to different areas of your body and skin.
The more time passes, the stress upon our skin becomes heavier and more difficult to manage. All the dirt, conditions, stresses, and worries accumulate over time, contributing to the skin's texture, which is exactly why it's important to develop a good skin care routine.
Here's a super simple list for each era and its challenges, along with specific skin care recommendations.
When You Are in Your 20s
You're still young, so your skin goes through faster and more intense cycles of regeneration. This means that it produces extra sebum (skin oil) and more dead skin cells.
Needless to say, this can cause clogged pores, leading to whiteheads and blackheads, which cause acne breakouts. Exfoliating often and using high-quality cleansers will deal with the problem of dead skin cells and improve skin texture. However, exfoliating your face often also runs the risk of dry and rough skin. This is why you should combine it with a high-quality moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated.
When You Are in Your 30s
More work, more stress, more obligations, but less time. All of this takes a toll on your skin and removing dead skin cells just doesn't cut it anymore. Once you hit your thirties, it's time to start using skin care products that provide nourishment, no matter your skin type.
In addition to that, you'll need collagen-supporting skin care products to improve skin elasticity..
When You Are in Your 40s
It's during this era that your skin will carve the main lines of your wrinkles. Your body has now entered the age of complete maturity and is now heading toward old age. This means that you will start seeing visible signs of aging during your forties. Wrinkles and blemishes become more apparent and pronounced, and smooth skin will become more difficult to achieve.
This is why you will need to use skin care products that target signs of aging, like blemishes and wrinkles. A good moisturizer will go a long way in softening dry skin.
When You Are in Your 50s And Beyond
Things become a bit complicated at 50, but at the very least, you should continue the treatments you used in your forties to soften rough skin. Additionally, see if you can get your hands on products that reduce imperceptible muscle contractions since it is exactly those movements under the skin that create and reinforce wrinkles.
Use skin products that support skin volume, which should make wrinkles less noticeable even further. Advanced medical procedures, like laser resurfacing, show great results in reducing signs of aging as well.
How to Get Clear Skin and Keep It
With the reasons for aging and the challenges each age brings out of the way, we can finally focus on some practical advice - regardless of age. How do you get clearer skin and keep it? Well, there are a bunch of ways, and if you follow them closely, you could even clear your skin in 30 days or less.
For the sake of clarity, we've organized this article into three main areas: preventive hygiene, preventive habits, and preventive treatments. Keep to these recommendations closely and you'll have beautiful skin forever.
Preventive Hygiene
As the title tells you, this section is dedicated to activities you can do to boost your skin hygiene. This will help your skin remain healthy, youthful, and clear. Here are the things you should be doing to maintain clearer skin.
Wash Your Face
Optimally, you should be washing your face two times a day. Wash in warm water when you wake up and just before you go to bed. However, this activity can actually contribute to bad skin health and even acne in oily skin if done wrong.
Be careful about how hard you rub your face. Rub it too hard, and you might irritate the skin, or, if you have acne-prone skin or blemishes, worsen them. Be gentle and let the water do most of the work.
Secondly, washing your face too often and using strong soaps can cause it to dry. When the skin becomes too dry, it increases the production of skin oil (sebum). Instead, dry a gentle cleanser.
Washing your face too much can also cause a cycle of excessive oil production, which results in oily skin and makes acne worse. That's why we recommend you stick to a firm schedule of two times a day. Establishing a face-washing routine is the important first step in getting clearer skin and keeping it.
Train Yourself to Stop Touching Your Face
Perhaps the simplest but the most difficult advice to follow. Take a moment to think about all the things you've touched today. The list seems endless, right? Then ask yourself how many times you've touched your face with your hands. You get the point.
So, what to do?
Well, for starters, you can refrain from putting your hands all over your face. Additionally, purchase a portable hand sanitizer. These usually come in small, handy bottles, so you can carry them everywhere you go. If you need to touch your face, clean them with hand sanitizer first.
You Can’t Get Clear Skin if You Pop Your Pimples
The reasons why those two don't go hand in hand are numerous. For one, if you already have a skin inflammation, you'll probably have a bacterial infection to go with it. That means if you go about popping pimples here and there, you're smearing those harmful bacteria all over your face. If they end up in a hair follicle or a healthy pore (and they will), they'll quickly transform into another pimple. So, if you want more acne and less healthy skin, make a habit of popping pimples.
You will almost inevitable scars that you will inflict on your skin by trying to pop pimples. All the squeezing and the pressure make your skin and underlying tissues tear, disfiguring your body in a thousand little ways. The injuries, although seemingly minor, make it more difficult for your body to heal itself properly. Whether you have mild acne or moderate acne, popping the pimples is one of the surest ways to end up with scars.
Keep Your Sheets, Blankets and Pillows Clean
One often overlooked factor that contributes to bad skin health and even acne is your bed. We spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, so it comes as no surprise that unclean pillows, blankets, and sheets can contribute to all sorts of conditions.
If you're having an acne problem, or more specifically, a cheek acne problem, the first thing you should do is replace your pillowcases. Make sure that your linens are always clean, and wash them often. That way, you'll get rid of the oil, dirt, sweat, and other bodily products our bodies leave on our sheets and pillows - products that provide food for bacterial growth and fertile grounds for acne inflammation.
Get Clear Skin By Keeping Your Smartphone Clean And Away From Your Face
This is probably the next most overlooked factor when it comes to causes of bad skin health, especially cheek acne. Just like with our hands, we leave our smartphones everywhere - school desks, gym bags, busy diners, and public toilet stalls. It doesn't take long to realize that our phones are gathering more dirt than all our items combined. And yet, we keep them glued to our faces for minutes on end.
Smartphones are mostly dirty because we hardly ever think about cleaning them. It's just a lack of awareness, which, thankfully, can be easily fixed. Clean your smartphone every couple of days, and you're good to go.
Keep Your Hair Clean and Away From Your Face
If you don't keep your hair tied and away from your face, all that oil from it will inevitably end up on your face and neck. This promotes bad skin health since the excess oil has two side effects. One, it clogs up your pores and hair follicles, and two, it's basically an all-you-can-eat gourmet for an array of acne-causing bacteria.
This doesn't just go for greasy hair. Even if your hair is dry or normal, loose hair is still a problem. If you don't keep it away from your face, it will still irritate your healthy skin and cause everything from a rash to a bout of acne. So ladies (and gentlemen of the Jason Momoa type), keep your hair in a bun.
Keep Your Makeup and Brushes Fresh and Clean
It's easy to see how makeup can cause acne. Makeup brushes, sponges, and other cosmetic tools you use to apply makeup can carry bacteria that clog pores. That's why you should take special care in cleaning your makeup tools. Don't be afraid to wash your brushes and sponges once in a while.
If some of them are old or beyond redemption, don't overthink it - just throw them in the trash.
Everything has an expiration date, and that includes makeup. Usually, if your makeup is older than six months, there is a good chance that it has become populated by bacteria. To avoid that, keep the lids on all your makeup and cosmetic products and be mindful of their expiration date. If it smells odd or looks odd… you know the drill.
Preventive Habits
As we mentioned above, this section focuses on changes in your behavior that can have a beneficial effect on your skin. Developing healthy habits is an integral part of the journey to beautiful skin forever.
Here are the things you can do, stop doing, or just do differently.
Use Less Makeup if You Truly Want to Have Clear Skin Forever
Any way we turn it, makeup isn’t a friend to your skin. The powders, oils, and substances found in makeup can clog up skin pores and worsen acne. Surely, you want to avoid this, but you also want to look great out on the town. So, what's a girl to do?
Well, there's a middle ground here. For a start, consider if it is possible to use less makeup. Sometimes less is more, and when we consider makeup in the context of skin health and acne, the saying is literally true.
Next, focus on using a high-quality foundation. If you have oily skin, go for a matte one, and if you have dry skin, you'll need one that hydrates. The foundation has direct contact with your face, so the better it is, the happier your skin.
Drink Less Coffee
Coffee is hard to escape. On its own, it has some beneficial properties (coffee is a powerful antioxidant), but we don't often drink it pure, do we? We add tons of sugar, milk, and all sorts of creams to it, which turns it into a very different beast.
As we explained in our in-depth article on coffee’s effects on acne, added milk and sugar affect a number of important metabolic processes. Some of these changes make our immune systems more reactive, increasing the likelihood of inflammation. Others make our bodies produce more skin oil (sebum), which provides fertile ground for acne-causing bacteria.
So if you're an avid coffee drinker facing persistent skin problems, here's what you can do.
Try to reduce your coffee intake for one month, or give it up completely. See if you can get clearer skin in 30 days. Chances are, you'll see visible improvements.
Smoking Harms Clear Skin - Try Vaping Instead
If you're a smoker, we have bad news for you. Besides ruining your body's health, smoking ruins your skin too.
Cigarette smoke is rich in particles made up of toxic compounds and free radicals, both of which harm your skin in different ways. When you smoke, all the invisible particles slide over your face and hair, contributing to clogged pores. Additionally, these particles contain free radicals, which hamper the ability of our cells to regenerate themselves.
So, what can you do? Well, besides quitting smoking (which is unrealistic since it's hella hard), you can try vaping instead. So far, science is pretty sure about the harmlessness of vaping compared to actual smoking, so it will definitely be a step in the right direction.
For more information, check out our article on vaping and its effects on skin health and acne.
The Sun Hates Clear Skin, So Don’t Skip Sunscreen
We've all been there. One moment everything is fine, and the next, you look like a lobster, and your skin is on fire.
The sun is vital for Vitamin D, but if you stay in it for too long, the harmful UV radiation can damage your skin. This doesn't end with the inconvenience of burning sensations, though. If your skin gets too hot and dry, it can go into shock mode and activate its response mechanisms. This basically means mashing a button that says, "Pump more oil!" This is bad news if you hope to have clear skin and avoid acne inflammation.
But there are lots you can do. For a start, make sure you always carry sunscreen with you, just in case you forgot to slather some on before leaving your house.
Step number two is to pick the right sunscreen. Look for the "non-comedogenic" label, and if possible, get yourself an oil-free alternative. That way, you'll be both protected and avoid clogging your pores.
And finally - clothing. It's not just enough to wear sunscreen. Put on some light and bright clothes and a wide hat. That way, you'll feel more comfortable, less hot, and well-protected.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
We hate it too. Until we actually get used to it and become addicted to all the good feels it brings!
That's, sadly, how it works - the resistance is super strong in the beginning, but once you break through that barrier, you begin to feel the positive sides. And once you feel the love your body showers you with after a good workout, it's difficult to stop. But what does exercise have to do with clear skin? Well, quite a lot, actually!
Exercise is one of the best stress relievers. That's because it plays with the body's physiological systems. The stress our bodies go through when physically active releases feel-good hormones and other substances that not only make us feel calm but also regenerate our body.
In addition, reducing stress reduces inflammation, which is great for your skin and bad for acne. Sweating opens up our skin pores, allowing it to breathe. This essentially cleans them from dirt and excess sebum (your skin's natural oils) which again, helps you get that clear skin you've been wishing for.
Develop Good Skin Care Routines and Stick to Them
A habit, on its own, cannot do much. But combine several habits together, and you get routines. Combine those… and you have a lifestyle.
From removing makeup before going to bed to keeping your hair tied neatly and washing your face first thing in the morning, simple habits can be combined into a powerful skincare routine that will vastly improve your skin health.
Try developing a morning skin care routine, and we bet that you can get clear skin in 30 days - or less.
Preventive Treatments
This section is intended for specific things you can do, either consistently or once in a while. From home remedies and medical treatments to skin care products - the solutions that follow are neither hygienic measures nor habits. Nonetheless, they are powerful allies to help you get clear skin and keep it forever.
The Holy Trinity of Skin Care Products
You don't just have to have acne to use these acne-fighting ingredients to clean your skin. They're suitable for all skin types. Who doesn't have a pimple or two, right? At any rate, be careful in how you apply these anti-acne cleansers, and always follow the instructions.
The three most effective substances for cleaning the skin, especially during an acne inflammation, are benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and sulfur. If a product has one, or more of these combined, you're good to go..
Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide (note the "oxide" part) works by starving out the bacteria that cause acne. The perpetrator in question hates oxygen, and benzoyl peroxide brings plenty of that. Usually, benzoyl peroxide comes in the form of creams or gels and can be purchased without a doctor's prescription. So if you want clear skin forever, it's a good idea to give your face a periodic spring cleaning with some benzoyl peroxide.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid, also known as BHA, has very different properties - it dries out the skin's surface layer and makes it easier to remove dead skin cells. This effectively makes it one of the best chemical exfoliants.
However, apply too much salicylic acid, and you might end up with a dry skin tone. It's always good to apply moisturizer after cleaning your face with salicylic acid - but take care that they are oil-free and non-comedogenic.
Not to brag, but some salicylic acid products are better than others. Try Misumi's Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser. This facial cleanser will soothe and calm angry breakouts, soften the skin, remove impurities, and more.
Sulfur
Finally, some skincare products boast that they contain sulfur. A foul-smelling but extremely useful element, sulfur has been used for treating a wide variety of conditions. From wounds and cuts to skin lesions, acne, and infectious diseases, sulfur has had a role to play.
When applied to the skin (in the form of a cosmetic product, of course!), sulfur makes short work of all the excess oil. In addition to that, it also dissolves dead skin cells and helps with acne, improving skin texture.
Of course, be careful and follow the instructions. If you experience any adverse effects from any of these ingredients, wash your face immediately and talk to your doctor and dermatologist.
Give Home Remedies a Try
In this day and age, it's so easy to look into how other cultures tried to alleviate other skin conditions. That knowledge results in a rich tapestry of home remedies. Ranging from simple to super complex, home remedies for clear skin are a staple of skin care. From papaya masks to honey, cucumbers, rose water, and even figs, home remedies provide harmless and varied alternatives for getting smoother skin.
Home remedies are good to try for those with sensitive skin types or combination skin, as you can deliberately pick ingredients that will help - and avoid those that won't.
Make Your Own Spot Treatments for Smoother Skin
Just like home remedies, you can also prepare your own homemade spot treatments. These are intended for sparse and careful use and sometimes include non-natural ingredients like crushed aspirin.
Before you try these, consider whether they're best for your skin type. Whether you have oily skin, combination skin, or dry and rough skin, you'll need to plan a useful ingredient list. To find out more about how to make your own spot treatment, check out this article.
Harness the Amazing Benefits of Rice Water
Originally the common, day-to-day ritual of rice farmers in South-East Asia, rice water is now recognized as a staple of the skincare, beauty, and cosmetics industry. There are thousands upon thousands of skincare products, especially in Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, and Vietnam, that brag about containing precious rice compounds in their elixirs.
And it's not for nothing - rice water is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin E (and Vitamin E’s oil),proteins, complex carbohydrates, starch, and last but not least, a nice selection of minerals.
Additionally, the rice bran oil found in rice water can also protect the skin from sun damage. That explains why ancient rice farmers began using it in the first place.
But that's not all. Besides these amazing skin benefits, rice water is also good for your hair because it contains inositol. Inositol is a naturally occurring carbohydrate that aids in hair repair.
But you don't need those products to harness the benefits of rice. You can easily prepare your own homemade rice water treatment. To find out how, head over to our article on rice water and how you can use it.
Clear Skin and Closed Comedones Don’t Go Hand in Hand
You know those tiny little bumps all over your skin? What are they?
Well, dermatologists call them comedones, and when they're healthy, they're almost imperceptible and have normal, skin-toned color. But if they become clogged, they become immediately noticeable and can either take the form of whiteheads or blackheads. These, in turn, may grow into pimples or cause an entire acne outbreak.
And we don't want that, do we? That's exactly why we dedicated an entire article on closed comedones and what to do about them.
If You Want Flawless Skin, Boost Your Glutathione Levels
Known as the "master antioxidant," glutathione is a compound naturally produced in our bodies. It is made up of glutamine, l-cysteine, and glycine, three crucial building blocks for precious amino acids. It fights inflammation, reduces oxidative stress, and rejuvenates skin cells, but it also has the amazing ability to regenerate itself and other antioxidants.
Glutathione is also present on the skin, which makes it a precious ally in the quest for smooth skin. However, since it's naturally produced by our bodies, it can be boosted by dietary and lifestyle changes.
Learn more about this precious compound in our article on glutathione and skin health.
Dark Circles and Bags Under Your Eyes Don’t Look Good
You can't have clear skin if you have dark circles and bags under your eyes, right? Even if the rest of your face is flawless, dark bags under the eyes sort of ruin the overall impression.
The reasons vary from genetics to lack of sleep and a number of allergies and deficiencies. And the treatments are as numerous as well. Our team has taken the time to research the causes behind the bags under our eyes, as well as compile a very useful, and healthy list of natural remedies.
Chemical Peels Can Help You Clear Your Skin in 30 Days
It's real and it works! While the term chemical peel itself may induce wariness in most people, the procedure is pretty harmless.
It boils down to a professionally (cosmetic or medical) targeted application of exfoliants such as salicylic acid. This makes the uppermost layers of the skin become dry and peel away, ironing out any uneven areas on the skin. This also convinces the body to up collagen production and try to repair itself, which ensures smooth skin. It's no surprise that chemical peels are often used in dealing with acne vulgaris, acne scars, and signs of aging such as wrinkles.
There are three types (or let's say categories) of chemical peel. If you're interested in this procedure and how it can help you get smooth skin in 30 days, head over to our article on chemical peels for clear skin and acne.
Oil Pulling? Why Not?
We know what you're thinking but it ain't it. We, too, imagined pulling oil - in some way, by sponge or syringe - from under the skin. But thankfully, oil pulling is super simple and harmless, and doesn't involve any injury.
Basically, oil pulling just means you swish some vegetable oil in your mouth for a while before spitting it out. The longer you manage to do this, the better, although the recommended time is 20-30 minutes.
People have used oil pulling for quite a while, claiming that it removes toxins from the mouth and improves the health of your teeth. Additionally, one side effect of this is that improved oral health also affects the skin on your face. Fewer toxins in the tissues under your face (i.e. your mouth), less health problems for your face, right? Right.
If you want to try this treatment as prevention for bad skin, check out our article on oil pulling for acne and skin health.
Shea Butter is Nature’s Wonderful Gift for Clear Skin
Shea butter is one of the darlings of the cosmetics and beauty industry. Nearly every other skin care product brags that it contains shea butter.
But why?
Shea butter is vegan, and it's produced by extracting the oil and meat from the nuts of the African shea trees. People in Africa use the shea tree nut and its oil for many purposes. From cooking to applying it to the hair and skin, shea butter is a traditional household staple of many people in Africa. But how is it useful for your skin?
Shea butter is absolutely brimming with fatty acids and vitamins E, A, and F, all of which have beneficial effects on our skin. It's great for dry skin types.
There are two types of shea butter available, the refined version and the unrefined version.
Are you interested in maintaining glowing skin forever, or are you dealing with acne? Learn more about this precious natural substance in our article on shea butter for acne and clear skin.
If All Else Fails, Why Not Give Olive Oil a Shot?
Yes, we know. Who, in their right mind, would use vegetable oil for their skin? Isn't olive oil intended for cooking, frying, and salad dressing anyway? Well, someone, somewhere, decided to give this oil other uses.
While history is rich with examples of people using it as a cosmetic aid for thousands of years, today's science is split on the issue.
This amazing oil contains a number of vitamins, and it's pretty healthy for consummation, but is it good for skin health? Well, some people claim it's helped them clear their skin. Check out our in-depth article on using olive oil for acne and skin.
Green Tea Can Help Prevent Acne
Green tea is probably the most popular tea right now. But don't let the recent trend make you mistake green tea for just another shallow fashion fad. Au contraire, green tea has a slew of beneficial properties for skin health, both when used topically and ingested.
For example, the leaves of green tea are brimming with something called polyphenols. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that hunt and remove free radicals, compounds that cause damage to our cells.
Green tea, being chock full of these antioxidants, heals skin and reduces inflammations around your body. But that's not all - green tea also balances your hormones and regulates insulin sensitivity.
So, how do you use green tea, particularly in improving your skin? Read more about it in our article on how to use green tea to get clear skin.
But What if You Have Acne, and it’s Serious?
That's a very good question.
Thankfully, modern medicine and science are working hard on devising more and more medications and treatments for acne. There are many you can choose from. So, if you're interested in trying prescription medicines, head over to our article on acne medications.
However, what if you're dealing with cystic acne? If you suffer from severe acne and would like to learn more about what to do, head over to Accutane and all you need to know about it.
In Conclusion
There are hundreds of different treatments, habits, and remedies that can help you get clearer skin. The same goes for keeping your skin clear forever. Whether you have oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, or a sensitive skin type, some of the suggested methods here will also help you achieve clear skin in 30 days (or even less). If you need even more skin care advice, head over to our Ultimate Guide on How to Get Flawless Skin.
Good luck!
This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances, and its goal is to offer a general view of the subject. In case you are suffering from a severe case of acne, you should consult with a dermatologist or a certified medical professional.
