A healthy skin free of imperfections is vital to a person's social life, especially if that person is still in his or her adolescent years. Even though acne is unavoidable, there are things you can do to minimize, or prevent in some cases, the onset of new acne.

1. Make up

Although there is no concrete evidence yet, there are theories that make up causes acne. Nonetheless, it's still important to avoid certain types of make up, such as those that are oil-based or those that have isopropyl myristate, lanolin, D & C red dyes, laureth-4 and sodium lauryl sulphate. It's much safer to use make up that is nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic. It's also recommended that you not wear too much make up; the less make up you put on, the better for your skin.

2. Facial cleaning

Whether you wear make up or not, it's important that you clean your face thoroughly every night before you go to bed. Use a gentle facial cleansre for this. It's recommended that you wash your face with warm water and mild cleanser twice a day. Do not, however, rub your face vigorously as this will only irritate the acne and may spread it to other areas of your skin. When drying your face, don't rub it dry; pat your face dry instead with a soft towel.

3. Use clean pillows, wash cloths and make up brushes

Your face comes in contact with your pillow during sleep so make sure that your pillowcase is always clean. If possible, change your pillowcase every day. Along the same lines, keep your face towels and wash clothes washed and clean. Avoid reusing wash cloths and pillowcases before they are washed as they are likely to have bacteria that can cause skin infections and cause additional acne breakouts. Likewise, clean your make up brushes regularly with soap and water.

4. Pimples andor Blackheads

Never pick, squeeze or pop your pimples. Doing so will only aggravate an already inflamed lesion. Leave the pimples alone because popping or squeezing them will only spread the infection and leave acne scars. If you must pop a pimple, it should be one that has a small, yellow pus head in the center. Popping this kind of pimple will actually help it heal faster.

5. Sun exposure

Many people believe that tanning or sunbathing is cure for acne problems. This is quite untrue. The fact is that you should always protect your skin from over-exposure to the sun because doing so can intensify the drying of your skin. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, especially if you are taking certain acne medications.

6. Exercise

Exercise not only helps your muscles, bones and joints become stronger, it also is a great way to reduce stress. In addition, exercise improves blood circulation and increases the oxygen supplied to your skin. This helps prevent acne.

7. Water

Water is the best detoxifying agent there is. Drink six to eight glasses of water everyday. This helps flush out toxins and other harmful substances from your body.

8. Treatment

When you're trying new acne medications, try one at a time. Taking or using these products at the same time may cause adverse reactions. In addition, apply acne medication on the affected area and about an inch beyond the inflamed area to prevent it from spreading.

These precautions and practices mentioned above, when used correctly, may be a tremendous help in controlling and preventing dreaded acne.