What you put into your body not only provides the sustenance you need to live but it is also a reflection of your existence both literally and figuratively. It comes through in the shine of your hair and the glow of your skin. What you put into your mouth not only says something about who you are, but it affects the way you look and how you will look and feel tomorrow. In your fight to get rid of your acne this is probably the one area where you have total control yet it’s probably the least advanced. Let’s change that right now.

Starting immediately, commit yourself in your fight to getting rid of acne by declaring that you will drink lots of water and introduce a varied assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.

Water cleanses and refreshes your body. It flushes toxins from your system and is essential for your overall health. Not enough water and the toxins build up which can result in breakouts. If you don’t get enough water you can actually poison yourself in your own metabolic waste. Eight to ten glasses a day should be enough to promote clear skin.

An intelligent, balanced diet goes a long way in helping you get rid of acne, but did you know that there are certain foods that produce a powerful punch of acne ridding vitamins and mineral

Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin and found in abundance in dairy products and liver. It’s also found in carrots and cantaloupe as well as oatmeal, sweet potato and pumpkin .

Vitamin B is necessary to maintain an optimal metabolism. Several excellent sources are avocados, eggs and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C is necessary for you to maintain healthy collagen levels. Collagen is a structural protein in the skin. Without this protein your skin would simply fall apart. Excellent sources in your fight to get rid of acne are strawberries, citrus fruits, green peas and tomatoes.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps slow the aging process and slow the oxidative damages to your body. Excellent sources are nuts, seeds, vegetables and liver oil.

Finally Zinc. Use Zinc to boost your immune system and promote optimal health. It is necessary for the function of over 300 enzymes responsible for biological processes too numerous to mention and talk about here. Excellent sources for you fight in getting rid of acne are: turkey, port, seafood (especially oysters) as well as whole grain breads and cereals.

Pay attention to the foods you put into your body and you will be rewarded in your efforts to get rid of your acne with clear skin.

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Over time I learned that blackheads were simply the product of my skin pores not draining properly the sebum oil that’s naturally produced. Before you know it a blockage can occur. The bacteria start to do its thing and viola, the pore gets completely clogged and your new best friend on the tip of your nose is a whitehead or a blackhead.

I don’t care how beautiful your eyes are, it’s not going to distract anyone from noticing anything but the pimple that’s taken up residence on your face.

Now the question becomes how do you get rid of that blackhead? You want it gone, plain and simple.

Blackhead removal: Comedome (Blackhead) Extractors – These little handy devices are a much safer method for blackhead removal than squeezing with your fingers. There are any numbers of cosmetic companies that manufacture these blackhead removers and they can be quite inexpensive, around $5.00 or so. You simply apply a little circular pressure with the extractor over the affected area and that little bit of force will push the comedome to the surface. It’s best to do this after a warm shower or maybe apply warm water compresses to help soften the skin and the affected area. After the offending blackhead has squirted to freedom, use an antiseptic to disinfect the area as well as your new found best friend the black head extractor. A little alcohol and hot water should do the trick.

Now that the blackheads have been removed and are gone, we need to take a proactive approach so they don’t return. A little preventative action to keep the blackheads away goes a long way!

If you are using oil based make-up get rid of it. These products are going to make it a lot easier to clog your pores. They are non-comedogenic (wow listen to me getting all technical and all) what that boils down to is, it will clog your skin, and that’s what you’re trying to avoid! So use water based make-up. It’s that simple.

When washing your face, put down the harsh chemical washes and abrasive pads. They’re only irritating your skin and forcing your skin to produce more problems as it attempts to combat the harsh treatment. Gentle cleanser and warm water washing using your hands should be fine to get rid of and keep those blackheads away. A little Benzoyl Peroxide should be O. K. in helping keep your breakouts at bay. As the anti-bacterial properties should do their job. Blackheads like all types of acne require different methods for their prevention and removal. These all depend on the individual. The trick is to find what works for you and what gets rid of your blackheads.

Let me preface myself here. I am by nature a very critical person. It probably started when I was a little kid and took thinks apart for no other reason than to put them back together. As I got older and started to see things through more educated eyes, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was living in a world where people were constantly selling and being sold to. When I developed acne issues I got a front row seat on the consumer roller coaster.

Initially I thought I’d go to the doctor and bada bing I would get rid of my acne. When the results were unsatisfactory to say the least the Doc tinkered around with some more pills and potions, told me to lay off the fried foods and candy and my mom and dad were now making the doctor’s car payments. It was starting to appear the doctor was not trying to cure my acne as much as setting me up on the acne product purchase plan. I just wanted to let you know a little something before I get back to the Willie Wonka acne chocolate bar.

From a promotional advertising point of view I love the idea of a chocolate as a way to get rid of acne. With the exception of all fried foods, I can think of no other food that is more associated with the cause of acne than chocolate. To take that perception and twist it as a way to get rid of acne is brilliant in my humble opinion. I also can appreciate what appears to be their company philosophy that acne has to be treated from the inside out. Pimples and zits are the symptoms of an out of whack hormonal and dietary system. Acne isn’t the problem it is the result. The question becomes whether adding vitamins and minerals to chocolate is the solution.

While chocolate will not cause acne I am at a loss to find its nutrition specific acne fighting benefit. Without getting all technical on its molecular structure and its nutritional value there really isn’t a specific reason to include this food per the discussion of this post. While I grant eating chocolate has a certain emotional and euphoric benefit it would appear that in the case of getting rid of acne, its main reason for being are promotional and commercial. The other aspect of these products is vitamin and mineral supplements. While vitamin and mineral deficiencies can and do causes hormonal change as well as a host other problems. Is it really necessary to put it in chocolate and charge a premium? Can’t I just run down to the corner and grab the latest Flintstone chewable’ and be done with it. Also I would be interested in how the heat in the processing of this chocolate delectable affects their potency.

All in all it seems to me to be a big waste of time and money. The best way to get rid of acne is to get your vitamins and minerals by eating a healthy diet. If you want chocolate there is always the Hershey bar.

To help you, I’ve decided to give you a starting point on your road to your acne clear complexion.

Quit smoking and if you don’t smoke great, don’t start. Smoking is an addiction, there is no truth to the rumor that people can pick up the habit just for a little while and quit whenever they want. Once cigarettes get you hooked. That’s it, it’s not that easy to let go. Look you have seen all the studies that tell you how bad tobacco is for you. There is really no need to rehash what you already know. But let me leave you with this little tidbit. Scientific studies have shown that 42 percent of smokers suffer from acne while only 10 percent of non smokers do. You do the math.

Stop eating that fatty, greasy, sugary; over processed stuff you call food. How can you expect to look your best when you are running you body on a fuel that consists of chips and candy. You have to come to that corny realization that you are indeed what you eat. Give your body what it deserves; fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains .Get your proteins from dairy and fish instead of red meat that is more difficult for your body to process. Enjoy foods like beets, almonds and cashews that are high in oxalic acid. Many people believe oxalic acid to be God’s poison with a purpose and have attributed its beneficial properties to nothing less than a cure for cancer. While I don’t know about curing cancer a lot of folks swear by the foods that are high in oxalic acid when it comes to helping to get rid of pimples. The idea is to consume foods that help your body remove toxins and not allow it to become a platform that is conducive to acne, pimples and zits getting a foothold. And the only way to find those foods is to educate you.

Drink water and then have some more water. It’s unbelievable the amount of soda pop, coffee and energy drinks we here in America consume. I am not suggesting you cut these things out all together. Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored. But it’s also an endeavor that requires us to make choices. So expand your choices. Try Kombucha tea, it will increase you energy and helps with acne by being an excellent bodily detoxifier. Get yourself a juicer and drink fresh juices right from the source. Nothing processed or altered. Next time when you look in the mirror and that third eye pimple on the end of your nose winks at you. Realize you are an active participant in your life. It is an accumulation of the choices and paths you decide to follow.

Get plenty of exercise and be active. This is your life. It’s not a dress rehearsal. Do you want to be an active participant in it or are you willing to watch it pass you by while you sit on the couch watching others live theirs on television? Studies conclude that exercise not only is good for your complexion but is beneficial in your over health and is a giant factor in the reduction of stress in your life. Get up move. How’s that Nike commercial go? Just do it.

Look, I realize I am not breaking any new ground here. You know all this stuff and know it to be true. Yet day in and day out people continue to ignore what is right in front of them and head off on a search for an expensive acne magic pill that hasn’t yet been discovered. Why not spend your time educating yourself on matters that can make a difference in the way you look and the life you live. Life is a journey not a destination. Acne clear skin is the destination. But the journey of getting to that destination is the experience of your life. I’ve been dealing with acne in one form or another my entire life. It wasn’t until my last post that I ever dreamed urine curing acne was even a remote possibility.

Maybe next time you look in the mirror. That third eye on the tip of your nose won’t just wink at you. Maybe it will have the same conversation with you we are having right now. And maybe just maybe, you can also put the free back in acne clear free skin treatment.

Now if you are one of those bright people that actually listened and learned things from you elders I am probably not telling you something you don’t already know. My grandma, bless her heart, always had an ample supply in her home. I can close my eyes and vividly picture it, bright as day. A heavy blue glass bottle with the name Phillips Milk of Magnesia embossed in raised letters across the front. The bottle was never empty and always reached for whenever I had a rash or pimple outbreak of any sort, as well as the occasional upset stomach. She would slather it on the affected area and send me back out to play. Isn’t it funny the things you remember as a child.

Now while the primary purpose of milk of magnesia may be to make you poop. (Its active ingredients; magnesium hydroxide – Mg (HO2), Brucite in its rock form – and sodium hypochlorite – NaCIO, you know it as bleach.) There are beauty professionals that swear by its antibacterial properties . Its ability to draw impurities from the skin drying out excessive oil leaving skin smooth and tight. Making it a perfect acne home remedy.

A Great Acne Toning Mask

Simply apply a thin coat to the face or other affected area and allow to dry. While you may experience some tightness, that’s to be expected. To wash off, simply rinse with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.

Acne Spot Treatment

Put a couple of drops of milk of magnesia on a cotton ball and dab on the afflicted area. You can apply makeup after.

Mild Acne Cleanser

Use like you would body soap in the shower.

While the manufactures of milk of magnesia say it will keep for three years in an unopened bottle. Once opened, it will probably retain its potency for six to nine months and should never be refrigerated. Give milk of magnesia acne home remedy a try. It may be just the natural acne cure home remedy that’s right for you.

Something important I’ve stumbled upon based again on personal experience is perhaps something none of you have ever heard of or encountered before. I know I hadn’t, dog acne!

This actually started for me almost five years ago and while most of my posts have referenced my skin and my own face, this involves another member of my family. This particular family member is actually quite hairy and small. No, I didn’t give birth to or adopt a feral child; the creature to which I’m referring is our little pet dog and his dog acne. Now I’ll bet you’re thinking exactly what I thought the first time I heard this expression, “dog acne” there’s no such thing! Well, you’d be wrong, as wrong as I was! Dog acne does exist and my little guy suffers from it in a big way.

Let me back up a bit and tell you a little about my experience and what it taught me. As I said, this odyssey began years ago and to be honest, I had no idea what I was dealing with at first. Neither did several Veterinarians across the state where I live. In fact, I could have saved myself a lot of time, trauma, frustration and a couple of thousand dollars because frankly and ultimately, I was the one who diagnosed the problem and found a solution that worked.

The first sign of dog acne was relatively small and began as tiny patches of dry skin across his coat. This eventually spread and became worse. The second stage resulted in hair loss where the patches of dry skin originally were. The third and worse stage resulted in large areas of hair loss characterized by extremely flakey skin and matted, greasy short hair that grew then subsequently came out in small clumps over two thirds of this tiny dog’s 4 pound body. Needless to say it was horrible and he looked pitiful! He was also miserable and scratched and bit at the areas as I am sure they itched like crazy! All the time, I’m working to find not only a cure but what the heck this may be. He was checked for everything from mange to vitamin deficiencies but nothing seemed to help and none of the doctors ever seemed able to offer a diagnosis.

I researched online looking for a solution but couldn’t find anything that quite fit this problem. Then one day I’m watching a show on television featuring several doctors and dermatologists. They’re talking about a wide variety of health subjects and skin conditions. One of the dermatologists begins to speak and I notice the skin condition he’s describing sounds exactly like the condition my dog is suffering from. I listen intently to his description and his recommendations. He talks about the sebaceous glands and how they can be over productive. The over production of sebum can cause several problems; many which we’ve covered and I’ve discussed with you here on this forum; acne, blackheads, pimples, etc. It can also create the greasy, matted hair environment my dog was experiencing. His suggestion was applying salicylic acid as this dries up and decreases the production of the excess sebum.

The problem with my dog wasn’t stress, his problem was dog acne!

I had already purchased several topical treatments for my dog. Some containing conditioning ingredients and some of them contained medicated ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. None made significant difference. Once I heard this information I began to search hoping to find a dog shampoo containing salicylic acid and eureka, I found one! I looked specifically for a shampoo made for dogs as I wanted to be certain it was safe and wouldn’t harm my little guy should he lick his coat. Shampoo made for humans may work too, but I haven’t tried that yet. Anyway, after ordering the shampoo it arrived and I began using it immediately. The difference has been remarkable. Our little guy now only has a couple of small stubborn areas where his skin still shows signs of a problem. The majority of his skin and coat is vastly improved and I learned that we’re not the only ones who suffer from acne. Our pets can suffer from acne too!

Proper hygiene starts daily cleansing of the face with a mild and non abrasive soap. This is the most basic step before putting any acne medicine on your face. Using an alkaline-based soap is