Acne Care - Bath and Shower

Having a hot cleansing bath each evening should become part of a more enjoyable aspect of caring for acne. As stress contributes towards exacerbating acne, this private time allocated to oneself, at the end of the day, is one of life's great de-stressors. Prepare the bathroom well. All sorts of products can be purchased, quite cheaply, to make this event as pleasant and healing as possible. Aroma therapy candles, reed diffusers, sheet spray perfumes and lovely healing oils, can set the tone. Using only candlelight and calm music can help to make you relaxed. Make sure the bath is thoroughly clean and you use your own personal wash cloths, towels and bathing products. Use at least 3 different wash cloths in the bath, one for private parts, one for acne areas, and one for all other skin areas, so that bacteria is not spread. Before bathing it is better to wash your face as this will remove any make-up that was applied during the day.

Very hot water, should only be run into the bath, after some cold water has been run in, otherwise the bath itself may be too hot and could damage the skin when you get in. At this point bags of healing herbs can be placed over the taps, aroma therapy oils and bath care products can be put into the bath whilst the water is running. If you have back acne try placing a bath cushion to the back of the bath, tie or place a muslin bag of herbs over it, and then a soft cloth. Make sure the herbs are wet first. Then you have the benefit of lying against the healing herbs which can infuse into your acne skin whilst you are bathing. The steam from the bath water will help to open those pores and cleanse. Once you have finished bathing shower down with warm clean water and wash your face again.

Make sure that the products you are using are suitable for your skin. This can only be done by trial and error and checking the ingredients. If the products are specifically non comedogenic and dermatological tested, they should be safe. Oily, normal, dry and sensitive skin, all require different products, as each type of skin is unique and will react in different ways. For oily skin, select bath products in the form of water based liquids and salts. Try exfoliating the skin once a week with an oil free, non comedogenic foaming cleanser, which is not too rich or drying. Dry skin needs more gel and cream type products which nourish the skin. For sensitive skin always choose non-allergenic type products. A good pointer is to use products which are as organic and natural as possible. Avoid heavy duty products which claim to cure acne. They may well work, but could cause other skin problems. Always use products which are gentle on the skin.

Pat dry the acne areas and dry the rest of your skin thoroughly. After this try dry brushing the skin with a long handled soft brush. The lymphatic system lies just under the skin and is part of the immune system. Dry brushing encourages the lymph fluids to drain back into the nodes and circulatory system, thus moving toxins back into the organs which detoxify the body. The skin eliminates a quarter of the daily toxins, or around half a kilo of toxins. So dry brushing helps to deal with detoxing the body and provides a gentle internal massage. Thus it tones muscles, stimulates and improves the nervous system, and exfoliates. Always brush gently towards the heart from the feet upwards and the head down towards the heart. It is not a new technique - The Russians and Turks have been doing this for centuries.

Next, apply your usual body care products. Talcum powders can dry out the skin. There are many body cover oils, creams and lotions to choose from. Again, try out those which suit your skin type until you find one that you like.

Information written by Christine Burden - TalkAcne Web Site Manager