Clear up a single blemish quickly with an over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide gel (5 per cent concentration).
To treat bigger breakouts, wash your face gently with warm water and a mild soap; rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Apply a benzoyl peroxide gel once a day (start with 2.5 per cent). If after 2 weeks you see no improvement, apply it twice a day or use a 5 per cent concentration.
When shopping for new skin products, look for water or glycerine-based moisturisers, sun lotions and foundations that won't clog your pores. Check the labels for any compound with lanolin and avoid these. if you're in doubt, test a product by dabbing it on a piece of clean brown paper or other parcel paper; wait 24 hours and check for an oily ring. If it appears, avoid the product.
Prevention if you are subject to skin blemishes, here are some hints:
Do not touch your face or allow objects that gather grease and dirt, such as the telephone, to touch it.
Wash your hair regularly and keep nails short and scrupulously clean.
Avoid foods containing iodine (iodised salt, asparagus, kelp and shellfish, for example) or hormones (such as beef, liver and kidneys).
Prevent flare-ups by learning to relax. Exercise also reduces stress, but make sure you take a shower soon afterwards to prevent the salt on your skin from causing a fresh batch of breakouts.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and raw vegetables, and drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Cut out sugary, fried and fatty foods and sweet, fizzy drinks or alcohol.
