If you’re a teenager with moderate to severe acne, or even an adult suffering with an acne problem, worrying about your acne probably takes up far too much of your day. You’ve got better things to worry about than problem skin, but acne can be incredibly distracting, not to mention damaging to your self-image. There’s no cure for acne, and each person will have to deal with his or her acne in a different way. That being said, there are some basic approaches you can take with acne that have proven helpful to a wide range of individuals. Here are some basic acne tips to help you through those difficult breakout periods.

Basic Acne Tips: Don’t Try to Pop Your Pimples

It’s very tempting to try to pop a big, ugly pimple. One of the most important acne tips you can follow is not to attempt this. Blackheads and whiteheads can be removed using the proper technique, and a pimple that is engorged and white at the tip can be lanced or treated with heat, but if you have a traditional red raised bump of a pimple, do not touch it unless you are applying treatment. Not only will this probably not get rid of your pimple completely in the short term, your pimple may come back even worse than before, since you are likely to be squeezing acne causing bacteria deeper into the skin, in addition to whatever dirt and oil from your hands you are adding to the mix.

Basic Acne Tips: Keep Your Face Clean, But Keep Your Hands Clean, Too

You’re probably aware that regular face washing with soap and water can really help with your skin’s appearance. However many people don’t consider that keeping one’s hands clean is as important as keeping the face they will be touching clean. When you’re applying any acne medication that requires the use of your fingers to spread the product on your face, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and completely before you begin. It defeats the purpose of the treatment if you’re adding more bacteria and oil from your hands while you’re applying a solution to fight acne.

Basic Acne Tips: Benzoyl Peroxide Is Your Friend

No discussion of acne tips would be complete without considering benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is a compound that over and over again has proven its ability to combat acne. Benzoyl peroxide is designed to open up clogged pores and destroy acne causing bacteria. This can reduce the appearance of your current acne breakout and can help reduce the occurrence of future breakouts. Remember that you want the benzoyl peroxide in the right form, so that you will get the maximum benefit of its acne fighting power with a reduced chance of unwanted effects like skin irritation or drying of the skin.

Again, controlling acne is a struggle, and it is a battle that everyone will fight differently. With these tips, however, you will be better armed to gain the upper hand in the war against acne.