An acne diet is certainly an appealing idea. Most importantly, who hasn’t heard that eating chocolate gives you zits? Everybody has. If you think about it its not so far-fetched that by watching your diet you could prevent acne.

However, an acne diet can be a hard thing to develop. It is highly personal and based on your body’s unique responses to food. Progress, for the most part, will be trial and error. Observe and make note of any changes in your skin. Keep a journal. Taking pictures with your digital camera is a good way to keep a journal. If and when your acne diminishes stick to the diet plan you are on at the time.

Here are some guidelines to get you started on an acne diet:

* Eat more protein - Many dermatologists think that protein intake is related to clear skin. Oil production is limited from an enzyme located within protein. Oily skin is very vulnerable to breakouts.

* Don’t eat carbs - You do not need to cut out carbs completely. But you should try to limit your intake so that they are about 40 percent of your diet. This is because carbohydrates have compounds in them that can stimulate oil production. This is why common knowledge says that junk food leads to acne. In reality, junk food is high in carbs.

* Try to drink green tea - If possible, drink the real stuff. The best type of green tea is the kind that you brew. You may not like the real stuff so the green tea drinks will work. Green tea limits androgen production. Androgen is a hormone that will wreak havoc on your skin.

* 4. Limit your salt intake - Salt usually contains iodine. This is why table salt is usually called “iodized salt.” Iodine can be one of the biggest inflammatory agents in people with acne.

It is very important to watch what you eat and put on your face. You should know what ingredients are in your beauty products if you have acne. Natural and organic skin care lines are the best acne prone skin. These being the least likely to aggravate your skin. You might want to start buying mineral makeup, that is if you wear makeup. If you want to enhance your acne diet and reduce breakouts, you may want to try mineral makeup.

You should always be very careful when believing acne product reviews. After all, the wrong medication could send your breakouts out of control. Evaluate every aspect of a review before you act. You should know what kind of acne the medication is for. You also need to know whether the treatment is preventative or heals existing breakouts. You also need to determine whether you can live with the side effects.

We have put together this list of different acne reviews with this in mind. Some of the products are really good. Some users think they are nothing short of miraculous. Others are just awful. See our acne product reviews so you can check to see if your acne treatment made the list.

The Best

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash:
Great product and a great price. It also can be used with basically any degree of acne. The wash removes oil. It must be used twice a day to be effective. It may leave your skin a small bit dry. This is easily corrected with oil-free moisturizer. Within a week users noticed improvement. This kept improving over time. But, just using the wash doesn’t always work for everyone. But if you have really bad acne, the wash will make a noticeable difference. If you have mild to moderate acne you can clear it up with commitment.

Proactiv:
This product was put in our stars acne product reviews because it works so good, when it works. Lots of consumers only use Proactive – and we don’t mean the actors in the commercials. But, I have seen many mixed reviews about Proactive. This acne treatment will most likely be a lifesaver for mild to moderate acne. But bad acne might not respond so well. Proactiv kills bacteria that stays in your pores and causes acne. This medication has has been very successful and will work fast as long as there isn’t too much bacteria. Severe acne is no match to this product. Also, this product only works if you continually use it, even after your skin has cleared.

Stinkers

Clear and Continuous Control Acne Cleanser:
This is a great facial cleanser. I like the cool, tingly feel you get when washing your face. However, its not very good for acne. Even though it felt really good, it barely worked. But users who get regular breakouts (not acne) did have good luck with this one. It is on our “stinkers” list because it does not live up to the “acne cleanser” part of its name.

Murad Acne Treatments:
Murad is well known for their great cosmetics and beauty products. But, they probably shouldn’t have made acne products. People who have used this acne treatment have reported that their problems became worse. They do have a money-back guarantee, but you might have to deal with some pretty serious image issues while you wait for your refund. Use this product sparingly and with care if you decide to give it a try.

There are many more acne treatments available. These were just the acne products that stood out to us. It is always wise to check acne product reviews before buying.

Many people could benefit from an acne diet. We’ve all heard that chocolate gives you pimples. We almost all have. If you think about it its not so far-fetched that by watching your diet you could prevent acne.

Although creating a good acne diet can be very hard. This is very personal and its based on your body’s unique response to certain foods. Progress, for the most part, will be trial and error. Observe and make note of any changes in your skin. Write a journal. You might even want to take pictures using a digital camera once or twice a week. So if and when your skin clears up, stay on the diet you were on at the time.

Here are some guidelines to get you started on an acne diet:

1. Eat more protein. Some dermatologists believe that protein is associated with clearer skin. They believe this because protein has an enzyme in it that limits oil production. Oily skin seems to be extremely prone to breakouts.

2. Carbohydrates are not good. Its not necessary to cut out all carbohydrates. But you do need to limit them so that they are only about 40 percent of your diet. This is because compounds in carbohydrates can stimulate oil production. For this reason common knowledge indicates that junk food causes acne. In reality, junk food is high in carbs.

3. Drinking green tea is very good for you. If at all possible try to drink the real stuff. The best kind of green tea is the kind you brew yourself. However, if you really don’t like it, then try the natural green tea drinks. Green tea limits androgen production. Breakouts have been known to be caused by a hormone called androgen.

4. Try to limit the amount of salt you intake. Iodine is usually found in salt. This is why table salt is usually called “iodized salt.” For some with acne, iodine an cause major inflammation.

In addition to watching your diet, you should carefully watch what you put on your face. If you have acne you are already aware of what ingredients are in your facial products. Use oil free moisturizers and organic skin care products. These are the least likely to irritate your skin. You might want to start buying mineral makeup, that is if you wear makeup. By using mineral makeup you may actually ease acne problems and increase the results of your acne diet.

Skin repair encompasses a lot of things. This is probably because there are so many ways that skin can get damaged. Each form of damage is a little different. Often the effectiveness of skin repair depends on choosing the right treatment.

Here are some common types of skin damage:

* Weathering
* Wrinkling
* Scarring is common
* Discoloration is a type of damage
* Breakouts and inflammation are common

In some cases these types of damage can be treated with common products. Other types need to be treated with specific products for that type of damage. For example, the products that treat breakouts can make you prone to wrinkles if you are not careful. Conversely, the things that may repair wrinkling may also cause breakouts if not used with proper care. Scarring is a unique issue that requires totally different treatments.

Staying hydrated is one of the most important parts of skin repair. A good moisturizer will both plump wrinkles and smooth weathering. A good moisturizer will also help with the dryness that comes with acne treatments. Of course you need to tailor-pick your moisturizer. Breakouts and discoloration mean oil-free moisturizer. Anti-aging is most effective when paired with a moisturizer that contains more than water, aloe and glycerin.

You will get the best results lightening scars with vitamins. They also contribute to anti-aging regimens, but can complicate breakout issues. Taking vitamins like C, A and E in particular can really improve your skin. Try topical applications also but be careful with sensitive skin. Some vitamins lead to sun sensitivity so be careful.

When it comes to weathering, your skin repair role can get complicated. Weathering and scarring can be alleviated by exfoliation. This process results in new skin’s growth and the removal of old, dead skin. You need patience for this skin repair because you will need some time to get results. If you exfoliate more than twice a week you risk developing serious skin problems.

Skin repair, as you now see, is a diverse topic. You can use many of the treatments in tandem. In order to resolve all your skin issues effectively, you will need to carefully adjust your skin repair routine.