For my acne-prone friends: Don't Worry, I'm With You

Guess why I don't like posting pictures of myself? You guessed it; my Acne. But trust me, my acne used to be a lot worse. With a little web surfing (I've read pretty much every single article out there) and trial and error, I managed to come up with a few ways to control my acne.

1. Drink lots of water. Pretty simple, yes? But I still have trouble, due to school. Whoops.
2. Cut down on the ice cream you eat. Luckily, winter is coming up, so this will be a little easier. I love ice cream. Can't help it; just do.
3. Wash your face! Yeah... But make sure you're gentle. Twice a day, plus whenever you get a lot of oil on your face, will do the trick. Make sure you apply lotion - don't dry out your face! See #5 for lotion and cleanser guidelines.
4. Keep your hair out of your face. If your hair is oily, then the oil will just cause more acne on your face.
5. Facial products: Acne Cleanser and Lotion. I went a very long time determined to fix my problem without buying anything, but just this weekend I gave in. My acne cleanser is "Yes to Tomatoes: Acne Daily Pore Scrub." It works really well. I also have a facial lotion I use with my acne cleanser - "L'Oreal Future-E Moisturizer + Daily Dose of Vitamin E." Having a facial regimen is really helpful.
1. Acne Cleanser: Try salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide (mine is salicylic acid). Make sure your acne cleanser is gentle. Feel free to Google acne cleansers for some more detailed guidelines.
2. Lotion: Get a lotion with SPF (mine is SPF 15) that's oil-free and fragrance-free.  
6. DIY Masks. Until you can go shopping for an acne cleanser, there are a couple at-home masks you can do. Just mix the ingredient(s) with water to make a paste, apply to your face (concentrating on your problem areas), and wash off with warm water after 10-20 minutes. Make sure you wash your face and remove all makeup beforehand.
1. Sugar - tested by me, it actually works. Not a miracle treatment, but does help a little.
2. Instant Oatmeal
3. Baking Soda - tested by me, and while it doesn't eliminate pimples right away, baking soda does help.
4. Honey - no need for water, just apply to your face (un-tested by me)
5. Lemon Juice (or any citrus/acid) - no need for water, just apply to face (un-tested by me)
6. Toothpaste - no water. Apply before going to sleep. Use white, opaque toothpaste. I used Sensodyne, and it helped a little. Be careful though.
7. Coconut Oil - from what I've heard, it actually works well. But I haven't tried this, so...
8. Egg Whites - separate the egg, mix the whites, apply to face. But I've never tried this, so try on your own risk.
7. Avoid touching your face. I know, it's hard. You have no idea how many times you touch your face during the day. Really. A habit of mine is to touch my nose because I have a complex about my large nose. But make an effort, and it'll make a difference!
8. Wear less makeup. I know, it's hard, especially if you're like me and have a complex about your acne. But over the weekend, if you're not going to see anyone, avoid wearing makeup. If you really have to wear makeup, try to find oil-free, fragrance-free makeup. Some makeups even contain salicylic acid!
9. Manage your stress. Relax a little. Believe it or not, stress can cause acne.
10. Do NOT pick your pimples/zit. Don't. It'll just leave a scar, which is even worse.
11. Increase your vegetable intake. Try going organic, or a little more organic than before, at least.
12. Exercise. Get a little sweat (but make sure to shower/wash your face afterwards!). It actually helps.
13. Sleep! I know, we all love to stay up really late, but getting a good sleep will help your acne.
14. Sunscreen - see #5 about Lotions w/ SPF. Get at least an SPF 15 (that's what my lotion has).
15. Do NOT scrub. Pat your face dry. PAT. I repeat, PAT.

Hopefully that helps you a little! Good luck! If you have any tips, feel free to contact me at blogjia12 on Twitter and Instagram, and email me at blogjia12@gmail.com!