Many people have trouble with acne, generally as a result of clogged pores in the skin. Contrary to popular opinion, these people are not all in their teens; many of them are older. Whatever your age, here are some helpful tips to reduce your acne problem or eliminate it altogether.

Sliced or grated cucumber applied directly to problem areas can be a great treatment for acne. In the same way that cucumber helps tighten up skin around the eyes, it can reduce the size of enlarged pores as well as hydrate the skin. Apply the cucumber and leave it on for about 15 minutes for maximum benefit.

Avoid acne by exercising more. It may seem hard to believe, but you can get clearer skin by working out every week. Exercise increases your blood flow, especially in your skin, and this helps it to quickly repair itself. It also helps your organs so that they can eliminate toxins quicker.

A paste of baking soda can be used to treat oily skin and reduce acne. Simply make a paste of baking soda and water, and apply to problem areas to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, dirt, and oil. Be sure to use baking soda, not baking powder, as baking powder can actually burn the sensitive skin on your face.

You always want to take extreme caution when deciding on prescription medication for your acne. A lot of the pills out there, have really negative side effects, so you will want to weigh the pros and cons. Sometimes acne is better off being treated naturally, rather than dealing with the side effects from drugs.

If your breakouts are not severe, or do not cover your entire face, then the best option for treatment would be spot treatment. Using an over the counter cream or gel with benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, or salicylic acid have typically shown the best results. These ingredients will dry out the affected area and leave the rest of your skin hydrated.

Acne tips based on prevention can be very effective. One tip that many find to be beneficial is drinking plenty of water. Drinking at least eight glasses a day can help keep your body, and of course your skin, hydrated. A healthy complexion begins with well hydrated skin.

Get out into the sun to help your acne problems disappear. Our bodies need vitamin D for many different reasons, one of which is for healthy skin. Take at least a 10 minute walk outside every day to top up your bodies levels of vitamin D and you will start to see a difference.

Men who experience acne outbreaks should shave lightly to keep from cutting the top off their blemishes. If the beard is soaked thoroughly with mild soap and water before the application of shaving cream or gel, this will make the light shaving even easier and promote better acne skin care.

As you can see, problems with acne are not totally incurable. If you follow the tips that were discussed in the article, your acne problem will be aided, if not cured. But please see your physician or a dermatologist before doing anything very extreme, as they may have useful warnings or cautions.