When we talk about acne prone skin, there are bound to be many unproven believes and acne myths surrounding this skin problem. Many acne skin care advices, passed from friend to friend or through the rumor mill, are based on myths and old wives' tales.

Which is why I wrote this hub. There is a need to bust up some of these myths as these will not do any good nor will these believes help people with acne prone skin to solve their skin problems. What they need is to read the truth behind acne and some effective acne skin care steps to clear up their skin.

Acne Myth Number One - Acne is caused by poor hygiene

Truth:

Acne may be caused by clogged pores and bacteria but this happens right below the skin surface where you could not possibly reach by washing alone. So, in truth, acne is not because of a dirty face. You can pile on the dirt but it does not clog your pores. Instead, the main pore-clogging ingredients are a build-up of dead skin cells and combined that with sebum, your pores tend to stick together, thus causing acne. If you think just by scrubbing your face, you will be able to unclog your pores, then you are mistaken. Scrubbing will irritate your skin and make it worse. The only cleaning you need to do is to cleanse your face with a mild, non-irritating cleanser twice a day.

Acne Myth Number Two - Eating chocolates and fried, fatty food can cause acne

Truth:

Fried and fatty foods are unhealthy and generally bad for health as they are often high in fat and cholesterol which could clog your arteries. However, there is no scientific proof behind the claims that eating these foods could also cause pimples and acne breakouts. As for chocolate, research has shown that eating dark chocolate could be beneficial to your heart but there were no research or proof of it causing acne.

However, this is not to say that no other food could not affect your skin condition. There are some types of food like milk, which is calcium rich, or shrimps, which has high iodine content, that could possibly worsen or aggravate acne.

Acne Myth Number Three - Going for a suntan will cure acne-prone skin

Truth:

If that is the case, then all anyone need to do is to go bask in the sun and then get clear, unblemished skin. So, everyone will have smooth beautiful skin. But that is not true. Having a tan may give you the illusion that you are having less blemishes but it does not make the acne disappear. Actually, over-exposure to the sun can be detrimental to your skin as it can cause premature skin aging and in worst case scenario, can even cause skin cancer. If you must be out in the sun a lot, it is better that you use sunscreen with SPF15 and higher to protect your skin from the ravages of the sun. You should also choose hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic products so that it won't irritate your skin.

Acne Myth Number Four - Make-up can cause acne

Truth:

Not all make-up is bad for your skin. All you need to do is to make the right choices and choose products that are skin-friendly. By this, I meant that you should look for the words hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic before purchasing your make-up products. In fact, there are also make-up products that contain benzoyl peroxide and this is a great ingredient which aids acne treatment.

Acne Myth Number Five - Having sex and masturbating can cause acne

Truth:

And of course, there is a new myth that having sex is great for your skin. Whichever it is, there is no scientific proof to it at all. But then sex is a great way to exercise and sweat it out (not to forget fun!) so why abstain just because you are afraid it may give you bad skin? In fact, there are no worries on it. If sex can cause bad skin, then everyone who's ever had sex (or masturbated) will have bad skin. That's just not possible right?

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