We all know that clear skin gives us a confidence boost, but unless you’re very lucky it’s not something that comes naturally. Our daily lifestyles are wreaking havoc on our skin; Fast food, pollution, smoking, alcohol. All these things factor in when it comes to good skin, and with so little time and money these days it can be difficult to properly look after our body an really give it the TLC it needs.

Being a young woman that used to suffer from acne, I know exactly how frustrating it can be to look in the mirror and see spots everywhere, endlessly trying to cover them up with make-up that just ends up making them look worse. As a beauty therapist I have tried almost everything and have finally found my way to clear skin...

1. Eat Healthy

2. Drink Plenty of Water

3. Exercise

4. Choose the right make-up

5. And finally... Cleanse, Tone + Moisturise!

Ok so first things first, Healthy Food.

Now for me this was what made the biggest change to my skin. Like any other young woman I live a fast paced life, long hours, socializing, late nights and early mornings. Its easy to pick up a microwave meal on the way home or grab a Big Mac. But what some seem to forget is that what goes in must come out, and 20% of the toxins in our body is released through our sweat, therefore into our skin.

Healthy eating can be a drag at first; lets be honest an apple isn't as filling as a packet of crisps. But there's no need to completely cut out treats. Dr Gillian McKeith's best seller 'You are what you eat' is a great book to invest in, found in most bookstores, it will help you work out a diet plan that suits you, and introduce you to new and delicious foods.

I started with a two week detox of nothing but fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and water. It was hard, I wont deny, and temptation was everywhere, but I pushed on with it knowing that the end result would be more than worth it. It also made me feel more healthy and active, I had more than enough energy to get me through my day.

After detoxing, you can start to treat yourself again, but don't over do it, cause you can easily undo all the hard work you've put in in a matter of hours. You really are what you eat!

2. Drink Plenty Of Water

Water is the best detoxer we can give our bodies. Bottled or filtered water (not straight from the tap) is the best way to help eliminate toxins from our body, it also helps to keep our skin fresh, plump and radiant, and keeps us alert and energetic throughout the day. 6-8 glasses a day is the recommended intake, which is about 4-5 50cl bottles.

3. Exercise

Now for some reading this, this one may make you think... "how is exercise going to help my acne?" Well it does. Exercise isn't something a lot of people enjoy, its a chore rather than a pleasure, but after a few weeks I found myself wanting to exercise. It keeps me healthy and energetic and it keeps my skin looking good!

This doesn't mean you need to rush out and spend a fortune on a gym membership, it simply means do some sit ups, go running. Any cardio-vascular exercise that really gets your blood pumping is the kind of exercise that helps keep skin radiant and clear.

The science behind it, in English, is that when you get your heart rate up and your blood pumping your body is working hard and fast, your lymphatic system is responsible for removing all the toxins from your skin and body, and the circulation of that is increased when your blood circulation is increased, thus helping to speed up the removal of the toxins waiting to damage your skin.

Exercise is also great for giving you a healthy looking glow, and losing weight if you feel the need to.

As stress can also be a major cause for acne, try taking up Yoga daily as well as exercising. Yoga will help destress you and your skin.

4. Choosing the right make-up

This can be a tricky process for some, not knowing the good ingredients from the bad can cause us to spend money on make-up that's just going to irritate our skin and worsen our acne.

When it comes to ingredients here's a link to a page that contains a list of the main pore-cloggers to look out for: http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acnedetect.htm (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the table of ingredients)

5. Cleanse, Tone + Moisturise

As a beauty therapist I understand and cannot stress enough, the importance of a good skin routine. Take 5 minutes out of your morning to cleanse, tone and moisturise your face and you will most definitely notice the improvement. This doesn't just go for those who wear make-up, throughout the day no matter what you do sweat, dead skin cells and dirt build up under the surface of your skin, and if you don't remove this daily it clogs your pores and causes spots, blackheads and acne.

Removing make-up is always important, its never nice to wake up with yesterdays make-up on, and throughout the night your skin heals at its fastest, so it needs to be clean and fresh.

Whether you choose natural cleansers or commercial product make sure you use one that's right for you. Dermalogica, although expensive, is one of the best brands, along with Clinique, and Elemis, these high end names provide the best in skin care, for every skin type and condition. To find out your skin type and what's best to use go to your local beauty salon and have a facial; your therapist will be able to thoroughly analyse your skin and give you the best advice. Remember that everyone's skin is different so what worked for your friend may do the opposite for you.

If your looking for an alternative to expensive products, this recipe is a good universal cleanser for any skin type, tried and tested by myself.

two cups of warm water

two drops of pure Tea Tree oil

two drops of pure Chamomile oil

1/4 of a teaspoon of salt (try to use natural salts like Sainsbury's Coarse Sea Salt, 350g for 69p)

mix together in a bowl and use as a facial wash morning and evening.

The Tea tree oil acts as an anti-bacterial agent, clearing away any bacteria in the skin. The Chamomile is used to soothe redness and inflammation and the salt acts as an anti-bacterial and as a gentle exfoliant, shifting away dead skin cells leaving a radiant glow.

And that is my advice on how to achieve beautiful skin, and how to maintain it. Some of it may seem more effort than its worth, but until you see the results for yourself you'll never know!