Healing Acne was the number one goal in my life from the age of 13 til sometime in my mid 30's. Every day was an obsession...'How Can I Make This Go Away??' I never knew what I would wake up to. It seemed like my skin was a landmine...not a single spot on my face went without a pimple. I was angry, frustrated, embarrassed, and sometimes hopeless.

I,like you, tried EVERYTHING I could to make my acne go away. I spent countless hours in the bathroom (ever get tired of hearing 'what are you doing in there?'). I also bought anything that promised clear skin. None of it worked. None of it!

I paid strict attention to my diet, no greasy foods, no chocolate, no sugary foods. I did anything that I thought would make my skin look better...some of which were completely counterproductive. For example, I used to bask in the sun..I thought a 'little sunburn' was ok...for once my pimples didn't stand out as much. BUT...all that sun dried out my skin, and my happiness was short lived. My skin would counter that dryness by producing more oil...and of course, that led to more pimples!!!

Same story with using astringents and alcohol based cleansers...all that did was strip my skin of all its oils...and my skin fought back by producing even more oil!

So, what did I learn from all of this? PLENTY! Here are a few tips that will get you going in your efforts at healing acne.

• DO - Drink Lots Of Water...keeping your body and skin hydrated is really important.

• DO - Get A Good Night's Sleep...give your body a chance to heal itself, and be less stressed.

• DO - Get Out There And Exercise...keep your blood flowing and sweat out some of the toxins!

• DO - Wash Your Face With A Mild Cleanser (NOT Bar Soap)...keep your skin clean! Wash in the morning, before bed, and anytime during the day after exercising and/or sweating!

• Don't - Excessively Touch Your Skin...resist the urge to squeeze your pimples, or otherwise aggravate them.

• Don't - Use Makeup That Is Oil Based. If you use concealer (most of us do), find one that is oil free.

• Don't Eat A Lot Of Greasy Stuff...There are thoughts on either side of this fence...whether or not food makes a difference. Keep track of what you eat, and how your skin reacts. Only you will know which foods are best in your diet.

• Don't - Think That No One Likes You Because You Are "Ugly"...most people are more concerned with how you think and behave, not how you look. REALLY!

One of the things I learned in my struggle with healing acne is that beauty really does come from the inside. I knew that if people were going to find me valuable as a person and friend, it certainly wasn't going to be because of my great skin. So, from an early age, I made sure that I built my character around being a good person, and always treating others with respect and kindness.

To that end, I have built some lasting friendships, and am happy with myself as a person. And you can be too! My skin is beautiful now...something that I prayed for daily, but never thought would happen. I even get compliments on how great my skin looks (from people that never knew me when I had acne).

So, you can start healing acne now. Believe it...I did, and you can to!