Acne, something we all love to hate. Like it or not, most of us will get a breakout from time to time, while for others, it's an agonizing daily nightmare. Some of us are plagued with it well into our 30s and 40s. Very few are blessed to have blemish-free skin as the major determining factor in who gets acne is genes.

High levels of stress can affect your hormones and cause acne. Other factors are heavy, oil-based makeup, occupational exposure and certain medications. There are things you should know before besmearing your face with any and everything available under the sun.

Don't pop your pimples to "speed up" the clearing process. This tactic will only spread germs and perhaps leave a scar. The sebum, bacteria and skin cells under the surface may leak into the surrounding tissue causing inflammation. You don't want to go from bad to worse. There's something you can do at home before heading to the pharmacy or spa.

Wash Your Face Properly – Use a mild, fragrance-free, glycerin-based soap and warm water (hot water will not miraculously wash your pimples away). Rub lightly in upward, circular motions with the bulbs of your fingers (even a soft wash cloth may irritate acne). An exfoliating facial should be avoided as it removes the top layer of dead skin cells. So long as you have acne, you should avoid exfoliating with things such as; facial brushes, sponges, or cleansers with granules on delicate skin. These things are fine periodically once the acne has cleared but, for now keep it simple and gentle. If you have oily skin, wash twice daily following it up with cool Aloe Vera Gel (cleans pores and acts as oil absorbent).

When to See a Dermatologist? – According to Vincent DeLeo M.D., you should seek professional treatment if you:

~ Used benzoyl peroxide products for six to eight weeks and the problem still remains.

~ Have pustules larger than a match head.

~ Have nodules the size of the end of your little finger.

~ Have any scarring from your acne.