Running is great for the body, and many use running in their every day life, whether its running to catch the bus, running to get to school on time, or running after that dog after the leash slipped out of your hand.  It gets our heart rates up, it burns calories, and it makes us feel better in general.

            However, for acne sufferers, running can be an extra cause for suffering.  Especially for women, running often results in acne on the back, chest, and upper arms.  It is often more common where clothes cover.  This happens, because sweat clogs the pores while clothes rub the body, causing friction.  If you are wearing any cosmetics or lotions, this can only aggravate the problem further.

            So what do you do?  Stop running?  No.  Certainly not, running is good for you, and most of us are going to break a sweat at some point, no matter what we do to avoid it.  However, there are a few things you can do to fight the effects on your skin.  First of all, after your workout, change out of your sweaty exercise clothes and shower as soon as possible.  Make sure you cleanse the areas where friction and sweat may have combined, and in some cases, even use acne specific soap.  Second, do not wear make up while working out.  We all like to look good at any given time of the day.  But then again, are you at the gym or the track for a date or to improve your health and exercise?

            Your mom and your grandma….well maybe not your grandma, but somebody told you to eat your vegetables growing up.  You may have pushed them around the plate or fed them to the dog as a child.  But now that you’re grown up and suffering from acne, you should reconsider that idea.  We all know vegetables are good for you, but what you might not know is that vegetables can actually clear your acne.  So rather than spending hundreds of dollars on products like Accutane or Proactiv, just change your diet.  In short, buy food you would be buying anyway.

            Not only are vegetables high in vitamins and low in fat(oils that may clog your pores).  But some are rich in antioxidants, which can fight free radicals and toxins that may rest in your body.  In particular, stick to veggies like carrots, cucumbers, spinach, peppers, broccoli, and garlic.

            All of these vegetables are chalked full of vitamins and minerals such as a, b, c, k, and magnesium.  Moreover, some suggest that broccoli beats the rest in general health benefits and not just acne prevention, because it provides a lot of vitamin c and calcium.  So instead of spending all your money trying to treat existing acne, why not prevent it from happening in the first place?