• When you are cleansing your face, do not scrub the skin. It can be tempting to scrub the skin and treat it with toners to dry out the acne, however this usually causes the skin to become irritated and infected.
• If you are suddenly experiencing an increase in acne problems, take a look at some things that may have changed in your environment lately. Are you sweating more? Do you work in a greasy environment? The work environment you are in will have a big impact on your skin.
• How often are you in the sun? Since you are under a great deal of stress, you may be avoiding spending time outside as you are constantly running around. While too much sun can be bad for your skin, hardly any sun is also bad for your skin. The sun can help to dry out some of the acne problems you may be having, but overextended periods in the skin can create too much oil on the skin, leading to an increase in acne. Wearing oil-free sun block will be able to protect your skin from becoming too oily, leading to acne.

Once you are able to take a look at some of the external things that are causing stress, take a look at the internal stress you are feeling. Anyone with children knows that being a parent is stressful, not to mention the stress you have from your job. What are some of the emotions you struggle with each day? Fear and anxiety can lead to internal turmoil, causing your body to react with acne. When you are feeling internal turmoil, your body will react with the overproduction of cortisol, leading to an increase of sebum oil. The sebum oil will block the pores and cause acne. To work through internal stress, here are a few tips:

• Exercise. A wonderful way to combat stress is to exercise. Exercise helps to flush toxins out of the body, leaving not only your skin to look healthy but to improve the health of your entire body.


• Sleep. Acne can often develop from improper sleep habits. Try going to bed when you put your children down for the night. Being a parent of 3 can be stressful and you need all the rest you can get to rejuvenate your body. Make sure you are able to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep each night in order to properly rest your body.


• Food. What types of foods are you consuming? Unhealthy snacks like potato chips will lead to an increase of acne. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water is important to keep the skin healthy. Fruits and vegetables are recommended for the skin, especially if you have fluctuations between acne problems and scaly or dry skin. Eating an extra serving of fruit will help the dryness you feel and drinking more water will prevent the skin from becoming dehydrated.


• Make a list of all the things that help you calm down. Turn to this list whenever you are starting to feel overwhelmed. It's a wonderful list to use if you notice your acne problem is getting worse. Some things like getting a massage, reading, listening to music, yoga, and going to a movie can all help you remove excess stress that leads to acne.