Most of us will experience acne at some time in our life.
Acne usually strike during the teen years but can stick around well into our twenties, thirties and even longer.
Chances are good that it will hit you.
But some easy preventive maintenance on you body can be the difference between a few pimples here and there and a life-changing outbreak.
First, what is Acne? Acne is a skin condition involving the hair and oil glands.
It is basically plugged pores.
You knew that.
You also know that these are called blackheads, whiteheads or pimples.
They usually occur mainly on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms but can occur anywhere on the body.
Hair follicles, often called pores, get blocked with sebum (oil), which normally drains to the surface, and a bacteria begins to grow.
What you might not know is that you lifestyle and diet contribute more to the formation of acne than any other preventable factor.
The normal American teenage diet seems to be designed with the express intent of causing acne.
Foods containing trans-fatty acids, such as milk and milk products, margarine, shortening and other synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oils, as well as fried foods are known to contribute to the formation of acne.
So What Can I Do Well the answer is obvious but most of us don't want to hear it.
Eat a healthy diet, cut down on the fast foods and practice good hygiene.
Okay it's that middle part that trips up most of us, isn't it? Since you probably won't stop going to McDonald's and Taco Bell, here are 9 other things you can work on.
9 Things You Can Do Today to Help Prevent Acne

1. Include Fruits and Vegetables in your daily Diet.
   Come on, you like fruit.
   Everybody likes fruit.
   Start drinking orange and apple juice.
   Snack on grapes and melons.
   Eat salads.
   It's probably too much to hope you'll eat your veggies -- but you should.
   
2. Clean your face at least two to three times each day.
   Keep it clean.
   
3. Don't wait for your pimples to form.
   Check your face closely.
   Clean and apply a preventive medicine as soon as you see a pimple starting.
   You know what they look like.
   
4. Take your multivitamins.
   Make sure that the vitamins contain a zinc supplement.
   Zinc helps in making your skin stronger and acne resistant.
   
5. Cucumber is a good, cheap acne preventive because it contains massive amounts of MSM.
   Blend it with some water to form a mask.
   Put it in your face and leave it for about half an hour before rinsing it off if you can.
   This is a good and affordable acne control remedy that can also refresh your skin.
   
6. Use only mild soaps and avoid soaps that contains petroleum based products and animal based ingredient for this causes your skin to get dry and irritated.
   
7. Using alcohol free facial cleansers.
   Alcohol can dry your skin making the pores close up.
   
8. Girls choose you makeup wisely.
   Most makeup available contains petroleum based ingredients that makes skin dry.
   An all natural makeup helps acne control become more effortless.
   Always take off your makeup before bed and wash your face.
   
9. Lastly and most importantly, drink loads of water everyday.
   It flushes out the dirt in our body and pores helping prevent acne naturally.
   

These are just some of the ways you can help yourself prevent an acne breakout.
There are many more aggressive methods and treatments that some of you will need to consider but if you do just these 9 very easy things you will go a long way toward an acne-free life.