Severe acne is perhaps the most damaging of diseases when it comes to relationships. Millions of people the world over are in the same situation - people avoiding certain people only because of severe acne. Personal and professional relationships suffer in the process. Yet, much of this could have been avoided by a simple 3 step program.

Taking your personal battle against acne seriously is the first step to give yourself a richer life and it all begins with the fundamentals of smart skin care. Being smarter about acne prevention and treatment is a matter of finding out what you need and developing a skincare routine that can transform your life from being someone who is an outcast or someone that others pity, to someone who enjoys greater success in personal and professional relationships.

I realize this seems unbelievable but, trust me, a planned facial skin health routine is what will make a huge difference in how you look to others and how you feel about yourself. If you will follow these 3 steps you will begin to see the transformation:

Step 1. Squeaky clean is the way to go.

Step 2. Out with the old to make way for the new.

Step 3. No grease please.

Having squeaky clean skin is the ultimate daily goal which begins with making the time to pay attention to that neat covering you were born with - your skin. Keeping your skin squeaky clean makes it look healthy and, yes, attractive to others. That's the real goal, right? Being attractive to others?

As we move around our little piece of the world our skin picks up all kinds of nasties like grime and air pollution. Cleansing your 'bod' of this stuff is your daily duty if you want to clear up your acne or prevent severe acne from taking hold.

We have had great success with simply showering twice a day, first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Along the way, we grab any opportunity to duck into the restroom for a quick face washing with hot water to cleanse the skin pores followed by a cold rinse to close them back up. Then, upon arriving at home, another quick wash and rinse with a nice mild cleanser that is a pure as Ivory Snow.

We follow that with a gentle skin cleansing lotion that is ever-so-gently massaged into the face and neck. Choose a lotion that is water-soluble so you are not adding to your skin oil content or clogging up your pores. Then, pat dry with a nice soft cotton towel. Treat your skin gently as you do this. You do not want to rub yourself raw. By the way, if you can make the time to do this routine in the morning before you dash off to conquer your world, all the better for your skin.

The "out with the old" step simply means helping your body's natural process of shedding dead skin cells to replace them with new cells. This natural process usually happens over a period of several weeks but you can help it along. To do this you will use something called - Exfoliation.

Exfoliation happens faster if you maintain a daily skin cleansing routine. There are over-the-counter products available for this so hop on down to your local drug store and ask the pharmacist for some recommendations. Using a product for exfoliation is an added step if you are following the skin cleansing in step 1 and only has to be done once or twice a week to give you that little but extra to speed along cleaning out the old cells to make way for the new. You do not want to do this more than twice a week as you could cause skin irritation. Everything good comes in moderation.

The "No grease please" step simply means you need to moisturize with a product that does not contain oils as a base ingredient. With all the cleansing you are going to do on a daily basis, washing away the body's natural oils, you need to put some that moisture back.

Choosing a moisturizer can be tricky. Read the ingredients on the label. You want a product that specifically addresses dry skin. Again, talk to your pharmacist for some suggestions. You also want a product that fits your skin type. If you have oily skin, the last thing you want is a product that contains oil as an active ingredient. Get the idea? Remember also to use a good sun screen if you spend a lot of time outdoors. Dry skin and sunshine go hand in hand so protect yourself.

Before I forget, these tips are for men, too! In fact, men are more prone to get acne so our skin needs even more tender-loving-care than the ladies!