Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Coronavirus Update
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Connect to Care
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • woman experiencing chest discomfort Symptom Checker COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • berry and yogurt on spoon Slideshow Supplements for Better Digestion
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Coronavirus News & Updates
    • COVID-19 Vaccines -- Latest Updates Here
    • COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts
    • Social Distancing, Quarantine Explained
    Experts & Community
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of coronavirus cell WebMD News Get the Latest COVID-19 News Here
    • photo of person typing Newsletters Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Oily Skin Home

    • Medical Reference
    • Features
    • Video
    • Slideshows & Images
    • Quizzes
    • Health Tools
    • More From WebMD
    • News Archive

    Acne Home

    • News
    • Reference
    • Slideshows
    • Quizzes
    • Videos
    • Find a Dermatologist

    Skin Problems & Treatments Guide

    • Skin Discolorations
    • Chronic Skin Conditions
    • Acute Skin Problems
    • Skin Infections

    Acne Guide

    • What Is Acne?
    • Symptoms
    • Treatments
    • Prevention
    • Acne During Pregnancy
    • FAQ

    Related to Acne

    • Acne in Men
    • Drug Interaction Checker
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Oily Skin
    • Rosacea
    • Skin Assessment
    • Skin Problems
    • Teen Health
    • Skin Problems and Treatments
    • Acne
    • Videos

    Psoriasis Care During COVID-19

    Preventing Adult Acne

    Video Transcript

    Narrator: Rhonda Barrymore is a professional makeup artist whose job is to make people look good. She's also learned a thing or two about skincare along the way.

    Rhonda Barrymore, Professional Makeup, Artist, Help Me Rhonda, Inc.: Cleansing your face, you can use a small wipe like this.

    Narrator: We arranged to have her give WebMD's own Lauren Gracco a few pointers about how to maintain clear skin.

    Lauren Gracco, WebMD: I tend to break out, which I haven't done since I was a teenager, but it's mostly along my hairline. It's not where it use to be. Like right here or on my nose.

    Rhonda Barrymore, Professional Makeup, Artist, Help Me Rhonda, Inc.: It's probably just a little bit of adult acne.

    Narrator: Like with teenagers, breakouts in adults can often be traced to hormonal fluctuations. Karen O'Kelley is a skincare specialist who educates patients and healthcare professionals:

    Karen O'Kelley, BSN, RN, Skin Care Specialist—Aesthetic Advancements: Acne is a clogged follicle or pore—that's how it starts when the pore becomes blocked then the sebum or the oil in the skin can't work its way out of skin like it needs to. Then bacteria floods into the area followed by inflammation. So whether you're a man or a woman that's basically what's happening to you.

    Narrator: Routine and proper cleansing and exfoliation with a gentle face cleanser containing antibacterial agents is key to preventing unwanted oil buildup.

    Rhonda Barrymore, Professional Makeup, Artist, Help Me Rhonda, Inc.: So you just gently put it around your eye area to get under-eye makeup first.

    Karen O'Kelley, BSN, RN, Skin Care Specialist—Aesthetic Advancements: We want to use a cleanser that's made for facial skin. You don't want to use a cleanser that's made for the body.

    Lauren Gracco, WebMD: Can I exfoliate and cleanse at the same time?

    Rhonda Barrymore, Professional Makeup, Artist, Help Me Rhonda, Inc.: You sure can--definitely. And you just use a circular motion and you're going to exfoliate as you're cleansing your skin.

    Karen O'Kelley, BSN, RN, Skin Care Specialist—Aesthetic Advancements: We recommend that you cleanse your skin twice a day—with acne you don't want to over-cleanse the skin. Because if you over-dry it, then the body's just going to turn around and make more oil.

    Lauren Gracco, WebMD: What are some of the benefits of using a facemask?

    Karen O'Kelley, BSN, RN, Skin Care Specialist—Aesthetic Advancements: The mask can be great. Typically you use them twice a week. A mask would be for deep cleansing or purifying of the pours.

    Rhonda Barrymore, Professional Makeup, Artist, Help Me Rhonda, Inc.: Well, there are different types of masks and I like the ones that don't have any grains in them.

    Karen O'Kelley, BSN, RN, Skin Care Specialist—Aesthetic Advancements: If you're using skincare products that have granules or seeds or things like that in them and you're scrubbing the face, you're spreading bacteria to areas of the face that was not infected originally.

    Rhonda Barrymore, Professional Makeup, Artist, Help Me Rhonda, Inc.: Best to do a little bit of water on your skin to get your skin a little bit moist. Then you can apply a mask, probably just with your fingertips and just pat it on the areas, And then allow it to sit on your face for about 15 or 20 minutes, and then I would take a wipe. Get some water onto the wipe and then lay it onto the areas where you put the mask to soften it, so you're not going to scratch it off of your skin. And then you'll splash your face with some water until all the mask is gone.

    Narrator: In addition to a proper cleansing regimen, a healthy lifestyle, including a good diet and exercise is critical to helping your body fight back should you get a blemish. For WebMD, I'm Damon Meharg.

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • Picking Acne: Why We Do It
    • How to Treat Teen Acne
    • How to Get Rid of Blackheads
    • 10 Tips for Preventing Acne
    • Alternative Acne Treatments: Do They Work?
    • Beauty Tips for Your 20s

    further reading

    • Is Your Skin Care Working for You?
    • Manage Your Oily Skin and Fight Acne
    • Teen Skin Care
    • Acne
    • Choosing acne cleansers and face soaps.
    • Skin Types and Care: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, Sensitive
    • Your Skin and Acne
    • Oily Skin Topics

    Today on WebMD

    Girl with acne

    Major Breakout?

    See if you know how to control your acne.

    happy woman with clear skin

    Acne Guide

    Treatments for blackheads, whiteheads, and cystic acne.

    Bride with acne

    Blemish Cover-Ups

    Dos and don’ts for hiding breakouts.

    close-up of a young man soaping his face

    Still Get Pimples?

    Why adults get acne and how to treat it.

    Recommended for You

    Doctors Article

    Teen Acne: When to See a Doctor

    Boy cleaning acne face Quiz

    Is Your Acne Under Control?

    HPV Vaccine Future Video

    Tips for Skin of All Ages

    beauty cream Article

    Mistakes People Make Treating Acne

    happy woman with clear skin Slideshow

    Acne: A Visual Glossary

    Girl with acne Slideshow

    Quick Acne Cover-Ups

    Woman washing face Tool

    Is Your Skin Care Working for You?

    close-up of a young man soaping his face Slideshow

    Adult Acne Q&A

    Tools & Resources

    • How to Choose the Right Skin Care Products
    • Top Tips for Teen Acne
    • Find the Perfect Skin Care Routine
    • Chemical Peels for Acne
    • Teen Acne: Myths and Facts
    • Anti-Acne Skin Care Routine

    Health Solutions

    • Penis Curved When Erect
    • Could I have CAD?
    • Treat Bent Fingers
    • Discover hATTR Symptoms
    • Discover Immunotherapy
    • Relapsing MS Options
    • Rethink MS Treatment
    • AFib-Related Strokes
    • Risk of a Future DVT/PE
    • Is My Penis Normal?
    • Weight-Loss Surgery
    • Liver Transplants Save Lives
    • Finance Plastic Surgery
    • Bent Finger Causes
    • Trouble Urinating?
    • Missing Teeth?

    More from WebMD

    • Finding the Care You Need for MS
    • How to Thrive With Narcolepsy
    • Relief for Blocked Hair Follicles
    • Psoriatic Arthritis and Your Sleep
    • What Psoriasis Feels Like
    • First Psoriatic Arthritis Flare
    • Talking to Your Doctor About RA
    • Common Psoriasis Triggers
    • Avoiding Crohn’s Flares
    • Living With Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • When RA Symptoms Get Worse
    • Types of B-Cell Therapy for MS
    • Living Better With T2 Diabetes
    • Why Prostate Cancer Spreads
    • When Ulcerative Colitis Flares
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.