ShareThisWhile no specific medication prevents breakouts, there are many treatment options.-- At-home care: Use a gentle cleanser (Cetaphil or Dove) mornings and nights. Benzoyl peroxide (2.5 percent to 5 percent) is a topical disinfectant to help with bacteria. Avoid bar soaps and astringents (which give that tightening feeling). Soaps dry; astringents irritate because of the alcohol. Both can strip skin of its natural protective barrier. And stay away from scrubs with scratchy exfoliants. Again, they only exacerbate skin problems.-- Sunscreen: Continue to use some form of sunscreen (preferably oil-free, SPF 30 or higher) with a zinc-oxide component. However, if you're using certain forms of vitamin A topical products on your face, check with your skin-care specialist before buying. One ingredient used in a variety of sunscreens is avobenzone. When mixed with certain acne creams or gels, it can cause irritation.-- Bathroom shelf: For men, it's important to use a clean razor every time you shave. If it's a disposable, use and toss. If not, clean the blade with alcohol between shaves. Just rinsing won't rid the razor of bacteria. Same with tweezers: Pluck and clean with alcohol.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Avoiding bumps in the road
Paying taxes unites us. It also divides us. People can pay five and even six times more in state and local taxes than other folks in similar circumstances making similar incomes.
Who's got your number?
In one of the fastest-growing forms of identity theft, crooks are stealing tax refunds by swiping personal information and using it to trick the Internal Revenue Service.
