Cupid is sharpening his arrow as Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and couples around the country will be preparing for the biggest date night of the year. There’s nothing worse than waking up the morning of your big date to find a pimple smack dab in the middle of your face. Take steps now to avoid Valentine’s Day breakouts and keep your date blemish-free.

Before you can prevent it, you must first understand why Acne “zits” or blackheads form in the first place. Acne is not due to a single event (like eating a box of chocolates) but the result of multiple steps going “wrong” in the skin. It is a disorder of keratinization, or dysfunctional formation of the cells lining the gland beneath the skin’s surface.

Under normal circumstances the cells lining the neck of the sebaceous gland should invisibly exfoliate onto the skin’s surface through the pore. But these cells have a sticky surface, causing them to form a plug and preventing spontaneous exfoliation within the gland. At the same time the plug has formed, androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make extra oil. The bacteria that live within these glands are essentially served a feast of oil, so they proliferate. The gland is plugged, the oils continue to form, more bacteria form and inflammation occurs.

This chain of events must be interrupted to clear and prevent recurrences. Regular, daily cleansing and removal of make-up, dirt and debris is the first step. Try using a cleanser specifically formulated for oily skin and acne prevention like DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ aha/bha acne cleanser. This cleanser has a soap-free, pH balanced, creamy base to dissolve and exfoliate pore-plugging debris, curb bacteria growth and control oil production. Use morning and night to keep skin as clean as possible.

Follow cleansing with an acne targeting, exfoliating serum. DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ acne control serum targets all five points of blemish development, disrupting acne formation by exfoliating pore plugging debris. Patented polymers absorb excess surface oils and keep skin mattified. Another good option is Murad Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel, which blends retinol with salicylic and glycolic acids to penetrate pores and sweep them super-clean.

If you have regular, ongoing issues with blackheads, try DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ intensive blackhead treatment. This biphasic formulation targets blackheads at their source, providing both rapid and long-term impact. Potent astringents provide rapid improvement in the appearance of pores. Long-term relief is achieved as this intensified medicated therapy deeply penetrates pores, eliminating trapped dirt, oils and pore-plugging debris.
Since acne-prone skin tends to be oily, you don’t want to use a moisturizer that is too heavy or greasy that may further contribute to the problem. Opt instead for a light cream or gel formula specifically designed for this skin type. Cellex-C Clear Complexion Seboregulator is a good, oil-free hydrating gel designed to help regulate excess sebum production while adding moisture to oily or acne prone skin.

Most blackheads form in the notoriously troubled “T-zone” which sweeps across the forehead and down the nose to the chin. This area has more oil glands than other parts of the face, making it prone to breakouts. Leading up to and on the big date night, incorporate DERMAdoctor Tease Zone oil control gel into your daily beauty routine. Lightweight Tease Zone goes on over moisturizer, disappearing instantly and leaving skin smooth and dry creating a perfect “matte” look. It’s also great as a foundation primer, allowing makeup to glide on smoothly and not “mingle” with existing oil.

If enlarged pores are an issue for you as well, include DERMAdoctor Picture Porefect pore minimizing solution. While a pore’s physical diameter cannot be changed, Picture Porefect is proven to help pores appear smaller by removing excess skin oils, cropping out blackheads and smoothing out edges. Sebum Sequestering Micro-Particles “soak up” excess sebum produced by sebaceous oil glands. It can be applied all over the face or as a spot treatment and reduces the appearance of pore size immediately.

Aside from including these steps in your daily skincare regimen, try to eat well and avoid heavy carbohydrates (like sugar and white flour) and fried foods. Avoid touching your face or resting your face on your hands, which can exacerbate breakouts.

Should you wake up the morning before the big date to find a pimple (gasp!) or two, don’t panic. Try a powerful spot treatment to help minimize the damage. DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ emergency acne spot treatment (seen in InStyle) works better than a cortisone shot for urgent blemish relief. This patent-pending high-tech fusion of Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western Medicine is the most convenient, effective, at-home method of rapidly resuscitating skin back to clarity. It contains powerful calming botanicals to soothe and reduce inflammation in the skin and has antihistamine and antioxidant effects. Murad Acne Spot Treatment is another good option for soothing and reducing inflammation.

Don’t wait until the big day to try to get your skin in good condition. Start now so your complexion is clear for the most romantic night of the year.