A lot of times, the blackheads and oiliness of our skin makes it look like our skin is dirty and that it can be cleaned by a thorough scrubbing.
In fact, this was the accepted wisdom until not too long ago but we now know that this is not true at all.
What looks like dirt in the blackheads is actually a skin pigmentation.
And while it looks like the pores of the skin have been blocked by dirt, acne actually begins at the roots of the hair and no amount of scrubbing is going to stop it or get rid of it.
If dirt were a cause of acne, most people who work outdoors in dusty conditions would get acne but the truth is that not all of them get acne and almost everyone, including doctors, can and do get acne.
Another popular belief is that oily skin causes acne and this too is not true.
Although there is a connection between the amount of oil in one's skin and acne, the fact is that people with dry skin get acne too.
Of course, we should do all we can to prevent oil from collecting on the skin from external sources such as oily or dirty hair because this oil can clog the pores and worsen the acne condition.
Too much scrubbing of skin that has acne will only serve to inflame it and make things worse.
The best recourse is to wash the face with warm water and a gentle cleanser a maximum of two times daily because excess cleaning will aggravate the situation.