I do several things to make sure my hands are CLEAN when I have to touch my face during my morning routine and makeup application. . I use paper towels (Bounty select a size) rather than the pads and cotton balls. They are cheaper, and have more surface area. I clean my hands with betadine and witch hazel, that way they are as sterile and clean as I can get them when I have to clear the pores with my hands and blackhead removal tools. I also clean all of the tools with the same solution and wipe the tools on the paper towel soaked in these solutions. I've just started to not dry with a towel, and air dry my skin. I even have a little fan at my makeup area to help. I feel it is much more hygenic than using a towel. I wash my face with a combination of povidone iodine (betadine) mixed with gentle baby wash., (generic). It does not burn. Then I let the skin air dry. I then apply at night the Neutrogena retinol original formula for nighttime. Helps with smoothing and I hope with some of the scarring. I wait for my face to dry completely before going to bed. I also have problems with my right side of my face, breaking out many times worse than my left side. I know that it is because I sleep on my right side. I put a soft towel on my pillow to help. I also try to train myself to sleep less on the right side. I also elevate my head/upper back with several pillows. I don't sleep flat.
I think that letting skin air dry rather than using a towel is a better choice for minimizing the spread of bacteria and other irritants that aggravate acne.
In early March, I reviewed some others opinions on the retinol based skin lotions and I decided to stop using them. I use the Neutrogena Alpha Hydroxy day lotion for both day and night instead. Stinging was an issue, but my skin got used to it and the stinging stopped after a week. I still wash with the CVS baby PABA free wash, (recommended by others on this list). Povidone iodine and 20 mule team borax as a scrub. Jojoba for eye makeup remover, glycerine for moisturizer on lips and eyes (does not make makeup run). I feel that dropping the retinol has made a huge difference. My skin is much clearer and when I break out it heals faster. I still use the witch hazel, stridex pads, and acnomel lotion. And switched to the Almay acne free cosmetics that had good reviews on this list.
I was in Miami for a month, was concerned about the humidity and heat on breaking me out. I still avoided the trigger foods, (shellfish, chocolate, artificial sweeteners). But, and was able to eat much healthier. I eat healthy, but hate it when healthy choices are not available when I am certain places, and get very pissy about it. I was also so busy working, that I was not worried so much about my skin and less focused on it. I also think that made a difference.
The South Beach diet with lots of rice, veggies, fish, less pork and beef, I felt helped too. It also tastes much better to me rather than the heavy fried stuff that is nearly everywhere else.
I also had to cut my waist length hair. I had broken my wrist and could not brush out my easily tangled hair. I went to the local beauty vo-tech school. They tried to brush out the mess, but after 5 hours, with my tender scalp, I said cut it to a collar length style. I will grow it back though. They showed me the use argan oil for my easily tangled hair. I really like it, makes my hair shine, far easier to comb out and I use it on my skin too. Makes it smooth and silky feeling, especially my legs. It also has NOT broken me out around my face.
This list has helped me with the choices of products, especially the mis-information and labellng (LIES) about non-comogenic products.