You want your acne gone ASAP. Apart from the treatments you use to clear up your skin, you can also take action to help prevent future breakouts. Start by making these shifts in your lifestyle.

Tame Stress “The most important thing you can do in terms of preventing or minimizing acne is to decrease stress in your life,” says dermatologist Ivy Lee, MD, of Pasadena Premier Dermatology in California. The amount of oil (or sebum, as doctors call it) in your skin is “directly influenced by stress,” Lee says. The more stress (physical and emotional) that you feel, the higher the cortisol levels in the body and the more active the sebaceous glands in the skin. “Anything you can do to decrease stress -- by relaxing, being more mindful, focusing on wellness and exercising -- all decrease levels of cortisol, lower stress, and reduce acne,” Lee says.