There are many awesome things about being a teen, and we know from first-face experience as that acne is not one of them.

Many preteens, tweens (don’t ask), teens and even adults are terrorized by this pesky skin condition. Sadly, some people never quite get rid of it, and acne stalks them into old age.

Aesthetician and founder of Hollywood Glow Beauty Studio Odessia Benjamin says that – drop the cake soap for this – acne is not a result of dirty skin!

“It not caused by having dirty skin or by not cleansing often enough. In fact, over washing the skin can irritate the skin, consequently worsening acne,” she said.

She also shared that teenagers undergoing puberty are especially prone to developing one form of acne – hormonal acne.

This is why: “It is developed due to increasing androgen levels in the body, thereby triggering an increase in sebum production and increasing activity of an acne-causing bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes (P.acnes).”

Benjamin shares these tips to include in your skincare routine to keep those pesky pimples away:

1. Cleanse your skin twice a day – Washing your face (and well, your whole body) twice per day will reduce the build-up of bacteria on your skin.

2. Moisturize – Yes, it might seem counterproductive to apply a moisturizer to your oily skin, but sometimes your skin only produces so much oil as a reaction you constantly drying it out by washing and scrubbing. Benjamin recommends that you try a vitamin C serum. “Serums provide excellent moisturization and are not oil based,” she said.

3. Don’t over-moisturize – the use of oily lotions or creams may clog your pores and worsen or increase your risk of developing acne. Products that contain ingredients such as Salicylic Acid, Resorcinol and Alcohol can be effective as cleansers, Benjamin said.

4. Stay hydrated – Yup. The aesthetician said sippin’ on some good ol’ H2O is the best thing you can do for your skin. There is so much and no more that you can do to fix the outside of your skin. Water gets inside there and balances things out.

5. Don’t pop the pimples – Benjamin said that popping acne blemishes with your hands will allow new bacteria to enter your skin, and possibly worsen your flare ups. What’s even worse is that this practice may also leave lasting scars on your face, way after puberty when acne is no longer even a thing.

6. Wait it out – Look around you. Most people in your class are fighting these same battles, and have the same battle scars. In a few years you will all be so preoccupied with your kids, careers and money problems that you won’t even notice that your acne is under control. Give it some time. Don’t let it get you down.