The refreshing showers and the cool weather of monsoon will feel like bliss after the sweltering heat of summer. However, with the cool breeze and showers comes humidity packed with additional bacteria in the air leading to clogged pores resulting in acne, blackheads and whiteheads. Before we enter in the monsoon take steps to keep your skin blemish free.

Acne is a common problem that troubles teens and adults alike. Get extra cautious this season. Dr Satish Bhatia, MD, FAAD, Dermatologist and Skin Surgeon shares with IANSlife some useful handy tips which you can incorporate into your daily routine to keep your skin acne free and supple during monsoons.

Forehead, neck, jaw line, cheeks are acne prone areas. Clean these zones thoroughly without rinsing too hard. Use a mild soap-free cleanser like Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser twice daily to wash your face. For oily or combination skin, use a cleanser best suited to the skin type.

Tone your skin to remove the leftover dirt and make up. Toning also helps in closing pores to avoid oil clogging. If you aren't a fan of toners available in the market then use natural ingredients like green tea, lemon juice, rose water, cucumber water and chamomile tea for toning your skin. Cucumber is a much loved skin cooler that works wonder on all skin types.

From time to time, your skin may feel sticky and oily but that shouldn't discourage you from using a moisturizer. Moisturizers keep the skin hydrated and supple. Choose a moisturizer which is light weight, yet rich in macadamia oil and sunflower oil, which helps to hydrate and nourish the skin. Make sure it is specifically formulated to soothe dry skin and is non-greasy, non-irritating and non-comedogenic since this will eliminate clog pores. You can opt for Cetaphil Moisturising Cream.

It's far more important to drink more water in monsoon and winter than summer since you won't naturally feel as thirsty as you do during summers. It's one of the most sureshot ways to get healthy skin without any breakouts or acne.

We cannot stress enough on the importance of refraining from eating fried food and exercising regularly. The excessive build-up of oil internally will reflect on your skin through breakouts, zits, blackheads and whiteheads. To prevent it, consume a balanced diet. Additionally, exercising will ensure that you sweat out the toxins, stay in shape and keep stress at bay especially on the gloomy monsoon days.