Acne affects the majority of teenagers, one in four adults under middle age, and can even affect pregnant women. Little wonder then that so many people want to discover how to get a clear complexion. There is a way to get rid of your acne, but the pharmaceutical companies would prefer it to remain a secret.

The way to be rid of acne has nothing to do with the latest wonder treatment or any celebrity endorsed products. These focus on treating the external symptoms of acne. Acne manifests itself on your skin, but it starts inside your body and that is where it needs to be treated.

The main cause of your acne is the excessive production of hormones, which your body cannot eliminate quickly enough. The secondary effect of which is that the sebaceous glands in your skin produce more oil. Your acne breaks out when you pores become blocked with dead skin cells and bacteria.

You have to treat the primary cause to stop the secondary effect. The first step to getting clear skin is to drink plenty of water. Eight glasses a day, the equivalent of about two litres, is sufficient to keep your body properly hydrated. It also helps your body to flush out waste and toxins through your kidneys, not your face. The texture of your skin will also be improved.

The next step is to improve your diet. Having a healthy diet improves your overall health and that is good for your skin. Try to eat five portions of different fruits and vegetables each day, including at least one portion of green vegetables. This will give you all the vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre that your body needs to be healthy. Choose whole grains in preference to the less healthy "white" option. Some foods, such as hydrogenated vegetable oils and dairy products can inflame an existing acne condition, so cut back on these.

The final step is to get into shape. By which I mean take some moderate exercise each day such as brisk walking for about 30 minutes. This will improve your physical condition, which will not only benefit your body as a whole, but it will also help to bring your hormonal balance into equilibrium.

Making these simple lifestyle changes addresses the real cause of your acne. When you treat the root cause, you will begin to rid yourself of acne.