How do you deal with your blemishes? Share your techniques with us.
Salt water face wash
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 15:04 — AnonymousOne of the big problems I've always had with washing my face was having to balance the need to remove oil, while at the same time being gentle on the acne and not drying out the skin. Most soaps (and definitely any alcohol based stuff) definitely remove all the oils from my skin, but then this seems to aggravate my acne which comes back in force even worse. Also the really "gentle" acne products out there don't inflame my skin, but they don't really cut through the oil. (more...)
Fenugreek mask
Tue, 03/17/2009 - 19:25 — AnonymousCreate a paste from fresh fenugreek by grinding in a mortar and pestle. You may have to add a small amount of water to get it to the right consistency. Apply this as a mask to areas that are prone to pimples or blackheads and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Try to incorporate this into your daily routine. This works well for pimples, blackheads, and wrinkles.
Aspirin (cheap acne treatment)
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 15:19 — AnonymousHere is a really great acne treatment you can add to your regimen. Try to do this once a week or so. It involves applying crushed aspirin to your acne prone areas, which as a really great anti-acne ingredient called salicylic acid (found in many acne products).
- Crush a small handful of plain (uncoated) aspirin into a fine powder.
- Add water a few drops at a time until you get a thick paste
- Apply this paste to all your acne prone areas. Let it dry until it starts flaking off.
- Rinse with cool water and pat dry.
Zinc oxide (diaper rash cream)
Fri, 03/13/2009 - 13:29 — AnonymousOkay, I know this sounds ridiculous, but one of my teachers (a chemistry teacher) told us this. One of the very best things for acne is zinc oxide. And the easiest place to find zinc oxide? Diaper rash cream. Me and several of my friends have tried this and it actually works. I know it sounds gross, but the diaper rash cream is unused (hopefully!) so it's really not bad at all. I use it as part of my acne treatment routine, applying it after my main cleanser, leaving it on for about 10 minutes, then rinsing with cool water.
Ice for swelling and scarring
Wed, 03/11/2009 - 21:17 — AnonymousEach night before you go to bed take an entire ice cube and rub it on all affected areas until it melts. This reduces the swelling and inflammation that comes along with acne, and prepares these spots for your upcoming rest, which is when the body does most of its repair work. Also, because you are reducing the amount of stress that this swelling and possible rupturing would place on your skin, you reduce your risk of scarring. Add this to your acne treatment regimen and you won't be sorry.
The importance of face washing
Thu, 02/26/2009 - 21:59 — AnonymousMost people wash their face on a daily basis. Those suffering from acne might be a little more conscious about it because it makes sense that a clean face is one of the first steps in acne treatment. But perhaps the importance of this is not quite so apparent. The truth is that we should pay very careful attention to how and how often we wash our face. We should develop a regimen and stick to it. (more...)
Neem and turmeric (Ayurveda)
Tue, 02/24/2009 - 16:12 — AnonymousTwo common treatments for acne from Indian Ayurveda are neem and turmeric. You can find neem based soaps that are good to wash your face with. Neem is a good cleanser and detoxifier. Also, you can make a paste from neem and turmeric and apply to your skin as an acne treatment. These herbal acne treatments are proven skin care remedies with thousands of years of the ancient Indian culture behind them.
Change your makeup
Mon, 02/23/2009 - 23:01 — AnonymousOne of the most common causes (or at least an aggravating factor) of acne in women is their choice of makeup. Many brands of makeup contain oils that clog pores and make existing acne worse. If you are an acne sufferer it would be wise to look into what is actually in your makeup and try to avoid those brands that are oil based. Also, makeup can contain other ingredients that you might be slightly allergic to and so can cause inflammation. If you are using a non-oily makeup but still don't see any improvements, you might just try a different brand. (more...)
Green tea and acne
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 20:38 — AnonymousGreen tea has a couple of important properties that make it appropriate for helping with acne. First, green tea is a very potent provider of antioxidants, which help neutralize free radicals that cause damage to the body, and which are quite effective at prevention of acne. Second, green tea is a proven antibiotic, which is important when treating acne because one of the primary causes of acne is from a bacterium, and many treatments of severe acne involve taking antibiotics. (more...)
Garlic antibacterial
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 20:06 — AnonymousIt is well known that one of the causes of acne is bacteria. This is why dermatologists prescribe antibiotics for bad cases of acne. It is also well known that garlic is one of the most potent natural antibacterials we have. If your acne is caused in part by bacteria then here is a very good, inexpensive remedy. (more...)