Acne Tips

November 29th, 2009

Acne tips are easy to find but many don’t deliver the desired results. Most people have suffered from some form of acne at one point or another, whether it be small breakouts from time to time or severe acne that never seems to end. Acne can be embarrassing, painful, and it can destroy self-esteem.

Preventing Acne Tips
Some of the best acne tips are based on prevention. After all, it is easier to prevent acne than it is to fix pimples once they have erupted. Here are a few things you can try right now to avoid problems later on.

  • Use an aspirin mask. Crush up some uncoated aspirin tablets, mix with enough water to make a paste, and apply a thin layer to your face for about ten minutes. The salicylic acid in aspirin cleans the pores and can even help fade pimple scars. Be advised that small amounts of aspirin may be absorbed into the bloodstream using this method so consult your doctor before trying.
  • Keep your face clean, but don’t overdo it. Everyone knows that you should wash your face, but some people use too many harsh chemicals that can actually irritate the skin and make acne worse. If you strip all the oil from your face, your skin will make even more oil to make up for it so stick with gentle cleansers and avoid products that contain alcohol. Always wash your face before bed if you are wearing makeup, no matter how tired you are.
  • Drink plenty of water. Many people with great skin swear this is the secret, and there is scientific proof that drinking lots of water really can help your complexion by keeping the skin hydrated.

Treating Acne Tips
Most of the acne tips we hear involve treatment, and there is a disproportionate amount of false information about acne treatment. Treating acne depends on the type, severity, and each person’s individual body chemistry. Here are a few general guidelines:

  • For smaller breakouts, spot treatment is a great option because only the affected area is exposed to harsh chemicals rather than your entire face. It may take some experimenting, but products containing benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, or salicylic acid generally have the most success. There are also a number of natural acne treatment home remedies outlined on this site that work for some people.
  • Severe acne sufferers may need to see a dermatologist about getting prescription acne medication. Differin, Accutane, Tazorac, Retin-A, and Spironolactone are all medicines that enjoy a great reputation for clearing up acne.
  • Hormonal acne generally needs to be dealt with internally. Certain types of birth control pills can give good results in clearing hormonal acne. This course of treatment should only be done with a doctor’s supervision.

Check this site often for more acne tips!

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Tips for Body Acne

January 10th, 2010

Acne is not just confined to the face, so no list of acne tips would be complete without giving advice on how to deal with acne that appears other places on the body. Unfortunately, pores can become clogged in other places on the body, leading to body acne. Body acne is most common on the chest, arms, and back. Many treatments that work on facial acne also work on body acne but it is more difficult to treat since these areas are generally clothed all day and don’t get as much chance to breathe. Here are some tips for body acne.

  • Exfoliate! It is even more important to slough off dead skin from your body than it is on your face because areas of your body where acne occurs spend a lot of time inside clothing. Use a gentle scrub every other day in the shower. A homemade sugar scrub is a cheap and effective option. You could also use a loofah.
  • Wash your clothes frequently. Bacteria can build up in your clothes so if you have back or chest acne, for example, be sure to wash your shirts after each use.
  • Look for a cleanser that contains alpha hydroxy acid. 10% is a good amount. This is a chemical exfoliant that will help get rid of the dead skin cells that are blocking your pores. Use it every other day in the shower and follow up with a very light moisturizer.
  • Do not hang out in wet clothes. After working out, take off your sweaty clothes immediately and put on something dry. Bacteria love moist environments so it’s important to keep your skin dry if you want to avoid body acne.
  • Shower daily but avoid super hot water. It is important to shower to clean off your body’s oils, but you also have to be careful not to overdry the skin because then it will produce even more oil to compensate for the dryness. Use lukewarm water and avoid harsh chemicals.
  • Do not use heavy creams or hair products. People with long hair are particularly prone to back acne because greasy hair serums often touch their back and clog their pores. Keep your hair in a pony tail if this is a concern for you.
  • Avoid wearing lycra or other synthetic materials that don’t allow the skin to breathe. Cotton is your best bet.
  • Wash your sheets frequently using gentle detergent or a detergent designed for babies. Don’t use fabric softener.

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Natural Acne Treatment

December 12th, 2009

Natural acne treatment is the preferred method of dealing with skin problems for many people thanks to the low cost and relative safety of these remedies. Many people suffering from acne have spent countless dollars on the latest creams and treatments that advertise miraculous results, only to be disappointed when they do not perform as they claim. Instead of wasting time and money on unproven treatments, it makes sense to use natural acne treatment first before resorting to other options.

There are many home remedies for acne. Most people have everything they need already somewhere in the house to get started with natural acne treatment. Here are a few natural acne cures.

Lemon juice is a great remedy for redness. It acts as a disinfectant and the citric acid is a very effective ingredient for cleaning out the pores. It works equally well on red, inflamed pimples as it does on acne scars, although it may take longer to see results on scars. Just apply a bit of lemon juice to the affected area. It may sting a bit, so if your skin is particularly sensitive, you could try mixing in a bit of honey with it.

Potatoes have a great reputation as a natural acne treatment. It may sound a bit unbelievable at first, but if you have a potato lying around your house, you really have nothing to lose by trying it. Just cut off a slice and place the cut end on your pimple. When the potato dries out, use another slice and you should start to see results over time. It can really help reduce the swelling and is well suited to active breakouts. It is believed that the sulfur in the potatoes is responsible for the magic.

Tea tree oil is a very strong antiseptic that has been used around the world as a natural acne treatment for many years. It kills the bacteria in pimples just as effectively as benzoyl peroxide. It also significantly reduces acne marks. Apply it directly onto the affected area once or twice a day. It should always be used diluted both to avoid overdrying and because it actually works better when diluted. You can buy this essential oil in many health food stores. If it is not diluted, mix it with water before using. This oil is extremely potent so take care not to swallow it and avoid using it during pregnancy.

Honey is a wonderful home remedy for acne

Honey is a wonderful home remedy for acne

Honey is a great natural acne treatment thanks to its antibacterial and disinfectant properties. It can be applied directly to the face or mixed with other natural ingredients such as oats or lemon juice. The best type of honey for treating acne is raw honey or manuka honey from New Zealand. It is very gentle, making it great for sensitive skin and works well on infected pimples.

You’ve probably heard this before more than once, but drinking plenty of water really does make a big difference in your complexion. It won’t do much for existing breakouts, but you should notice better skin and fewer breakouts within about a month after increasing your water intake. This is something really cheap you can incorporate into your daily routine that will not only improve your complexion but have a positive impact on your entire body as well.

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Overnight Acne Treatment Tips

December 8th, 2009

Overnight acne treatment can make a big difference when it comes to reducing the appearance of a large pimple. It’s a situation that has happened to many of us at some point… a day or two before an important event, a huge blemish rears its ugly head just in time for the whole world to see it.  It is very difficult to make a large pimple go away so quickly. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to help keep it under control and make it a lot less noticeable.

Use a spot treatment. This is perfect for an overnight acne treatment since most spot treatments are too obvious to use during the day when others can see you. Some things that have been known to work quickly include…

  • Ice. Ice is very effective at reducing swelling and normally swelling contributes quite bit to the appearance of these huge pimples. Wrap ice in a towel and place it on the pimple for up to fifteen minutes at a time, taking breaks in between. You can also use benzoyl peroxide on the pimple before icing it as the cold helps the benzoyl peroxide to penetrate your skin better. For the ultimate overnight acne treatment, ice the pimple and then dab benzoyl peroxide on top of the trouble spot right before bed. In the morning it should be much smaller.
  • Use aspirin.  Crushing up an uncoated aspirin and making a paste with a little bit of water and applying it to the pimple is a great overnight acne treatment that can really help make a difference quickly. Not many people know about this trick but it really is quite effective thanks to the salicylic acid in the aspirin. But people who cannot take aspirin internally should also avoid using it on their skin since small amounts may be absorbed into the bloodstream.
  • Sulfur. Many people swear that sulfur is the best overnight acne treatment you can find. This ingredient can be found in a variety of beauty treatments, but the best way to deliver a lot of sulfur in a short amount of time is to use a sulfur mask. Instead of applying it to your entire face, just use a cotton swab to put enough to cover the top of the pimple before you go to sleep and in the morning, it should have flattened significantly.
  • Zinc is an anti-inflammatory. There are many zinc blemish products on the market that you can use as an overnight acne treatment. You can even find zinc in many diaper creams so if you have some diaper ointment lying around, try dabbing a bit directly onto the blemish before bedtime. (look on the label for “zinc oxide”). Just like it reduces the redness of diaper rash, it has a similar effect on your blemishes.
  • Sea salt can work very quickly as an overnight acne treatment. Just mix some sea salt with enough water to make a paste and apply it to the affected area. Rinse it off in the morning and you should find the pimple much smaller than the night before. Salt is a natural antiseptic and can kill the bacteria that is clogging your pores. It does sting a little bit, and you might want to put a dab of honey on top of it if you have dry skin to help counteract the drying action of the salt.

Remember that everyone’s skin is different, so if you try one of these suggestions and don’t get the desired effect, next time try to use a different idea until you find the perfect overnight acne treatment.

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