Since the
breakouts are few and far between, it’s normal to question why you’ll have
perfectly clear skin for weeks and then one day a blemish will form. Is it from
stress? Is it from not washing your face? Is it diet related? PMS? The answer
is not an easy one but if you still get occasional blemishes, ask yourself
these questions…
Do you touch your face a lot?
This may
come as a surprise, but subconsciously touching your face all day makes it
quickly become the dirtiest part of your body.
While it’s important to wash your skin every night, it’s much better to
try to prevent your hands from touching your face unnecessarily. This can add
bacteria to the skin adding to acne bacteria and cause more problems.
Skin Tip: Keep your hands occupied. Get
any kind of toy or gadget that you can play with in your hands at times when
you are most likely to be touching your skin. This will help tremendously.
Check out my No Picking! Twisty Toy. This is great and fun to fidget with to
keep your hands busy.
Have you been eating more dairy than normal
lately?
When you
develop cystic breakouts (those hard, painful, underground blemishes that
linger for weeks) on the chin, jaw line and neck area, it might be a sign that
you’re getting more dairy in your diet than your body can tolerate. Your skin
acts as an excretory system to get rid of things that your body is not in
agreement with, so when you get too much dairy, it is by nature harder to
digest and can come out in the form of cystic blemishes in the lower area of
the face.
Skin Tip: The best way to determine if
your acne cysts are directly related to your intake of dairy is to completely
cut dairy out of your diet for at least three weeks. If you don’t develop any
new cysts and you normally would have by now, then this might solve your
problem! It doesn’t mean that you cannot eat any dairy at all. Slowly introduce dairy back into your diet,
and the point you start breaking out again is your body’s tolerance level. Our Anti-Cyst Treatment works amazingly well
as a spot treatment for healing cystic acne fast. (Read: Get Control Of Cystic
Acne—Before It Scars Your Skin)
Have you been under tremendous stress?
Aside from
my experience confirming this is true, the Stanford University School of
Medicine conducted one such study in 2002. It was a small study that involved
students suffering from acne. The college professors involved in the study
conclusively proved that the exam stress worsened acne in these students.
According to researchers, their findings indicated “Subjects who had the
greatest increases in stress during examination periods also had the greatest
exacerbation in acne severity”. Stress not only affects acne flare-up. In general, it worsens the overall skin
condition. It induces the adrenal glands into overproduction of cortisol, a
steroid, which in turn makes sebaceous glands produce more oil and make skin
extra oily. Thus the reason why in stressful periods, people experiencing an
increase in acne get more inflamed, puss-filled papules than simple whiteheads
or blackheads.
Skin Tip: The easiest solution to
reducing stress is to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. (Read: 10 Nighttime
Skin Care Tips)
Do you not wash your skin at night?
Oil on the
skin makes for a breeding ground of bacteria, and bacteria will cause
blemishes. Sleeping with not only your makeup on, but also the addition of oil,
dirt and debris that has built up on the skin during the day, can absolutely
trigger new blemishes.
Skin Tip: The #1 reason why someone
won’t wash his or her face at night is out of exhaustion. I certainly
understand the discipline and effort it requires to perform your nighttime skin
care routine, especially when you’re exhausted. But, you really must do it.
It’s that simple.
Have you started using new skin care
products?
When your
skin is introduced to new products, sometimes you might get some initial
blemish purging, especially if the products are giving your skin more
exfoliation than normal. If it continues on more than two weeks, then they may
not be a good fit for your skin.
Skin Tip: When introducing new products
to your skin, it’s always recommended to use one product for 3-4 days before
adding in a second one. If your skin is reacting negatively, you’ll be able to
determine which product you should discontinue.
Get products recommended for your skin type by choosing one of our nine
skin types.
Are you about to start your menstrual
cycle?
Many women
can experience a surge of blemishes at the start of their monthly cycle. This
is completely normal, but can be very frustrating.
Are you peri-menopausal or going through
menopause?
Hormones are
chemical messengers, created by our bodies to regulate everything from
metabolism to cell growth to reproductive cycles and mood. When they fluctuate,
they can trigger weight gain, depression, sleeplessness and fatigue in addition
to adult acne and breakouts. A common sign for hormonal imbalances is when your
monthly cycle is inconsistent and sporadic, or has recently stopped.
Have you
flown on a plane recently in the last few days or week? I can attest to this
one. Flying on an airplane absolutely throws my skin out of whack. The cabins
of airplanes have extremely low humidity, which cause the skin to get extremely
dehydrated (lack of water). The dry air looks for moisture where it can get it and that means robbing it right from
your skin! The dehydrated cells cause a buildup, which can trap oil underneath
the skin resulting in post-flight breakouts.
Remedies for Blemishes
1. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice
works as an excellent skin-lightening home remedy to reduce dark spots and
hyperpigmentation due to its bleaching effect. Its high citric acid content
exfoliates the skin, removes excess oil and kills acne-causing bacteria. It
also minimizes the appearance of large pores and smoothes the skin.
Simply apply
fresh lemon juice on your skin and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before
rinsing it off. Do this daily for a month or so.
Alternatively,
combine one-quarter teaspoon each of lemon juice and organic honey. Rub it on
your skin and wash it off after 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat a few times a week for
one month or until you see improvement.
You can also
mix together equal parts of lemon juice and tomato juice. For extra exfoliation,
add one tablespoon of oatmeal (optional). Apply the mixture on the affected
area. Leave it on for about 15 minutes, and then rinse it off. Do this daily,
or three or four times a week for about a month or until you get encouraging
results.
2. Tomato Juice
Being rich
in vitamin C and antioxidants, tomato juice is excellent for creating glowing
and blemish-free skin. Plus, it helps shrink large pores and cure acne due to
its astringent properties. Tomatoes are also good for reducing suntan due to
their high lycopene content.
Massage your
skin with tomato pulp. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes, and then rinse it off
with cool water. Follow this simple routine daily for several weeks or until
you get the desired results.
To enjoy
clear and healthy skin, also include fresh tomatoes in your daily diet.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider
vinegar is rich in alpha hydroxy acids and hence lightens dark spots and
blemishes.
In addition,
it helps balance the skin’s pH levels, reduces excess oils and opens clogged
pores.
Due to its
anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, apple cider vinegar also fights
acne breakouts.
Mix one part
organic apple cider vinegar and three parts water. If it seems too strong, you
can increase the amount of water.
Dip a cotton
ball in this solution and dab it on the affected area.
Leave it on
for 10 to 15 minutes, and then wash it off.
Use two or
three times a day until the blemish fades away.
4. Potato
Potato juice
contains starch that helps reduce pigmentation. It also diminishes dark circles
under eyes.
Peel and
grate one small potato. Extract the juice using a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
Soak a
cotton ball in the juice and apply it on your skin. Leave it on for 15 to 20
minutes before rinsing it off.
Do this
daily for one month or until you are satisfied with the results.
5. Fuller’s Earth
Fuller’s
earth, also known as multani mitti, is great for exfoliating your skin to
remove dead skin cells and get rid of blemishes. It also absorbs excess oil and
has a skin-lightening effect.
Add
sufficient rose water, green tea, cucumber juice, lemon juice or just plain
water to two tablespoons of fuller’s earth to make a smooth paste. Apply it on
your skin, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, and then rinse it off.
You can also
mix one teaspoon each of tomato juice and sandalwood powder in two teaspoons of
fuller’s earth to make a smooth paste. Spread it evenly on your skin, and leave
it on for 20 minutes before rinsing it off. Use either of these remedies once
or twice a week until you get the desired results.
6. Aloe Vera
The
succulent aloe vera gel contains polysaccharides that stimulate the growth of
new skin cells and help heal scars and blemishes. Also, it has
anti-inflammatory properties that benefit in natural acne treatment.
Extract
fresh aloe vera gel from an aloe leaf and apply it on your skin. Leave it on
until it dries completely before washing it off. Repeat daily for about a month
or more. You can also create a mixture of two tablespoons of aloe vera gel and
one teaspoon each of lemon juice and sugar. Gently rub it on your skin, let it
sit for 15 minutes and then rinse it off. Do this two or three times a week
until you get rid of the blemishes.
7. Strawberries
Strawberries
are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that help maintain clear skin. Being
rich in vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid and ellagic acid, it
exfoliates dead skin, fights acne and fades scars.
Mash two or
three strawberries with a fork.
Mix them
with two teaspoons each of plain yogurt and organic honey.
Gently rub
it on your face and neck and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes.
Then wipe it
off with a warm washcloth. This will open the clogged pores.
Do this at
least twice a week for several weeks.
8. Orange Peel
Orange peel
works as a natural bleach to lighten your skin and clear acne scars and
blemishes. It also helps reduce suntan. Moreover, being rich in vitamin C and
antioxidants, it tones your skin and leaves a youthful glow.
REMEMBER