People of all ages suffer from the travesty that is acne and pimples. These little red devils can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even painful. The most extreme cases have prescription treatment options provided by dermatologists and infomercials on television, but some of us do not qualify for prescription acne treatments designed for people with severe acne. So what do you do about the occasion pimple or breakout of mild acne? Obviously taking antibiotics or using prescription creams is too extreme, but even the smallest of breakouts can wreak havoc on a hapless victim’s day.
Before you take matters into your own hands, you should keep a few things in mind. First, do not fall for the myth of over-washing your face. Washing your face too much can actually cause your face to dry out, and your skin will in turn produce more oil to compensate. Second, please do not pop your acne pimples; doing so can lead to unsightly scarring and can even spread your breakout. Third, do not do anything that you feel may not be entirely safe for your skin without consulting a dermatologist. And fourth, try not to panic, because you are not alone in your fight against this common skin disease.
Basic skin care starts with washing your face. Once or twice a day, gently wash with warm water and a very mild acne soap. Moisturize your face regularly with a non-comedongenic creams to prevent excess drying. If you wear makeup, make sure not to go to bed with makeup on.
There are whole shelves at the department stores devoted to the cure of acne. When buying topical treatments, look for some key ingredients on the boxes. The first ingredient, and one of the most common, is benzoyl peroxide. However, this can dry out your skin, so be sure to use an acne friendly moisturizer after you apply it. Another common ingredient is called salicylic acid, which help unclog pores, but it can also irritate your skin, so use it with caution.
One common regimen that works really well for people with mild acne is to wash your face with a gentle acne wash, dry off your face, apply liberal amounts of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, and then apply a moisturizer. Since the bacteria that causes acne cannot live in an environment that has oxygen in it, the benzoyl peroxide literally suffocates them to death. Using this method has worked well for many people, and should show fairly quick results in people with mild acne.
While over the counter drugs and treatments are known to work well, buying up a shopping cart full of ointment and creams can get expensive, and birth control pills can have some very severe side effects. Additionally, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, chemical and internal treatments could have adverse side effects on your baby. Therefore, many sufferers of the pimple curse turn to natural treatments to cool the red devils down.
Most people who must deal with acne are very concerned about developing permanent scars from these blemishes. Using aloe vera is a great way to prevent this, and is a great tool for healing a face that has been damaged by acne. Most people only use it on sunburns, but pimples are spots of inflamed skin, too. Also, aloe vera has some mild antibacterial properties that could help clear up your zits, as well.
Taking vitamins A, E, and B can also heal skin from the inside, improving the overall look of your face.
Drinking water may seem like an obvious answer, but toxins in your body can exit your through your skin, so enough water can help flush out your system.
Regular exercise can also get your pores open and help in improving your skin.
You can also use at home masks made from common kitchen ingredients. Mixing tomato pulp, honey, and rose water and leaving it on your face for twenty minutes is fast and simple. You can also use plain honey for thirty minutes and wash it off; sticky, but effective. You can also crush a cucumber, mix in a little fresh orange juice and some clay powder to make an fast, at-home mask.
While there is no cure for acne, these treatments can get you on your way towards a life with a healthier, fresher face that you won’t have to cover with heavy, greasy foundation ever again.
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