Acne ruins the beauty of your skin and hence the overall look of your personality. It’s a big menace to a glowing and healthy skin. Once it begins to grow on face, it can be quite distressing and persistent, affecting the person’s self image to a great extent. The biggest problem with acne is that it is infectious. When the older lesions begin to dry up and settle down, a new bevy of zits (acne) seem to crop up fast. There are many causes of acne and hormonal changes is one of the most common reasons.
That’s why it is quite common during adolescence. Sometimes acne can cause persistent scars on your face and may lead to emotional distress. The silver lining is that effective treatments are available for acne. Here’s how you can prevent acne. Read these easy instructions and get a glowing and acne-free skin.
Complexity Level: Moderate
Time Required: 3 days to a week
Resources Required:
- Acne removal cream with salicylic acid as an ingredient
- Among herbal remedies most effective are lemon juice, aspirin and tea tree oil
Instructions:
1. Use Salicylic Acid: Salicylic acid helps by unclogging the pores of the skin. Acne are caused by clogging of the skin. A regular washing of face with a face wash that contains salicylic acid prevents clogging of pores and hence checks acne growth. When using any salicylic-based face wash you must use a good quality sunblock with at least a sun protection factor of 30 because salicylic acid makes your skin more sensitive to sun rays.
2. Kill Propionibacterium acnes: Propionibacterium acnes is a harmless bacteria per se but when your skin gets clogged then it quickly begins to grow and secrets some chemicals which helps in breaking down the wall of the pore and hence causes pimples. By killing this bacteria, you can prevent pimple growth to a large extent. You can use Benzoyl Peroxide cream or gel or soap that contains the same. Benzoyl Peroxide helps in killing this bacteria. If Benzoyl Peroxide does not suit your skin, you can use some other gentler bactericide like Triclosan or Chlorhexidine Gluconate, which also kill Propionibacterium acnes. Clove oil is also a natural bactericide for killing these bacteria.
3. Use lemon juice: A mix of lemon juice and rose water in equal proportions can help in reducing the growth of pimples and blemishes to a great extent. The mixture should be applied on face for no more than 20 minutes and washed off with lukewarm water. This must be practiced for a week to see visible results.
4. Aspirin as an exfoliant: Aspirin contains Beta Hydroxy Acid which when mixed with water becomes a strong exfoliant for skin. Apply this paste made with crushed aspirin and water on the face once in a week to exfoliate your face and curb growth of pimples.
5. Use tea tree oil: Tea tree oil contains bacteria fighting agents called Terpenesn which quickly kills Propionibacterium acnes bacteria. You can simply take a drop of oil and apply it on zits overnight. In the morning, wash the affected area with lukewarm water and apply a non comedogenic or water based moisturizer.
6. Use toothpaste: If you need to dry up your face overnight, then use a drop of toothpaste on your face. It has to be the toothpaste and not gel. When using for first time, do a patch test by applying the toothpaste on a zit and leaving it for an hour. If it does not cause any problem, you can use toothpaste on your face for quickly drying up your face.
7. Take supplements: Take a multi vitamin daily for at least 15 days. You can ask your doctor about the same. Vitamin A, B, C and E are good for skin and help in reducing pimples and adding an extra glow to your face.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What causes pimples?
Acne is formed due to three main reasons:
- Overproduction of sebum by skin
- Irregular shedding of dead skin cells which further irritate the hair follicle of skin
- Bacteria build-up
2. Does diet affect growth of pimples?
Greasy food and chocolates hardly have any effect on pimples. Some studies are going on to determine whether high starch foods like white bread, chips, bagels, etc which increase blood sugar have any impact on pimples or not.
Quick Tips:
- Before going to bed cleanse your face properly with a good facewash and if need be apply some cream on the zits.
- Include lots of fruits, vegetables and water in your diet. It will help remove toxins from the body.
- Try to avoid make up on daily basis. The more you apply make up, the more it will clog your skin leading to pimple formation.
- Sleep for at least 7 hours a day to give your skin adequate time to heal itself.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Benzoil Peroxoide can irritate the skin and cause rashes. If you feel the same symptoms then avoid using Benzoil Peroxoide.
- Pregnant women should consult a doctor before taking anything or applying anything on face or other areas for reducing pimples.