Day Eleven: Angry & Sad

Now why would this picture make me angry at times and sad at others? I have struggled with clear skin ever since I hit puberty many years ago. I'm nineteen now, soon to be twenty and I still have SO many issues with acne all over my face. I have tried practically everything there is out there besides going to a dermatologist and getting a prescription, which if any of you know is extremely expensive. Plus, I hate anything that's not natural (which is what dermatologists prescribe) and it seems to me that so does my skin. The main ingredient in acne products is salicylic acid, which irritates my skin so badly. So where does that leave me to take care of my acne? I have done tons of research online about natural home remedies for your skin. From that, I put together a document filled of recipes that use different foods to help naturally clear skin.  Here's my favorite:

Stop Breakouts:

Unclog your pores to prevent zits- pumpkin enzymes exfoliate dead skin, while honey keeps skin super-moist.

·         Combine 1 teaspoon canned pumpkin puree with 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of flour, and 1 egg.

·         Using a fork, beat the mixture until smooth.

·         Smooth a thin layer onto clean dry skin (avoiding your eye area) and leave on for 20 minutes.

·         Rinse with lukewarm water; pat skin dry.

I use this recipe when my skin is in a pretty bad breakout, it makes my skin feel nice and soft while stopping new breakouts so that I can heal the old ones. I have finally seen a break through in my acne problem by using these recipes and using Dove Beauty Bar Unscented for sensitive skin. For the time being, I have some triumph over this problem. I just hope that my skin will stay healthy and clear.

A few tips I've learned through trial and error:

• When choosing a new product, look at the ingredients. If it's a word you don't know, look it up and if it's shady or has a bad use pick another product.
• Wash skin in circular motions: gets deeper into the pores.
• Every so often exfoliate your skin: removes dead skin cells which can clog your pores. Depending on your skin, exfoliating too often can cause more acne (like me) so test out how far apart to exfoliate. I use cornmeal mixed with plain Greek yogurt to exfoliate my skin.
• If salicylic acid irritates your skin use apple cider vinegar to kill bacteria in your pores that cause acne. It will sting and possibly turn red the first couple times and like everything else don't use it too often.
• Dry your skin by patting it not rubbing it: rubbing it will cause wrinkles and can irritate skin.
• Toothpaste (the normal white paste kind) can be placed on a small pimple overnight to help reduce redness and make it go away. Make sure not to pick at it first.
• A lot of people don't think about this but WASH your hands before you wash your face.
• Also, change your pillow case once a week. Your dead skin cells and oil build up on your pillow which can eventually cause acne.
• After a shower, don't dry your face with your body towel. It can cause more acne because of your body oils getting on your face mixing with the different facial oils.
• Even if you have oily skin, you still need to use a moisturizer and one that doesn't dry out your skin (I know that sounds like an oxy moron but it can happen). If you don't your skin will think it needs to produce more oil because it's not getting any moisture. This is also true when having a face wash that dries out your skin which many acne products do, don't use those soaps.
• And most importantly!! Do not pick at your face! I don't know how many times people told me but I always felt like I don't want it on my face so I'm getting rid of it. But the truth is, it makes it last longer, hurt more, and cause more breakouts. Fun stuff.

This is a lot of extras, I know, but some of these tips may be useful to you. I actually follow all of them cause my skin is ridiculously sensitive. I hope all this info helped you in some aspect.