For the lucky ones, acne is a part of growing up, a phase that you grow out of as you go through the years. It is often passed off as a result of young women eyeing you, although none of us have been able to connect the dots here.

However, it is not as easy for everyone. The hormonal changes that cause acne and pimple seem to play some sort of evil ruse to stick around and make an appearance every once in a while. More often than not, these repulsive puss filled boils seem to appear in the most inopportune of times.

Here’s the deal. Our skin has many many many hair follicles that may not be visible to the naked eye. And these follicles exude stuff like sweat, the skin’s natural oils, and sebum.
The cause of acne can be traced to the sebaceous glands, which start releasing generous quantities of sebum during adolescence and continue to do so throughout life. As you grow older, this situation can continue in some people. A lot of this has to do with genetic predisposition.

TYPES OF ACNE


• WHITEHEADS – remain under the skin and are very small

• BLACKHEADS – clearly visible, they are black and appear on the surface of the skin. Remember that a blackhead is not caused by dirt. Scrubbing your face vigorously when you see blackheads will not help
• PAPULES – visible on the surface of the skin. They are small bumps, usually pink
• PUSTULES – clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are red at their base and have pus at the top
• NOBULES – clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are large, solid pimples. They are painful and are embedded deep in the skin
• CYSTS – clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are painful, and are filled with pus. Cysts can easily cause scars

Since acne is just a sign showcasing changes in our body on our skin we could use some methods to take care and prevent the thing in our control.

CURE

• EXAMINE YOUR HAIR CARE

If you’ve been breaking out on your forehead, back, or neck, check out the ingredient list on your shampoo and conditioner: they may contain aggravating ingredients (namely artificial fragrances and preservatives). Try changing up your hair care routine with products that are fragrance-free and don’t contain paraben preservatives.

• DITCH DAIRY PRODUCTS

The jury is out whether there is a definitive link between dairy and acne, but many skin care experts agree that the components in milk related to testosterone hormones may stimulate oil glands, creating a breeding ground for acne. Try cutting out dairy for 2 weeks to see how your skin reacts. Or swap out cow dairy for goat and sheep dairy—some say these have less of a negative effect.

• STEAM YOUR FACE.

Want a cheap, easy way to develop healthy skin and banish bad skin days? Grab a pot, fill it with hot, boiling water then drape a towel over your head. Now, hang your head over the top of the pot. Voila – facial steaming on a budget!

The benefits of facial steaming are well documented. By steaming your face, you’re softening your skin and the top layer of dead skin cells. This in turn helps remove and release any buildup of dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells. It will also help your skin absorb your skincare products better.

Note: If you suffer from rosacea of fungal infections, do not try facial steaming without first consulting with your dermatologist or doctor.

• SWEAT IT OFF

Just another reason to get some daily exercise – working out can help you to get clear, beautiful skin! Exercising increases the blood flow in your skin, which helps you to sweat. Sweating then removes toxins from your body that can clog your pores and encourage acne. The extra blood flow provided by exercise also increases the amount of oxygen in the skin and boosts nutrients that stimulate healthy skin. Pretty cool, right?

• CLEAN YOUR ACT:

Assuming you get around seven hours of sleep each night, means that if you wash your pillowcase once a week you’re spending a solid 49 solid hours with your face mooshed against your pillowcase. If you’re washing it once a fortnight, that’s 98 hours. And if you’re washing it once a month … well, that’s 196 hours. Moving on to our next science fact: did you know that you shed about 40,000 skin cells every hour? Every. Hour. So that means every night you shed 280,000 skin cells. Across a week, that’s 1,960,000 skin cells. Over a month it’s 7,840,000 … And guess where all of those skin cells are hanging out? That’s right: your pillowcase. Where you’re sleeping each night.

Ick, right? We’ll give you a quick break to go grab your pillowcases and stuff them into the washing machine. Okay, you done? Awesome. Now it’s pretty unreasonable to expect you to wash your pillowcase each night (although with those figures we don’t see how you can’t). So a good alternative is to cover your pillowcase with a clean towel.

HOME REMEDIES

ALOE FOR ACNE

Aloe vera gel can be used with other things to fight acne, but it’s
a good thing on its own as well. If it’s going to be used on its own, the best is to have a little aloe plant floating around in your house, otherwise a good gel that’s sold in stores may work as well-just do some research on which ones have the least amount of additives. Not only is the aloe soothing, it works as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing redness and swelling. It also has antibacterial properties.

YOU WILL NEED…


-Enough aloe vera gel to spot treat or cover your problem areas Directions

Wash your face with water and pat dry. Using your fingertips or a Q-tip, apply the aloe directly to your problem areas

PAPAYA FOR THE PIMPLE PRONE

Papaya is an essential ingredient in a lot of beauty products on the market today, but theres no need to go out of your way to gain its benefits? Plain raw papaya is an all-natural acne remedy that removes dead skin cells and excess lipids from the surface of the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. Lipids are a general

term for fats, of which oil is a form of. Papaya also contains an enzyme called papain, which reduces inflammation and helps prevent the pus from forming.

YOU WILL NEED…

-1 fresh papaya

DIRECTIONS

Rinse your face with water and pat dry. Mash up the flesh of the papaya well, until it is of a consistency that can be easily applied to your skin. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off completely with warm water. If your skin has a tendency to get dry after you cleanse it, use a moisturizer appropriate for your skin type afterwards.

THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY (OR YOGURT)

While there is quite a bit of hub bub around dairy products causing acne, applied topically it seems that milk can improve your outbreaks and skin tone. The reason it is suggested that milk would cause acne is because of the extra hormones in it-but unless it’s ingested, this doesn’t really do much. For the most part, it just soothes the irritated skin, and helps tone down the redness. Cleopatra swore on the milk baths she took, and well, she was Cleopatra. You could also use yogurt. The acids in it are antibacterial while the fat provides moisture, making it quite nourishing for skin.

YOU WILL NEED…

– 1 tablespoon plain low-fat or full-fat yogurt or milk, anything but skim

– 1 tablespoon of natural, raw, honey

DIRECTIONS

Let yogurt or milk come to room temperature (or close to) so you don’t get a chilly shock when you put it on your skin. Mix 1 tablespoon of milk or yogurt thoroughly with 1 tablespoon
of honey. You can apply the mixture with a cotton pad, but scooping it up and patting it on works just fine as well. Let each layer dry before adding a new one, until the mask is the thickness you want. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Wash your mask off and use a washcloth to gently scrub in a circular motion, getting rid of loosened dead skin. Once you’re finished, moisturize as usual.