Pimples are honestly the villains of the beauty world.
Defeating bad hair days and makeup faux pas
gone frighteningly wrong,
these happiness suckers rank number one
on our list of beauty bashers.
So if you’re hosting your skin’s
personal version of Mount Everest on your face.
We're about to list some amazing, preventive and corrective measures
to avoid the popping up of these little devils
at the most inconvenient of times.
There are many common mistakes that we ourselves make
to provoke the arrival of unwelcome zits.
The first one is picking at our own skin.
Now this doesn't just mean squeezing the occasional pimple,
but also refers to hours spent in
front of the mirror prodding and poking
at even the smallest blemish that’s barely even visible.
This particular habit that a few of us
may secretly be guilty of
is what’s known as ‘excoriated acne,’ which is basically
the compulsive urge to tear at your skin to
the point of creating more acne
and wounding your skin in the process.
So if you’re nodding your head right now
because you recognise your symptoms,
know that the cause for this particular type of acne is you,
and the only thing that can cure it
is exercising some serious self restraint.
So come on guys, in the name of beauty, control yourself!
Next up on acne caused through personal error is scrubbing excessively.
This mainly refers to over-exfoliation of the skin.
For those of you who don’t know what exactly exfoliation is,
it is the scrubbing off of the topmost layer of the skin
which mainly consists of dead skin cells to bring
the newer ones to the surface
to create a healthier and fresher look.
Additionally, overdoing exfoliation causes scrubbing off
of even the healthy skin found underneath the surface.
So if you feel the sudden urge to exfoliate again
even though you’ve already done so
a day or two ago – control that OCD,
because it’s about to get you in a world of trouble!
The last one up in the self inflicted category might be a bit of a shocker.
Yes indeed, it’s your on-call best friend – your cell phone.
Pun intended.
Sure it connects us to our best mates within seconds,
ensures that we don’t have to keep the latest gossip to ourselves
and has more emoticons than there are emotions,
but that’s just its pro list.
Sadly, it's got its cons and one of them is causing your breakouts.
Here’s how it works.
Bacteria is the number one cause of acne and
our phone screens come loaded with it.
They’re like little dumping grounds for the days bacteria
that is transported either through our hands
or through exposure to other invisible dirt.
So when you hold this to your cheek,
the mechanical stimulation caused by your phone,
activates the oil glands in your skin
causing them to secrete oil.
And as if that isn't gross enough,
the heat from your phone breeds yet more bacteria and
sets of more acne attacks.
Now of course we’d rather perish
before we think of solving this issue by ditching
our phones – I mean, all those emoji’s really aren't going to send themselves
but we do suggest that you wipe down your phone screen
before applying it to your skin by
using either a cotton ball or a soft lint-free microfiber cloth,
like the one that comes with your sunglasses.
This brings us to how to tackle acne once it already lives on our face.
Unfortunately we cannot charge it rent
but what we can do is evict it through assault
of topical application of natural remedies.
A few good options to try are Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon.
Apple Cider Vinegar contains many organic acids that are known
to kill bacteria, curb inflammation and improve the appearance of scars.
Always be sure to mix one-part apple cider
with three parts of water before applying it to
the affected area with a cotton swab.
One of the top home remedies for curing acne,
lemon earns itself the spot because its acid content
reduces oil, kills bacteria and reduces redness.
You can use this by dipping a cotton ball into some
lemon juice, squeezing out the excess
and then applying it to the affected area.
Be sure to wash this off once the lemon juice dries.
A great product is one that comes packed with natural goodies.
A good example of this is the Green Tea Clear Face Mask by Plum Goodness.
A 100% cruelty -free, paraben free and vegan product,
its top two components are Glycolic Acid and Green Tea.
The big up on Glycolic Acid is the fact that it facilitates
GENTLE exfoliation and removes
the dead skin cells and other impurities.
Now, the key word here is gentle
because this is what prevents over-exfoliation.
Its next appealing ingredient, Organic Green Tea
has some amazing antioxidant benefits and what's best
is that its this very product that controls acne,
especially in the long run.
The number one reason for the absence of acne is clean skin
and that is exactly what this product manages to provide.
So a smart tip we can give you,
is that it would be a good idea to add this little number
to your bathroom cabinets.
We hope you got all that down
because for all you beauty devotees out there,
this is valuable stuff!
So make sure you put these down on your anti-acne checklists!
Until next time stay tuned and stay Glamrs.