Are you one of the million people out there
suffering from these tiny white bumps around
your eyes and cheeks?
They might look like whiteheads but aren’t
like normal acne and you probably have no
idea how to deal with it!
These are called Milia and we’re here to
help you tackle them!
These teeny tiny white or yellowish bumps
are milia or milium and are essentially just
flakes of keratin that get trapped under a
layer of your skin and usually pop up around
your cheeks or eyes.
What happens is when the keratin flakes, your
skin forms a little cover around it.
This keratin is a protein that's made in our
body and is found in our hair, skin, and nails
so its totally normal and nothing to worry
about at all.
In fact, these happen to a lot of people and
are also called milk spots.
There isn’t really a specific cause for
why exactly this happens but some dermats
think its because of heavy oils collecting
in a specific area of your face or it can
happen because of skin conditions like rosacea
or eczema.
The good news is that more often than not
these pesky little bumps disappear by themselves
as your skin naturally exfoliates yourself
and the keratin comes to the surface and can
be washed away.
But if you’re impatient like a lot of us,
there are a few gentle things you can try
to speed up the process!
First, whatever you do, don’t be tempted
to squeeze them or pop them.
Since they’re not whiteheads, they won’t
pop and you’ll just end up with scratched
irritated skin and might even cause an infection
or leave a scar.
Make sure you’re cleansing your skin twice
a day with a gentle cleanser that isn’t
stripping your skin of its natural oils and
keeping it balanced.
Once you’ve washed it, pat it dry with a
towel instead of rubbing it harshly which
might dislodge those flakes of skin that will
end up turning into milia.
Gently steaming your face once a week will
open up any clogged pores so that active milia
can get cleared up and will also prevent any
future milia from forming.
You can do this by simply using a steamer
but if you don’t have one, don’t worry!
Instead you can pour some hot water into a
bowl, hold your head about 10 inches away from it.
Then you can drape a towel over your head
and the bowl to trap the steam and allow it
to direct into your face.
You can also keep it super simple buy dipping
a towel in hot water and draping it over your
face for a few minutes.
Light exfoliation will help your skin shed
its dead cells quicker which will help those
milia disappear quicker too.
You can physically exfoliate 1-2 times a week
with a wet towel or with a gentle face scrub
to to get rid of those dead skin cells.
Or you can try a chemical exfoliant in the
form of a toner or serum with a low concentration
of an acid like glycolic acid or citric acid
that will go deep into the layers of your
skin to dissolve any of that pent up oil or gunk.
Some dermats think that milia shows up around
your eyes and nose because that’s where
oils build up or don’t get cleaned away properly.
So if you're using oil based makeup products
because you have to banish that stubborn mascara,
make sure to follow up with a light micellar
water after to help clean off the oily residue.
If all else fails, you can always fall back
on some super simple DIY’s that will do
your skin some good even if they don’t clear
up your milia as quick as you want.
Make a mask of honey and a tiny pinch of cinnamon
and apply it to your face for 10 minutes before
washing it off.
Or you can try using rose water as a toner
which is an anti-inflammatory so might help
clean up those bumps sooner.
Ultimately like anything else you should check
with a professional if you have severe, stubborn
milia thats just not going away.
And while none of these methods are dangerous,
it’s always a good idea to test things out
before you go all in!
So now you know what those little bumps are
and that they're no cause for worry so you
can get closer to flawless skin!
Until next time stay tuned and stay Glamrs.