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How To Soothe Acne and Pimples

There are several approaches to dealing with pimples quickly. It’s not just about having the latest acne facial wash or fancy facial scrubbing gadget on the market. Here’s some quick handy and time-tested remedies you can quickly use at home as they are commonly available and don’t require a visit to the pharmacy of skin specialist. Sometimes acne appears as individual pimples or in some cases, patches of swollen skin with “yellow heads” appearing over each inflammation.

What Makes Acne and Pimples to Appear?

Two main elements contribute to the formation of a pimple. Dead skin cells and sebum (facial oils). When these two are present, they clog up pores on your skin and then you skin becomes a suitable environment for bacterial growth and pimple formation. As a result of this, your body (in this case, your skin) reacts to the bacteria and tries to get rid of it through your immune system, which then leads to reactions like skin swelling, itchiness and discomfort around the pimple/acne.

Several Easy Home Remedies In Conjunction With Daily Acne Face Wash

Before you try any of these following methods, please use personal discretion with any topical application on sensitive skin. Be gentle with pimples and swollen skin as you want to be careful not to irritate your skin or aggravate the condition.

Cucumber

You would probably have come across TV and magazine ads that show a lady with a facial treatment mask on and cucumber slices over their eyes. It’s a classic because cucumbers contain vitamins A and C which has a very calming effect on your skin. Plus, it’s great for sensitive skin.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Slice up cucumbers and leave them in a bowl of clean water.
2. Leave it completely submerged for an hour and a half to let the cucumber essence dissolve in the water.
3. Strain the water and use it as a homemade acne facial wash.

Additionally, you can blend one cucumber in your kitchen food processor and apply the puree as gel mask. Let it dry completely and proceed to wash your face it. This helps draw out the dirt and grime on your skin!

Lemon Juice

Lemon contains vitamin C which is richly packed with antioxidant properties. This also means there’s citric acid which helps control the oils. Be conservative with your application and ensure whatever you apply on your face doesn’t cause irritation. If any sign of swelling or redness is seen, please stop applying it immediately to avoid skin irritation.

Use a cotton swab or Q-tip immersed in some freshly squeezed lemon juice and gently put a layer of it over the affected pimple area, leave it on the face before bedtime so it has time to take effect.

Alternatively, some people add a little bit of cinnamon powder to the mixture above. This may not always be suitable for people that may react to cinnamon. If you aren’t sure, just skip this step.

Cold Water

Cooling the affected area reduces inflammation and as a result allows better blood circulation under the skin. This further allows the oils and dirt to be more easily rinsed away.

Put ice or cold water on a clean cloth, then gently place it on the area for a ten seconds. Take the cloth away and let the area rest for 5 minutes and then repeat it between 3 – 5 times.

Some skin types respond well to the application of regular toothepaste in conjunction with this, you may dab a little on your skin and check for any reaction before actually applying it and leaving it overnight.

Hopefully it would have eased the swelling and also brought some well-deserved comfort to you.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Pimples and Acne

The fermentation of apple cider results in a apple cider vinegar. This humble fluid is chock-full of powerful prebiotics and its ability to inhibit and kill bacteria and even viruses. It contains organic acids that are known to be able to deal with Acne effectively when ingested as well as applied on the affected area. An additional ability it has it to suppress possible inflammation which drastically reduces scarring.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV in short) also dries up excess oils that are the primary contributor to facial breakouts.

1. Mix 3 tablespoons of ACV with 9 tablespoons of water
2. After your usual facial wash routine, gently dab a cotton ball of the ACV solution you have just prepared
3. Leave the solution on your face for about 25 seconds.
4. Rinse with regular tap water and gently pat your face dry with a clean towel.
5. Do this once or twice daily until symptoms subside.

Applying Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is known by many in treating acne and pimples. It has high-antibacterial properties that kill bacteria and inhibit further multiplication of bacteria that leads to other skin problems. It’s natural properties also help minimized swelling of the area.

Place some tea tree oil on a small cotton pad and dab the area you are treating. Rinse after 25 minutes.

Personal note: Tea Tree oils made my skin more irritated and since then I have steered clear of it for my face. So do be observant when applying any of the steps listed in this post as not every technique works for all skin types.

Garlic

Garlic is one of nature’s most naturally occurring antiseptic. It does have its distinctive odor to some, but it really is natural and highly-effective in treating pimples. It’s odor is a result of sulphur which happens to accelerate and aid healing of skin.

1. Peel a garlic as you normally wood before cooking
2. Halve a garlic with a clean knife
3. Rub the freshly cut sides on the affective skin area
4. Repeat the treatment several times a day

Because of the smell of garlic, you may want to consider using this treatment if you don’t intend to be in a social gathering or tight crowded spaces to avoid unnecessary stares of disapproval from the smell that you would be carrying. Not everyone might appreciate Eu De Garlic as a trendy fragrance.

Zinc Supplements

Apart from applying treatments topically, you can also consider making zinc supplements part of your healthy diet. Increasing the amount of zinc in your body helps reduce the chance of acne and pimple outbreaks even if you are religiously using acne facial wash on a daily basis and not having any visible results from your skin care regimen.

It is suggested by experts and nutritionists to take about 30-40mg of elemental zinc daily. This means that the zinc is in a combined form with other elements in compounds, which makes it more biologically ready for absorption by the body when ingested. Avoid taking more than 40mg as with anything, too much usually is a bad thing. Part of the side-effects of excess Zinc is indigestion, stomachaches and general intestinal discomfort.

Some have touted zinc as an effective topical treatment but recent studies have shown otherwise. So I would just recommend a healthy zinc intake to not just treat your acne but also to keep your immune system strong.

Preventive Measures

Keeping your face clean is more than just about using acne facial wash, it’s also about ensuring you wash your face twice daily with warm and clean water, this aids in the removal of excess sebum and getting reducing bacteria on your face. It’s critical to use an acne facial wash that is gentle and without scents and fragrances because this means you don’t remove the dirt and oils just to replace it with other chemicals that cause more irritation.

It’s tempting to try using a harsh soap to strip the oils completely but the human skin actually tries to compensate by creating even more sebum which makes things worse. This is precisely why gentle facial cleansers are recommended over harsher washes.

From my personal experience, this rings true. I tried using a strong citrus based cleanser which appeared to help my skin initially, but after a few weeks of using it, I realized that my skin was gradually becoming more oily in less time. Which then made the pimples come back and the acne worse.

Find a good oil-free moisturizer that doesn’t further clog your pores. And always be observant when adding new things to your skincare regimen because skin can react to new chemicals by swelling and peeling.

If you are using makeup regularly, one option is to reduce the amount of makeup you use if your more pimples are appearing and allow your skin to heal before placing more stress on it with a layer of foundation or BB cream. Also, make sure that your makeup remover is really stripping off all the makeup and check that your skin is really clean.

Another top tip is to keep your hands away from your face so you don’t introduce bacteria on your face. Avoid habits of placing your palms on your face or resting your chin on your hands.

Avoiding the Prolonged Sun Exposure

The sun does have some amazing bacteria-killing powers, but it causes darkening and ageing of your skin if exposed for prolonged periods. Your skin may temporary look like it’s getting better because of the “tanning” which helps visually mask the pimples, but under that top layer of skin is a layer of excess sebum with more dead skin cells as a result of exposure to UV from sunlight. This results in a most breakout of pimples that occurs in a matter of weeks.

If you have to be in the sun, make sure you put some sunblock and also use UV-proof umbrellas that help cut out the damaging sun rays. And yes, cloudy skies may seem innocuous, but they will still let UV through so always minimize sun exposure if you are trying to get rid of pimples.

One Weird Tip

Finally, if you like to find out more about acne facial wash, be sure to read more about Can Acne Facial Wash Really Help Your Skin?.

The remedies above are just the tip of the iceberg.

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