A C N E

If you are like me or any other normal person in the world, I’m sure you have had your run in with acne. I recently had a huge breakout with cystic acne, which is very painful, but has left a lot of scaring behind. So immediately I hopped on it, did my research and started trying some different things. Here are a few things that helped me…

1. Raw honey and crushed aspirin. I know it sounds weird but it definitely worked. Honey is naturally antibacterial which helps with acne treatment and also preventing it in the future. It is super moisturizing and helps with opening the pores so that they are easier to clean. Aspirin is anti-inflammatory and help with any redness and puffiness that may occur. I usually cleanse my face and then make a mask with the honey and aspirin, I would then apply that all over or just the affected area, you can use this as an overnight mask or leave it on for 10-15 minutes and rinse off with cool water.

>Side Note< I would suggest you use any facial cleanser that works best for your skin. I have tried Proactive and it actually made my skin worse. I now use The Body Shop tea tree facial wash because tea tree is also another ingredient that helps with the appearance of dark marks. I also use the Olay facial brush because it seems to really clean deep down in the pores, more than what my hands can do.

2.Toner. I personally use Thayers Witch Hazel (with lemon). What I love about this toner is that it has aloe vera in it which is also known to help with fading dark marks. Toners are helpful with cleaning any left over dirt that may have been left behind, sometimes it is also good for a little refresher throughout the day (especially if you are oily like myself). Some toners have different ingredients in them, so once again you will have to choose what is best for your skin.

3. A good moisturizer. I use Aveeno or Nivea, in the colder weather I am able to use my beloved coconut oil (which I use for everything) but when it is hot that is a bad idea! I also like moisturizers with some type of SPF in them because it helps protect my face when I go outside, making sure the dark marks don’t get darker and all my hard work goes to waste.

& last but not least….(this step is optional)

4. Exfoliator. DO NOT do this everyday, this is something that should be done 1-2 times a week…tops. Exfoliating helps remove all the dead skin and gunk that was left there throughout the week, and it makes your face feel so good. I don’t use anything in particular, it’s normally whatever I find on sale or what smells really good. I only exfoliate once a week since I use my Olay facial brush…I don’t want to cause too much irritation.

So I hope these tips help somebody that has or is going through what I went through. If you have any tips of your own please let me know!