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Home Remedies: How To Get Rid Of A Pimple
The Most Unwanted Visitor
Last month, I had a big event coming up that I was really excited about. I had my outfit planned for weeks, bought new accessories and shoes, and had a hair appointment scheduled for the day before the event. I was going to look great!....And then it happened. Three days before the event, I felt a dull pain in the middle of my chin. I looked in the mirror and sure enough the whole area was red and inflamed. It was one of those painful "blind" pimples that start so deep under the surface of your skin that it feels and looks like it's taking over your face. They usually grow a bit slower but last much longer and are usually pretty big and ugly. With my event being three days away, this was the last thing I wanted to see. All of my planning, my perfect hair, my beautiful dress would all mean nothing with this huge red crater poking out of my chin. There was no way I was going to let that happen! I decided to take action and try a bunch of natural home remedies. It was me against the pimple, one on one.....and I absolutely kicked the pimples ass! I did it in less than 2 days with these amazing home remedies that I am excited to share with you....
Step 1: Soak pimple in a homemade "broth"
The first thing that I did was boil a pot of water. I sliced some fresh garlic and onions, and added a couple bags of basil tea. You can also use fresh basil, I just went with what I had in the house. Why those ingredients? Basil has powerful anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant properties, and has been proven to be a great natural cure for acne. Garlic has anti-fungal, antiviral, antiseptic as well as anti-bacterial qualities. Onions contain sulfur which eliminates oil and bacteria, and inhibit the production of collagen which reduces scarring, as well as being an anti-inflammatory. After the water boiled, I washed my face (with my regular cleanser) and then I took the pot to my living room where I alternated between steaming my face with the mixture, and dipping a cloth in it and applying it straight to my pimple. I took it as hot as I could stand it. Please be careful, the water and pot will be extremely hot. I did this until the water cooled, and then I moved on to step two....
Step 2: Ice Ice Baby
Ice. The miracle healer. It reduces bumps on your knee when you fall as a kid, and it reduces bumps on your face the same way. It brings down the swelling and shortens the life span of the dreaded zit. Wrap the ice in gauze or a napkin so that it is not directly touching your skin. Apply the ice for about one minute on/one minute off for 6-10 minutes total. Ice applied for too long can damage the healthy tissue around the pimple, so be cautious of that. This step is actually repeated many times throughout the rest of this process. I did it about 4 times per day. Make sure to wash your face first with a gentle cleanser before applying the ice.
Step 3: Manuka Honey
I honestly never heard of honey for acne before. I was skeptical about it because honey contains sugar, and sugar cause pimples. However, after doing some simple research I learned that honey is a natural antibiotic, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It also contains vitamins and moisturizes the skin. Manuka honey has additional anti-fungal qualities and benefits, and that is what I keep in the house, however regular honey can be used as well. After I finished icing my problem area, I applied a layer of honey on it. Not too thin, but not too much either. I left it on for about 20 minutes, and then rinsed it off with lukewarm water. Then I moved on to step 4...
Step 4: Good old toothpaste
Toothpaste was the only one of the remedies I used that I have heard of before. My mom used to tell me to sleep with toothpaste on a pimple when I was a kid. When I did some research on it, I found conflicting reports on whether it was beneficial or not. Some said it was too drying and because of that it was not good, and others said the drying was a good thing. I decided to find my own version of a happy medium, which was leave it on for about 30 minutes instead of over night. The brand I used also had added peroxide and baking soda, both which are known to fight pimples as well. After the 30 minutes were up I rinsed the toothpaste off with cool water and moved on to step 5.
Step 5: Apple Cider Vinegar
I am a huge fan of ACV. I usually take a teaspoon of it diluted in water (very important to dilute it to avoid damage to your teeth or throat after long term use) and drink it daily. It has so many benefits including lowering blood sugar, increasing energy, balancing the ph of your body, potential weight loss and too many more to name here. So it is not surprising that ACV works wonders for your skin as well. It kills bacteria, cleanses and gets rid of dead skin cells. For step 5 I just poured some ACV on a napkin and applied it to the pimple for about 20 seconds (not minutes, that would hurt!) That was it. I didn't rinse after that, that was the final step. The next day I repeated steps 2-5 a few times throughout the day. I supplemented just using a hot compress for step 1 after the first time, just due to not having the patience to boil water lol, and also everything was working so well that I didn't find it necessary. I saw a huge difference the morning after the first run through of this process, and a completely clear face the day after that. I truly hope this works for you as well as it worked for me!!! Please let me know. Let's hear it for a Pimple Free 2016!! :)