Acne Dos and Don’ts

Did you ever at some point find yourself staring at the mirror thinking, will I ever have a clear face?

Growing up, were you ever called Volcano face by a sibling that just made you so mad?

If you said yes to any of these questions, then believe me I know how you feel.

Any form of acne or pimples can be the most annoying thing on the planet. To make it worse, somehow they always pop up at the wrong time - like when you have to attend a party the next day or when you have to give a speech or have guests coming over or maybe even just the day before a date. These situations always leave you looking for quick fixes.

1. Toothpaste: We all probably know this one. Take a little bit of toothpaste with some clean cotton and apply it on the area which will make it dry overnight. Wake up in the morning and you can just rinse your face and it should be a little better.
2. Tea tree oil: Another good solution you can apply on your face, just on the affected area.
3. Aloe Vera gel: This is a really good overnight solution as it cools your skin which in turn will sooth the irritation that caused the pimple to pop up. I always keep Aloe Vera in the fridge as it is a good healing agent that does wonders when its cooler.
4. Baking soda: This is sometimes one of the ingredients in toothpaste that is known to work for pimples. Mix equal amounts of water and baking soda together and it can be applied overnight.
5. Manuka honey: Known for its anti-bacterial properties, it works against pimples and just a little bit can be applied for an hour or overnight

(I highly recommend the toothpaste or the Aloe Vera gel because it has worked for me on several occasions).

Touching your face: An average person touches their face 16-20 times an hour! So yes, this can be quite a challenge. The reason this is an issue is because your hands aren’t always clean. There are a number of things we touch without even realizing sometimes - your cell phone, TV remote, your clothes, doorknobs all carry possible bacteria. This is the reason you should try to ensure your hands are sanitized before touching your face. As hard as it can be to avoid touching your face, this is something that requires conscious effort.

Popping your pimples: Guilty! I’ve done this growing up thinking it would be better if its just a flat red bump than this big bulging pimple. Trust me do not do it! It just makes it worse as even if you manage to burst it, the implications can be lifelong. This is what leaves permanent marks called pitted scars. There’s nothing I haven’t tried in all these years to get rid of my scars. They’ve become lighter but it hasn’t disappeared completely, so I’ve just accepted it as part of me.

Dirty pillowcases: When you sleep you move around, and your face, hair and hands keep touching your pillowcase. Like I said earlier there’s no guarantee that you are 100% clean and this causes bacteria to transfer on to your pillow which isn’t good for your face to be on night after night. Sounds unreasonable? Let’s just say that if you’re washing your pillowcase every 3-4 days then you’re fine. This isn’t the only reason you get pimples, its one of them so do the best you can and wash your pillowcases as often as you can.

Applying a warm compress: Though this may help with any pain you may feel, it is not at all a good idea to use a warm compress for a pimple. The heat will make your pores open up and subject you to other issues such as whiteheads. Think of it this way, once you are done waxing, usually its recommended to apply Aloe Vera, or lotion or even rose water or oil. Heat on your skin causes your pores to open and the best way to close them is to cool it with something that moisturizes or hydrates the skin. It’s the same logic with anything to do with your face.

Makeup: Try as much as possible to avoid makeup when you have pimples. Your skin is already irritated and by applying all these products with all these chemicals, it will only aggravate your skin more, causing more breakouts. I know for some of you the thought of no makeup might be difficult, then try and use organic products or minimum makeup on the days you have breakouts specifically.

Now that you know the dos and don’ts, here are a few things you can use and do to help avoid breakouts or clear acne over time.

Face care for sensitive skin is what I like to call it. (All the below are things I have tried and works with my extremely sensitive skin)

1. Face wash: Use a mild face wash every morning and night to cleanse your pores from all the oils, makeup and impurities on your face. After using a lot of face washes, I finally found one that I have stuck to for a couple of years now. The Himalaya Saffron and Mint face wash. Some countries have the Saffron and Cucumber version, both are equally good. It is soap-free and is herbal with all-natural ingredients. It is more a cream-based product, but you only need one drop as it lathers just enough. It works well not only for sensitive skin but even with oily skin. The result over time is clearer softer skin.
2. Histomer products: If you haven’t heard of the brand look it up, they specialize in the best solutions for skin blemishes and problems. They are especially good for sensitive skin. One of their products I recommend is the Histomer Sensitive Skin Formula 24H soothing cream. It reduces your skin sensitivity to external factors and makes your skin stronger and clearer. They even have a Vitamin C treatment that is pretty good.
3. Home remedy: Growing up this is one of the home remedies I remember my Grandma making me do, since I had really bad acne and she was sure this would help. Here's what you need some yogurt, red sandalwood powder and turmeric (organic ones are the best). A tablespoon of yogurt, a teaspoon of red sandalwood powder and a pinch of turmeric. Once you mix this together it forms sort of a paste which you can apply like a face mask. Keep it on till it dries off after which you rinse it off. Now my Grandma used to tell me not to talk or to stay quiet because if you moved, you could get wrinkles but I’m not sure if that was just to keep me quiet. Truth be told I never moved much when I had it on, because I didn’t want to take the chance! Your skin just feels so much softer and brighter after that.

The above face care requires you to do it regularly for the best results, it isn’t a quick fix but trust me it’s totally worth it.

All the recommended dos and don’ts, quick fixes and face care for sensitive skin are all based on my personal experiences and use. Hopefully, this helps you as well!

Thank you for your time and reading.