Blemishes aren’t a problem for teenagers only, but sometimes don’t go away as you get older. Unfortunately, adults can and do have blemishes too. Whatever your age, it’s wise to be careful what you put on your skin since it will be absorbed into your body.
Be Gentle To Your Face.
If you have blemishes, scrubbing your face isn’t going to get rid of them. As it happens, if you rub your skin too roughly, it’s more likely to stir up more blemishes and aggravate ones you already have. It’s important to clean your face gently.
Washing your face gently will help avoid irritation that will make acne worse. The best idea is to not even use a washcloth. It’s better to just splash some water on your face, then lather up your hands with the mild cleansing wash or mild soap.
Once you’ve washed your face, use a clean washcloth to gently pat the water off the skin until it’s dry.
Using Benzoyl Peroxide.
Once your skin is completely dry, it’s time to use an over-the-counter medication with benzoyl peroxide. This is the best active ingredient in non-prescription medication you can use to control blemishes. Peroxide has been used to cleanse skin a long time, and benzoyl peroxide is also a mild drying agent.
Use 2.5% benzoyl peroxide as it has been shown to be just as effective as 5% or 10%, and is much less irritating. It doesn’t make sense to irritate your skin and make acne worse instead of better.
Starting with a small amount of medication is important. Since this medication is a drying agent and can cause redness and itchiness, so don’t slather on a bunch right from the beginning. The first time, use just enough medication to very lightly cover your skin the first time, then gradually increase the amount you’re using. After a couple of weeks you should be giving your skin a good coating of medication.
Make certain you stay away from the tender skin under your eyes. It’s not prone to break-outs anyway, and the skin there is thinner and more easier irritated that the rest of the skin on your face.
Use Moisturizer.
Because benzoyl peroxide dries out your skin, it’s important to apply moisturizer. Once your skin is completely dry, lightly apply moisturizer to your face. Once the moisturizer has time to dry, if you skin still appears dry or flaky, add some more.
It’s vital to apply the moisturizer even when first beginning to use benzoyl peroxide. This prevents your skin from drying out too much.
Do You Need To Watch Your Diet?
It’s an on again, off again thing with the scientific community as to whether diet has any effect on acne. Too much iodine is known to aggravate blemishes, so don’t go overboard with the salt shaker if you’re using iodized salt, or eat too many iodine rich foods like clams, crabs or other shellfish.
If you notice that your skin tends to break out more after eating certain foods, however, ditch the scientific theory of the moment, and avoid those foods. Body chemistry and the effects of foods and other substances on our body is so complex, that scientists don’t always have the definitive answer. (How many drugs have been considered a-o-k, only to discover at a later date they have bad side effects?)
Helpful Tips.
When you have a blemish and need help quick, try one of the following:
- If you run out of benzoyl peroxide and have a blemish, try using a little calamine lotion. This will soak up the excess oil and get rid of the blemish.
- Immediately after washing your face, use an ice cube for 60 seconds on any blemishes. The ice cube helps reduce the inflammation and make them less noticeable.
- Absolutely NO squeezing! Though it might actually help the original blemish to heal more quickly, it will irritate the surrounding skin and may cause more blemishes.
- Steer clear of oil based make-up. Oil based make-ups are especially bad for acne prone skin. If you wish to use make-up, look for fragrance-free types that are meant for people with sensitive skin.
Considering no one wants acne, it’s helpful that but a good skin care regimen can usually help or totally eradicate the problem.
Clear skin is the clear goal.
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