Tips for a Clear Face

I, like many teens and young adults, have been cursed with what we call: acne. The mark of adolescence. But how do you unmark yourself from this plague? I’ll share a couple secrets that work for me.


1. Drink plenty of water. This will flush toxins and impurities out of your body. If you only drink soft drinks, the toxins will just come out of your pores, resulting in blemishes and those dreadful pimples. It also moisturizes your skin (along with using a moisturizing lotion daily) and the more moisturized your skin is, the less your skin tries to produce excess oil, which is the cause of acne.

2. Tea Tree Oil works miracles! Just put a drop or two on a cotton round or a Q-tip and use as a spot treatment when you have a breakout. Make sure you moisturize a few minutes afterward though, because it tends to dry out your skin.

3. Lemon Juice not only fights acne but it can also fade acne scars. Apply it to blemished areas. The acid in the lemons will minimize pimples and blackheads. You may want to do this before you go to bed and wash it off in the morning, because if the lemon juice is exposed to sunlight, it could make the scars darker instead of lighter.

4. Refrain from popping them. This might spread the infection, and even if it doesn’t, it may result in scarring. But what do you do to get rid of those big, ugly, annoying ones that just NEED to be popped? First, exfoliate the area, then hold a wet washcloth as hot as you can stand over the pimple to draw the puss to the surface. Then wrap your fingers with a tissue to avoid spreading bacteria from your hands and especially from under your fingernails. Pull the skin around the area taut and gently push it inward INSTEAD of squeezing at the pimple.

5. Change your pillowcase at least every other week, using each side for about a week. Dirt and oil from your face collect on the pillowcase and gather in your pores and clog them while you’re sleeping at night (sounds like a horror movie plot =D).

6. Wash your face before you go to bed. Even if you wash it in the morning (and you should), dirt gets in your pores throughout the day and pollutes your pillow even more if it’s not washed off. You’d have to end up changing your pillowcase every day because your face gets so dirty.

7. Switch products every so often, like when the one you're using stops working. A lot of times, when the weather changes, your skin may get more dry or more oily and cause sudden breakouts. Switch treatments to fit your current skin type. However, don't mix different brands of cleansers and toners and lotions. Stick with one brand at a time.

8. Acne treatment drying out your skin? Try washing your face in the morning with the acne treatment, then using a regular oil-free cleanser at night, or vise-versa, instead of using the acne treatment twice a day. Make sure to always be using a toner and lotion to regulate your skin’s natural pH and keep it hydrated.

9. When you sweat, make sure to rinse your face with clean water so all that stuff you just got out of your pores doesn't clog them again. Always finish rinsing your face with cool water, or as cold as you can stand it, to seal your pores and prevent more dirt/oil/bacteria from getting in. It will also give your skin a more "dewy" effect.

10. Remove your makeup at night. If you have good quality makeup, it won't clog your pores, but your skin still needs time to breathe. Make sure your makeup is not oil-based.

11. Ugly red pimple that won’t go away? Put a drop of Visine® or other redness reducing eye drops on the spot, then cover it with a green concealer, then a skin-colored concealer to camouflage it. The green will cancel out the red, and the eye drops will work to reduce the redness.

12. Pamper yourself! Just because you have acne doesn’t mean you have to miss out on luxurious spa treatments. Make the Lemon Tomato Mask and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Click here to find it in Kaley’s Facial Fun post.