I've not only got a bunch of zits on my chin, but also a couple on the cheeks, the temple and forehead.
Now look at those! I hate zits that are smacked on the center-line of my face, like my nose and chin. It's just dreadful. Agree?
I will be very thick skin and admit that I do have a list of "secrets" up my sleeve to keep my skin clear, other than monthly facial (which I will not deny that it helps me), because I do get a lot of friends, couple of colleagues, and many random people whom I do not really know coming up to me to tell me how I never seem to need any makeup, and asking me how I do it.
So I thought, since I've just finished battling an episode of breakout due to being absolutely naughty, I might as well share my list of "secrets" with my readers.
No. 1 Rule for Acne-clear Skin ===>>> Prevention is better than cure.
There many ways to prevent, and some of those that I have stuck to for 6 years and swear by are as follows:
1. You are what you eat
- I avoid deep fried and oily food like the plague, both for weight maintenance and skin maintenance.
- I am insistent on eating omega-3, 6 fatty acids rich foods at least twice a week. That means salmon (sashimi or cook, up to you), mackerel, and almonds (plain, baked).
- I eat deep green leafy vegetables like broccoli.
- I eat white vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, and bean sprouts.
The only thing I am bad at following is drinking enough water. I have all the good habits of water-drinking, like carrying water bottles, having a nice big kettle and water jug to always ensure I have boiled plain water at home, but I just can't follow this as well as I'd like to.
Anyway, eating well ensures the skin cells regenerate properly. And the best way to be rid of scars time. You simply need to give your skin the ammunition to renew well, and just wait. That's why I always tell people I don't really care about my acne, as in I don't really go and fuss over it, because time is of essence. No need to buy a gazillion amount of products for a single zit.
2. Hygiene
Hygiene is my mother's greatest beauty tip to me.
- I do not sleep on my cheeks/face. I forced myself to get used to sleeping on my back, way back then.
- I do touch my face with dirty fingers. The only time I touch my face is when I put on my loose powder, and I want to feel if the coverage is proper.
- I wipe my handphone screen before taking a call. I do not put my handphone screen smack on the dirty table.
- I normally wash my mouth after eating, especially if the food is oily. Otherwise, I immediately wipe with tissue paper.
And I happen to eat chicken wing some time last week, but didn't go immediately to wash my mouth, and look what happened to my chin!
3. Makeup - Be careful of what will "kill" you.
- Throw expired makeup. Smell and changes in texture are your best indicators.
- Minimise time I spend with makeup on my face. (I only put makeup on right before going out, which explains my fully-armed makeup pouch. I bring that out if needed.) Wash off makeup immediately after I reach home.
- Avoid as much as possible, petrolatum/mineral oil-filled products. Avoid silicones.
Basically that's about it!
No. 2 Rule for Acne-clear Skin ===>>> Treat it immediately.
There was once I ignored treating my zit, and it ballooned to a horrible size. My beautician plucked it out for me though, but that left a little blackish scar that I allowed to heal over a few days.
This is the Number 1 tip from my beautician, and it's really either you take it or leave it. Lots of times, people leave it, because it sounds to cheap and simple.
All you need is a bottle of calamine lotion from Guardian or Unity Pharmacy, which will cost around $5 and last you forever.
Shake the calamine lotion to mix well. Over turn bottle to get some on your clean palm. Use a clean finger, dip in whatever is on your palm, pat it gently on the zits ONLY. If you put calamine lotion all over your face, don't blame me for anything that goes wrong. Some people are just a little weird, as my beautician told me they apply pimple cream as though they are applying moisturizer - all over the face.
Pat, don't rub, don't go in circular motions. You will only hurt the zit more. If you rub, you will transfer the bacteria onto a wider area of your face, and get more pimples. Trust me on this one.
The calamine lotion will dry up your pimple and leave pink powder residue, so you may want to only do this overnight. I very personally don't care, and I can go out with pink patches on my face, even if people stare at me. It's only temporary.
Then use a good pimple cream, which if you ask me, I swear by ACNES Sealing Gel, which I've blogged about before, and pat it over the calamine lotion. Yes, I am still using it, because there is no need to change to another brand if this is perfect.
Using calamine lotion is not a big secret. In fact, for those who've heard of Mario Bodescu, they use very simple key ingredients like calamine, salicylic acid, and glycerin. No point paying so much for a branded product when you can get a bottle of calamine lotion by ICM cheaply at your local drugstore.
Do you stick by any of these tips? If not, how helpful have you found these? Do you have another other tip that I might have missed out or don't know of? I would love to hear your personal beauty "secrets"! =) And I hope this sharing has been helpful.
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