Preventing Pimples and Spots

I am in such a distress state that pimples are practically popping out all over my face. Its a totally tragic and hideous sight. Oh, I just wish that its just some pre-menstrual hormone-imbalance phenomenon thingy kicking in instead of something's wrong with my body.

So, I was casually browsing through the internet for remedies and cures when I found this blogger, Liparazzi, (thanks for the tips ^_^) sharing her ways for dealing with this atrocity.

Therefore, I'm going to just QUOTE whatever she writes, so no originality here. And I think that her ways are very down-to-earth and sounds effective, might as well give it a try.

"It's important to keep pores clear by exfoliating regularly, followed by a product which will help peel away blackheads (something like Biore strips are good if you get alot of blackheads). Also, you should be looking for medicated products containing resorcinol, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.  The Origins Brighter By Nature range is fantastic and so is the more affordable Neutrogena Visibly Clear range.

I find it's best to keep your hair away from your face if you tend to wear alot of products in it, especially with things like hair wax. The more your hair is in contact with the skin on your face, the more chance you will get breakouts from the residues clogging your pores.

I find that Tea Tree antisceptic oil (which you can get in any chemist) is really effective at clearing up spots if applied with a cotton bud/cue tip on the blemish before I go to bed. This then dries out the impurities and will reduce the swelling.

Another simple tip is to make sure you are washing your bedding regularly. I know this seems like an obvious one but some people only change their bedding every 2 weeks, which isn't really enough given all the dead skin cells that collect on your sheets (yeah I know...gross!). This is especially important if you apply rich, heavy moisturisers before bed and/or fake tan. I change my bedding every week to ensure my skin isn't getting clogged by any product that has rubbed off from previous nights.

If you suddenly start getting spots on your face, try to think if you have changed anything in your routine, such as a new moisturiser, cleanser or foundation. You can generally narrow it down to one product that may be irritating your skin.

Wash your makeup brushes regularly, especially your foundation, powder, bronzer, blush and highlighter brushes. This will prevent a build up of bacteria on them which of course would cause more blemishes.

I know I keep bleeting on about the aspirin mask but I'm such a HUGE advocate for it. It's so cheap...it costs like 15p to get a box of uncoated aspirin tablets. Just by doing this mask once a week, you will notice your skin will be so clear and refined. 


There are different underlying reasons as to why you get spots on certain areas of your face:

Mouth/Chin - If you are getting spots very close to your lips/mouth and the skin can look red and bumpy, then this can be due to perioral dermatitis which is a common problem. Some people mistake this for eczema and the over-the-counter creams for this can worsen the problem. If you think you have this, then read into a little more on the net and seek medical advice from your doctor. If you are just getting cystic blemishes/acne around the mouth then this can be a common symptoms of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), which affects many women. Once again, please seek medical advice from your doctor if you suspect you may have this. We all know that spots appear just before/at that that time of the month so this is just a normal hormonal occurance unfortunately.

Neck - If you find you are getting alot of breakouts on your neck and jaw line, this can be an indicator that your adrenal glands are in overdrive, and can be stress related. Acne tends to be painful here so you definitely tell the difference between that and normal blemishes. Painful spots on the jawline can also suggest problems with your teeth so please check with your dentist if you're getting reoccuring breakouts in this area. Normal blemishes on your neck and jawline can just be bacteria transferred onto your skin from your mobile phone. You know how it goes...you're wearing foundation, it rubs off on your mobile, then bacteria builds up. So, I regularly rub down my mobile with an antibacterial wipe.

Forehead - Consider whether your conditioner is possibly irritating your skin on your forehead or whether it could be a hair product used in your fringe/bangs. Wearing the same hat all the time without washing it can also cause spots here too. Blemishes on the forehead can be an indicator that your body is having digestive problems or trouble breaking down toxins so it's a good idea to drink lots of water and drinks that will help to flush toxins out of your system like Green Tea with Lemon. These all seem like really basic things but sometimes you don't think about them.

Cheeks - Blemishes here can be caused by stress, stomach problems, a high sugar diet, possibly a blush product that aggravates your skin or a dirty mobile phone as mentioned above. Also, try to avoid touching your face too much during the day or resting your face in your hands alot. Hands pick up alot of bacteria and so this will transfer to the skin on your face and possibly cause or worsen existing blemishes."