Calamine Lotion for Acne

When an acne spot is painful or inflamed, there are many ways to heal it faster and reduce discomfort. Among these is calamine lotion.

Normally prescribed for itch, calamine lotion is a mild product that you can use to spot treat acne. Just apply a tiny amount on affected areas and allow it to dry. It is recommended that you do not use this with any other acne treatment product to avoid unwanted product interaction.

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Treat Cystic Acne with Ice

Cystic acne can be mighty painful and annoying. Plus, they seem to show during periods when you have to attend an important event. Of course you can always conceal your spots with makeup. However, there is a simple cure if you happen to have some cystic acne spots that you'd like to make less red and irritated. Just ice them. Simply wrap an ice cube with a clean cloth and dab this on your affected areas. After doing this, your acne spots will feel less swollen and red. Do not prick or poke at your pimples as you ice them. Just dab lightly.

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Cetaphil Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin

photo credit: www.cetaphil.co.uk

When you are suffering from acne and are breaking out badly, you'd hear different advice from many people. Some would say that you should use a drying soap to dry the zits fast, while there are those that will say that it is better to use a mild cleanser so as to not aggravate your already irritated skin. One of the products I tried to treat my breakouts is Cetaphil. This is very popular and has its long list of patrons. A friend recommended it to me so I bought a small bottle and tried it. I like that it has a very sterile smell and the fact that you can use it two ways---one is with water and the other as a tissue-off cleanser. I tried it and honestly, it did nothing for me. I tried using it with water, but every time, I feel as though my face isn't clean enough. Also, while it made the appearance of the spots less obvious about a week after use, it made my skin feel bumpy.

It's funny though because I used this several times after that. In fact I bought a bottle several times, use it for a while and stop after a few days when I am reminded that it does not work for my skin. It is one of those really raved about products that I wanted badly to be a part of my regimen, but sadly it is obviously not for me. 

Treating Acne Redness with Cucumber

Years ago, I used benzoyl peroxide to treat my acne. That was way back in my University years. I used this for a long time and while it was effective in getting my breakouts under control, BP has its side effects. Peeling and redness are some of these. My cheeks became really red while I was on BP treatment to the point that they were raw and painful. I was really self conscious then and even covering the redness with makeup did not work completely.

It was then that I tried cucumber. I remember the first time I used it. I was getting ready for an event and my face was so red, I almost backed out. I searched the fridge for some ice---there was none. So I used the cold cucumber instead. I washed it and sliced it. I put the cucumber circles on my cheeks and allowed them to stay there for 10 minutes. After that, I noticed a considerable reduction in redness. I was able to apply my makeup afterwards because the dryness had subsided as well.


Now whenever I have redness issues, I use cucumber. It works every time. 

Baking Soda Scrub for Acne Prone Skin

Baking soda is a household staple and is a cheap ingredient that you can use in so many ways. It can be used as a hair rinse, as an itch fighter, and a solution for body odor. The uniform grains of baking soda makes it the ideal base for a facial scrub. In fact, this is one of my favorite uses for this humble ingredient.

Regular use of baking soda scrub encourages skin renewal and reduces the occurrence of pimples and blackheads. I have used plenty of scrubs in the past but nothing compares to the effectiveness and gentleness of this scrub.

Ingredients for the Baking Soda Scrub:

• half a teaspoon baking soda
• a small amount of your favorite (non-acne) cleanser

Mix the two together and rub gently all over the face for less than a minute or until it starts to sting. It is better to use a neutral/mild cleanser for this to avoid any unwanted interaction among the ingredients. 

Do this scrub two times weekly, once if your skin is easily irritated. Also don't forget to use a moisturizer afterwards. It might take a while to see effects. I noticed that my skin really looks great a day or two after I do the scrub. My skin is finer and more glowing. 

Treating Acne with Oregano

Oregano is a popular herb used in different recipes along with other herbs like basil, thyme, and marjoram. It has a distinct herbal aroma that renders a unique flavor to different kinds of ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and pastas. In some countries, oregano is used to treat ailments such as coughs and colds.

photo credit: pantrygardenherbs.com

Aside from its culinary uses, oregano is also used in perfumes because of its aroma. It can also be used as an acne spot treatment because it has a strong anti-bacterial substance. To use this, you can either get some fresh herb or used the dried packaged version. I tried the dried version and it worked just fine.

To make the acne solution:

What you need to do is to get about a teaspoon of the dried herb and pour a small amount of hot water (about half a teaspoon). Think of it like you are making a very small amount of tea. Leave this for ten minutes to allow the water to extract the oil. After ten minutes, get a small amount of the liquid with your clean fingertip and dab it to the affected area. This may sting, but it's only normal. Do this twice a day until the spot is healed.

You can also make a toner if you have a number of spots to treat.

For this, you need to boil about 3 teaspoons of the dried oregano with a cup of water for about 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and the herb to settle at the bottom of the pan. Transfer the liquid into a sterile container and use a small amount with a cotton ball as needed. You can place the toner in the fridge. It can last for a week. 

Maxi Peel Exfoliant Soap for Acne Review

photo credit: www.splash.com.ph

Maxi-Peel is a popular brand of exfoliant in the Philippines. It initially became famous because of its exfoliating lotion, which is an astringent that promotes peeling and skin renewal. Years later, it launched a variety of complementary products for the line. While it takes guts to use the Maxi Peel exfoliating lotion because of the prolonged peeling action, those who want a milder treatment for their acne problems can try the soap instead. Maxi-Peel exfoliant soap can be used for the face and body. It can be used as is or together with the other Maxi-Peel products. This has the same potent ingredients as the rest of the line, but is considerably gentler.

This soap whitens the skin, exfoliates, and removes bacteria that causes breakouts. It can also be used for back acne. 

What can you expect from using this soap:

• drying of existing spots and possibly the whole face, so use moisturizer afterwards
• lighter skin
• mild exfoliation because of the potent ingredients
• less blackheads
• smoother skin
• the soap has beads so better lather with your hands instead of using the soap directly on the face

What I like most about this soap is that it is widely available locally (Philippines) and is cheaper than the majority of anti-acne products offered in the market. It also smells fresh and not overpowering. 

I would caution those with sensitive skin to do a patch test first or try it on the body first before using it on the face as it could cause irritation for some really sensitive individuals.