Applying make-up to cover Acne:
Your three acne hiding weapons will be a concealer, a foundation and a finishing powder. Stay away from the dollar store and use only brand names that you can trust. e.g. MAC or Make Up For Ever
Step #1: Apply the concealer in a light dabbing motion directly to any dark blotches or red areas that the acne has produced on your skin. Blend the concealer in using a disposable facial sponge. Use the concealer sparingly. You can always apply more if you need it but you don't want to layer it on too thickly. It will look terrible when it dries.
Step #2: Apply the foundation sparingly as well and use a light dabbing motion here too. Blend the foundation with your sponge and reapply to any areas that need it.
Step #3: Apply a light layer of the oil-free powder using a large makeup brush. This will take care of any shine that the acne concealer and foundation left behind and it will give you an even and finished look.
Following are some useful tips to improve your beauty habits and avoid cosmetic acne.
Re-using an acne concealer applicator
You have an acne and you wish to conceal it before a big date or an event. However, no matter how little time you have, never dip your concealer applicator in the bottle and apply the liquid cover directly to the inflamed zit. Reapplying concealer to your face with the applicator provided by the manufacturer may spread more bacteria.
To avoid this, apply your acne concealer with a cotton swab or disposable facial sponge and never, ever use the applicator stick provided by the concealer manufacturer. This will make sure that your concealer applications are always fresh and free of acne causing bacteria.
Re-using a foundation sponge
The reasons for not re-using a foundation sponge are the same as the reason for not re-using a concealer applicator. Never use the foundation sponge provided by the manufacturer of the foundation. Instead, use a cotton ball or a disposable foundation sponge to apply your foundation. This way, each of your foundation applications will be clean.
Pressing on your acne when applying makeup
Do you have the habit of piling layers of makeup onto your face? Always apply your makeup and moisturizer with light strokes. The added benefit of light facial handling is that you reduce stretching and irritating your skin, a combination that can help limit the onset of wrinkles and acne breakouts. If you need more coverage, buy a professional acne concealer made by MAC or Make Up For Ever.
Not evenly applying concealers and foundations
When applying makeup or a moisturizer, spread it evenly across the entire face. Keep in mind that hair styling products may have spread to your hairline and this increases the chances of the pores getting congested and acne arising. Add more concealer where you have acne outbreaks. Also, while cleansing your face, apply a warm cloth onto your hairline area to help remove the waxy build-up that comes from hair styling agents, moisturizers and makeup.
Before you go to bed
Wash your face throughly to remove all makeup before you go to bed, but preferably as soon as you can after you return home. You want your skin to breath and your acne to get as much fresh air as possible.
A note of caution:
Choose only oil-free makeup products that match your skin tone. Oil-free is the key to success here so read the labels carefully. You don't want to aggravate your existing acne problem by layering a fresh coat of oil on skin that already has too much to begin with. Choose a hypoallergenic brand while you're at it.
Posted on 12:43 AM
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Lemon
Lemon and almond oil lotion for beautiful hands:
You will agree that your hands are on show just as much as your face. Pamper your hands with this simple & inexpensive lotion. Mix 3 tsp lemon juice, 6 tsp honey and 8 tsp almond oil in a dish. Massage well into hands for 10 to 12 minutes. Wash with a mixture of equal portions of vinegar and water. Preserve this lotion in a bottle for use on your hands. This lotion keeps well for 2 weeks.
Lemon and yoghurt pre-bath gel:
Turmeric when combined with lemon and starch, acts as an effective cleanser and also forms a barrier between the drying effect of chlorinated water and body skin. The following is an excellent body pack.
Mix 8 tsp of yoghurt (curds), 3 tsp. Lemon juice, 1 tsp of any vegetable oil. Apply this body pack with firm, upward movements. Wash off after 10 minutes and take a bath. This is perhaps one of the oldest skin rejuvenation therapies. Use this at least thrice a week for a satiny skin.
Lemon as natural bleach
Mix equal proportions of tomato juice, lemon juice and milk and apply on face and body. Lemon as a skin tonic
The juice of a fresh pear and apple with a few drops of fresh lemon juice acts as a good skin tonic.
Lemon face scrub
Mix cold milk and fresh lemon juice with powdered almonds or powdered orange peel or oatmeal. Rub the skin gently with this mix. Mix a tablespoon of honey with two tablespoons of finely ground almonds and half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Rub this gently on the face. Rinse off with warm water.
Lemon as an anti-wrinkle mask
Mix a teaspoon of honey, a few drops of fresh lemon juice and a drop of sweet almond oil. Apply this on the face and allow it to dry for 20 minutes and wash off.
Lemon for dark elbows
Rub lemon halves and then wash off with water. Over a period of time, it will cleanse the skin and lighten its color.
Lemon and papaya face pack for oily skin
Mix ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp lemon juice, 3 tsp papaya pulp to a smooth paste. Apply evenly over the face (keeping away from the eyes). Leave the pack on for 20 minutes and then wash it off.
Lemon for complexion
Lemon contains enzymes which help to cleanse the skin of dead cells. Sprinkling a little alum on a lemon half and rubbing the mixture on your face helps tremendously to refresh and tone the skin. It also acts as a quick pick-me-up after a long pollution filled day.
Posted on 12:39 AM
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Lemon
A fresh lime may be squeezed into a cup of milk to which a teaspoon of glycerin may be added. Stir well. Apply it on your face, neck, hands, legs and feet, an hour before retiring to bed. Keep it on for half an hour and then wash off. This application every night will make the skin look younger and beautiful. This application works well on pimples and scars, is good for cracked soles and palms, dryness of face and hands, and sun-burn.
Lemon for smooth skin
Mash an over-ripe banana and mix it with a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Apply on face and hands to keep the skin clear and smooth. Mix a teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and one fourth of a teaspoon of lemon juice. Rub this into the hands, elbows, heels and any area that feels dry. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse with water.
Lemon and honey face pack for dryskin
Mix 3 tsp lemon juice, 3 tsp honey, ½ tsp cabbage (boiled and crushed) paste. Mix to a paste all these ingredients in a dish and apply it on face and neck; wash off with cold water after 10 minutes and admire the new “you”!
Lemon and almond face pack for freckles
To remove freckles, blanch and grind almonds and mix with white of an egg to which half tsp of lime juice has been added. Spread on the face and wash after 20 minutes.
The tricky part about acne is that the problem can
actually become worse if you overmedicate. That's
because acne medication can overdry the skin, causing
a boost in your skin's Sebum (oil) production. This
results in...you guessed it - more acne.
So what's the long term solution? Find gentler
solutions or even natural acne cures that won't
shock your body into more breakouts.
Here's what I recommend...
Glycerin based facewash:
Glycerin is gentler and will balance the
pH levels in your skin.
Antibacterial Soap:
For body acne, try using an antibacterial soap
to slowly dry out the skin. If your skin gets too dry,
switch to a moisterizing soap like Dove to
counterbalance the effect.
Don't Overwash:
Wash your face only 2 times a day max and gently
pat dry with a towel.
Moisterize:
Use a gentle face moisterizer if the glycerin based
face wash drys you out too much. I like using
Aveeno moisterizers personally.
Change Your Diet:
Eat almonds, fiber, drink lots of water and avoid
excess sugar intake. Food really does make a difference.
This is because the food you put into your body has a
direct effect on your Sebum (oil) production. By eating
the right foods, you'll minimize oily skin, thereby
preventing breakouts.
Egg Whites:
If acne medication isn't working or causing new breakouts,
try applying egg whites to the pimples at night before bed.
This natural remedy works by gently drying out the clogged
pores and clearing up the pimple.
Oatmeal Masks:
One of my favorite natural skin conditioners is wearing an
"oatmeal mask". The oatmeal with smooth your skin while
simultaneously absorb toxins and oils from your pores.
Try this for a few days straight. Wear the oatmeal mask
for 10 minutes, then wash off. You'll have a nice
glowing complexion right after.
Lemon Juice:
Lemon juice also dries up pimples and kills any bacteria
in the infection.The citric acid also balances your skin's
pH levels to prevent future breakouts.
Honey:
Yes, despite your initial beliefs, honey is FANTASTIC for
skin care. Actually, you may notice on many moisterizers
that honey is an ingredient. Much like the lemon solution
above, honey balances the skins pH levels. Test out this
sticky remedy by dabbing pimples with honey and leaving it
on for 5-10 minutes. You can apply full honey masks to your
face but I prefer the oatmeal masks instead.
They're less messy.
Contributed By: Jackie
Posted on 6:41 AM
Labels:
Diet
Diet and Acne Sources of Vitamin A
* Carrots
* Yams
* Apricots
* Cantaloupe
* Tomatoes
* Spinach
* Kale
* Parsley
Stress has been known to aggravate existing cases of acne. Vitamin B-2 is great at alleviating stress so obtaining B-2 can help keep acne at bay.
Diet and Acne Sources of Vitamin B-2
* Whole Grains
* Fish
* Milk
* Eggs
* Meat
* Leafy Green Vegetables
Niacin or Vitamin B-3 improves circulation, promoting healthy skin. It also helps reduce cholesterol level in the blood and helps metabolize protein, sugar, and fat.
Diet and Acne Sources of Vitamin B-3
* Peanuts
* Eggs
* Avocados
*Liver
* Lean Meats
Vitamin E is the most potent antioxidant and helps protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced from sources like air radiation, pollution, and peroxides. They are also potentially damaging by-products of the body's metabolism that can lead to many diseases.
Diet and Acne Sources of Vitamin E
* Almonds
* Peanuts
* Sunflower Seeds
*Broccoli
* Wheat Germ
* Vegetable Oil
Zinc is another antioxidant that helps boost the immune system, which reflects in the skin.
Diet and Acne Sources of Zinc (Antioxidant)
* Eggs
* Whole Grains
* Nuts
* Mushrooms
1. Squeeze the juice out of fresh lemons or limes. Apply the juice directly on your acne scars using a cotton ball. Let your skin soak up the lemon juice for a while before washing it off with water. Lemon juice improves the appearance of dark acne scars and blemishes by lightening them.
2. Mix sandalwood with a few drops of rosewater to make a paste. The sandalwood and rosewater paste can be used as a facial mask and can be directly applied on the scarred area. Leave the paste on for more than an hour. Wear it overnight if you can. Wash off completely with water. This is an effective method of how to treat acne scar because of sandalwood’s soothing and cooling effect on the skin.
3. Slice up a tomato and place it over your face. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A that hinders overproduction of sebum that causes acne. Vitamin A also has antioxidant qualities that refreshes and renews scarred and damaged skin.
4. Keep your hands away from your face or other affected areas. They contain oils and bacteria that promote acne. Wash your hands frequently.
5. Honey is another natural moisturizer that can help in treating acne scars. You can use honey as a mask or orally take a specially formulated honey acne scar treatment.
6. To treat acne scars, use this mixture as a face mask: 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of oatmeal, and a few drops of lemon juice. Pat the mixture onto acne scars, leave on for 10 minutes, and rinse off.
7. A popular way of how to treat acne scar is to use a face mask made out of tomatoes and cucumbers. These two combined can greatly reduce the visibility of acne scars. Using a tomato and cucumber face mask also tightens the pores of the skin giving it a nice, even texture.
8. Wash your skin gently twice daily with an antibacterial soap or cleanser containing salicylic acid, not regular soap, as it is alkaline and will promote bacterial growth. Don’t scrub too hard, as this will irritate your skin further.
9. Fenugreek is an effective solution to how to treat acne scar. You can make a paste out of fenugreek leaves and use it as a face mask. You can also boil Fenugreek seeds in water and use the solution on acne scars after it cools down.
10. Saturate a cotton ball with a few drops of acne-fighting essential oil such as lavender oil. Apply it on acne scars at least two times a day.
1. Wash your face with lukewarm water and mild soap twice a day.
2. Wash fresh methi leaves (fenu greek leaves) and grind it to make a paste. Apply it on face and wash it off with lukewarm water after 10 minutes.
3. Grind juicy tender neem leaves with turmeric to a consistency of paste. Apply this paste on acne and pimples. Wash this off after it dries.
You might not be aware but the solution to your pimples lies right in your home. Have you ever asked the elder members in your family on how to get rid of acne? You will be surprised with the variety of tips on how to get rid of pimples at home they have to offer.
The best part is that you can do all this with the things available at home and do not incur any extra cost but the results are always spectacular.
Simple Things To The RescueYou will not believe what ordinary everyday things can do, for example take the common toothpaste (not the gel type), dab a little of this on the acne and you will find how effectively it dries out your pimple.The same effect can also be brought about by holding a used tea bag or a cotton ball drenched in lemon juice.
You could make a solution of camphor lotion, honey and tomato juice and apply it on your face and keep it for 15 minutes. Wash it off with luke warm water and follow it up with a cold water rinse, it helps to control acne.
Groundnut oil mixed with an equal amount of limejuice if applied on the affected part of the face prevents the formation of pimples. Again, glycerine mixed with borax powder, water and camphor lotion also makes an effective acne controller.
Turmeric plays an extremely important part in Oriental homes because of its myriad curative properties. One amongst them is its power to treat acne especially when it is mixed with whole-wheat flour. Another method is when it is mixed with sugarcane juice.
Oriental cuisine is also fond of garlic because of its many curative qualities. Apart from many ailments it also has the power to prevent one of pimples. You could cleanse your skin with a mixture of 3 parts water and garlic juice and follow it up by applying raw garlic on the pimples. This not only cures the acne but also rids the skin of any blemishes caused by it.
Another method that says bye bye to your acne is a mixture of fresh limejuice, glycerine and boiled milk. This prevents pimples and also gets rid of blackheads. The juice of raw papaya could also be applied for preventing pimples.
One thing you could do to control acne in general is to wash your face with lukewarm salty water. This helps to keep your face oil free and hence pimple free.
Lastly, do not forget to lead a healthy lifestyle with a minimum of stress, drinking lots of water and maintaining a balanced diet to help these natural remedies to take full effect.
Aloe Vera is a medicinal plant which belongs to the family of Cactus. There are several varieties of this plant but only one particular variety is used for medicinal purposes. The medicinal reputation of Aloe Vera dates back to many thousand years. The Latin word Vera meaning true was added to this particular species of Aloe plant to distinguish it from the rest of the aloe plants. Only this particular species has the therapeutic properties. The medicinal properties of the Aloe Vera plant have been re-discovered recently. But it is one of the age old natural remedies used by our ancestors. Aloe Vera is a truly magical herb.
The properties:-
* Antibiotic Property - Aloe Vera plant products have been produced for the treatment of various skin ailments. The Aloe Vera gel has many therapeutic healing properties. It has a unique mixture of antibiotic, analgesic, growth stimulating and astringent properties. The Aloe Vera gel is therefore effectively used for treatment of sun burns, burn injuries, Scarring of the skin, and also for healing of cuts, wounds and scratches. The antibiotic properties of this gel helps in the treatment of other skin diseases such as Eczema, dry skin diseases, and other allergic conditions. I t can also be used in treatment of insect bites, stings and other skin inflammations.
* Analgesic Property - Another very useful property of this Aloe Vera gel is its pain healing or analgesic effect. The Aloe Vera gel is used in reducing pain during dental treatments. It can be effectively used in treatment of mouth ulcers, sores, blisters. It provides quick relief of pain after dental surgical procedures. Aloe Vera is also used for pain healing purposes in the treatment of piles and Hemorrhoids. Aloe Vera also helps to improve digestion and absorption and elimination of food.
* Growth Stimulating Property- Aloe Vera gel has enzyme in it which stimulate the growth and formation of new cells. The Aloe Vera gel has the capability to penetrate the outer layer of the skin and it removes the dead cells caused by the infection. The enzymes present in the gel, help in the formation of new cells around the infection and thus heals the part. This property of Aloe Vera makes it a good choice for the treatment of burns. Burn injuries heal miraculously faster when aloe gel is used. Aloe Vera is effectively used treatment of pains associated with Arthritis and other rheumatic pains.
Other Characteristics
* COSMETICS- All these magical properties of Aloe Vera makes it suitable in developing various cosmetic products. The present cosmetic industry has launched several Aloe Vera products for removing scars, blemishes, pigmentation spots, bruise marks, blotches and wrinkles. Many people have benefited by these products. These Aloe Vera products have helped women to look younger.
* LAXATIVE- Aloe Vera gel also acts as a mild laxative. I t can be used in the treatment of chronic constipation and for treatment of Ulcers. The gel inhibits the secretion of hydrochloric acid by the mucosa of the stomach thus helps in healing of ulcers.
