By
eHow Fashion, Style & Personal Care Editor
Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Things You’ll Need:
Step1
Wash your face at least twice a day with a mild cleanser. Use a pH-balanced cleanser without perfumes or too many chemical additives.
Step2
Touch your face as little as possible, and only when your hands are clean.
Step3
Avoid squeezing pimples. Bacteria on your hands or on unsterile equipment can lead to more blemishes and possible scarring.
Step4
Steam your face once or twice a week to help open the pores. Boil water, remove the pot from the stove, drape a towel over your head and hold your face over the pot. Then rinse your face with cold water. (See "Make an Herbal Facial," under Related eHows.)
Step5
Use essential oils such as calendula, chamomile, juniper, lavendar and mint directly on your skin. Mix 10 drops of any of the oils with 2 tbsp. soy or almond oil, and smooth a few drops on dampened skin.
Step6
Try using herbs. Saw palmetto can help balance boys' hormones, while chaste tree berry can do the same for girls. Echinacea, alfalfa, burdock root, cayenne, chaparral and yellow dock root are also helpful.
Step7
Consider other topical mixtures. Beat an egg yolk, apply it with a cotton ball and leave it on for 15 minutes. Alternatively, mix oatmeal and honey together to form a paste and apply it to your face. Oatmeal soaks up excess oil and honey soothes the skin.
Step8
Take acidophilus to fight bacteria.
Step9
Eat a diet high in fiber, including whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits, to keep your body healthy overall and provide nutrients to your skin. Stay away from junk food, caffeine and salty foods.
Step10
Determine whether specific foods aggravate your skin and eliminate them from your diet.
Step11
Consider adding zinc supplements to your diet.
Step12
Limit your exposure to the sun and reduce the stress in your life.
Comments
krforbe said
on 5/1/2007 Essential oils- I know to some people it sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus, but tee tree oil, lavander oil, lemon oil, witch hazel, and others can help out with problem skin. The word "oil" may seem scary, but these are not the type of oils that clog pores and may your face oily. My mom is really into the natural oils and stuff, and they really can help. The thing is, you should always dillute an oil before applying it to your skin, especially your face, ESPECIALLY for citrus or strong oils (lemon). When I was younger I made the mistake of putting straight lemon oil on my face and it burned really badly and left it pretty red. My mom and I use a gel called "Miracle II Gel." Also, be really careful around your eyes.
Anonymous said
on 7/18/2006 First off, if you pop your pimples to the point you have taken it off your face (meaning you now have an open sore) then put Neosporin on it 1-3 times a day and before you go to bed (or if it's just when you go to bed helps too). If you do this it will heal in a couple of days.
To get rid of a pimple put hemorrhoid ointment on it before you go to bed, or tea tree oil (find which one works best for your skin.
I know you hear this a lot, but drinking a lot of water will clear up your skin! But you still have to eat right. I try to eat at least 2 fruits and vegetables a day, which also seems to help.
Anonymous said
on 6/11/2007 Eat at least one fresh tomato everyday. Your skin will be smooth, always sleep early, don't sleep late, and don't give yourself stress. Go and have fun, and after that, you'll realize your skin is much more clearer.
Anonymous said
on 6/11/2007 I hear acne has a lot to do with stress, so minimize your stress. Exercise, keep your hair off your face, drink 8 glasses of water a day, avoid sunburn and wear makeup only on special occasions. I use medication for my acne. It's called Clean and Clear acne spot treatment. It's an acid in a little bottle that reduces redness and the size of your pimples.
Anonymous said
on 6/11/2007 Try to avoid the harsh antibiotic products, in the long run they are not useful. Try to use natural methods like drinking lots of water, applying bitter cucumber or cucumber water on affected areas, wash your face with a gentle face wash and avoid touching your face. Taking care of these small things will bring a great change in around 2-3 weeks. Trust me, and don't feel uncomfortable and get worried as it can make your acne worse. Wear a confident smile always.