The Journey to Picture Perfect Skin

Being a teenager, I am of course hit with the acne brick every couple of weeks. Breakouts drive me INSANE! Having zits and pimples and blackheads shoots down your confidence and can affect your sociality if you aren't good at talking to people in the first place. It's not uncommon to want to hide away locked in your room far from the rest of the world. But you need to know that it CAN go away. You don't have to live with acne for the rest of your life. You can be confident again.

First, let's talk about causes and types of acne. Inside all of your pores lies an oil called sebum. Most commonly, the sebum clogs up a pore and causes it to be blocked, thus letting bacteria form and grow. Whiteheads are formed when sebum is trapped under the skin and pushed up against it. Blackheads, on the other hand, are formed when the pore is partially open and the sebum and bacteria turn black because of melanin, a pigment in your skin. Sounds fun, right? Anyway, enough of the scientific hoo-ha info. Let's talk about how to get rid of your acne now!

1. A mild cleanser. The best cleansers out there are labeled "non-irritating", "oil-free", and "non-comedogenic". Products containing oil can clog your pores even more and worsen the problem. Cetaphil is famous among dermatologists because it's not loaded with irritating chemicals and scents that will irritate your skin even more. I've heard along the grapevine that Neutrogena face washes work pretty well too. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are fabulous for acne.

2. Soap. You don't NEED it, but it helps. If you have a Body Shop in your area, pick up some tea tree oil soap. It's only six bucks and it comes in a classic green bar, only it doesn't dry out your skin like most soaps and is made specially for people with blemished skin.

3. A hydrating toner. Really only women should need this. Almost every brand of makeup and skin care makes one of these babies. Basically, a toner is used after you wash your face. It takes away the soap film, traces of makeup, and oils from your face, and it restores your skin to its proper pH level. Witch hazel works the same and is relatively cheaper. Women who use foundation and lots of cover up, I HIGHLY recommend using this. It really only costs you about 10 or 15 dollars- not a bad price compared to some other products out there.

4. WATER WATER WATER. Water, one of the world's most bountiful supplies, will absolutely work wonders if you use it correctly. Drink it. Wash yourself with it. Freeze it and hold it against your skin. You can't beat it!

There are a couple step-by-step solutions to getting rid of your acne. What most people don't know is you don't even need to leave your house to make your own skin clearing concoctions (even though some chemicals from the pharmacy will help a little).

This recipe has worked absolute WONDERS for me. Most people say "oh no, that will break me out like crazy!", but once they try it they completely change their minds. The recipe is easy and you can probably make it right now: olive oil + sugar.

Sugar works well as a natural face scrub and the olive oil will moisturise your skin without breaking it out severely. Half a tablespoon of each will make just enough to scrub your face with for one night. First, wash your face with the soap and water. Pat it dry with a towel. Next, mix the OO and sugar together with a q-tip in a spoon or a container of some sort for about 30 seconds. Stick your finger in the OO and pick out some sugar and oil; they'll both stick to your finger. Then rub it all over your face. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water, dry, and finish off with a small amount of moisturiser. For an added power boost, take your cleanser or acne wash and add a squirt of it to the mixture and mix it in. It's like killing two birds with one stone!

To get rid of blackheads, take a towel or a washcloth and get it wet with hot hot water. Wring the towel out so it's still wet but not dripping. Lay down and lay the towel over your face and press it down so it sticks to your most acne prone spots. Keep it on your face for several minutes and take it off. It softens your skin just enough to (dermatologists and skin care obsessives, please don't hunt me down!) squeeze out the blackhead. Yeah, yeah, it's bad for your skin, whatever. It will make the blackhead disappear if you do it correctly. Wash your hands with soap and water so you don't irritate it even more, and put a finger both sides of the criminal. Push it together. It may take a couple tries, but keep pushing it out. Once you break through the shell that is holding it back it should come out relatively easily.

Healthy skin should be paired with healthy lips, so don't forget them! A moisturising balm that contains cocoa or shea butter will do just the trick. For heavily chapped lips, I've found this works rather well: put vaseline on your lips. Using a toothbrush that isn't covered in icky crust, scrub scrub scrub those lips! Then run them under water. Repeat until your lips are smooth, it should take about 3 rounds. Finish off with a balm.

I'm telling you, the Body Shop has everything you need for skin care (By the way, they aren't paying me to post this, I just love them that much!). You can even buy a Tea Tree Oil Skin Care Starter Kit for only 30 bucks. Trust me, it's a good deal for everything you get with it.

Eat a balanced diet, try some of these routines, and be patient, and you'll be well on your way to clear skin :D

XOXOXO