Ways To Clear Acne Using Baking Soda

As far as home remedy ways to clear acne, sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda as we typically call it, is by far my all time favorite. Baking soda has so many benefits to skin care and fighting acne that one can write an entire site upon it! First of all, the stuff is cheap! This day and age saving any kind of money is a good thing! Secondly, the grains are extremely small and are very smooth and round. This makes it an excellent exfoliate for getting out the fat and clearing clogged pores. Baking soda also does a great job at getting rid of the dead skin around acne and that gives bacteria a lot less to feed upon. Finally, sodium bicarbonate won't over dry your skin. While we want our skin to be dry and oil free it can't be too dry or else the body will work overtime to produce even more oil that we have to fight off.

The beauty of baking soda is there are several great ways to clear acne using it!

Sodium Bicarbonate as a Spray/Toner - Sprays or toners are used after washing your face as an added guard against acne. As with all natural remedies you are going to want to try this on a small part of your face for the first time to make double sure that you are not allergic to your toner. Begin by adding one to two tablespoons of baking soda to a standard spray bottle. Close and shake the bottle for a bit until you're sure the baking soda is completely dissolved. Wash and pat dry your face and then spritz a bit onto your face and allow it to dry. There's no need to wash it off and its invisible, however being self conscience as I am, I used this before I went to bed. I had no problems leaving it on all night.

Sodium Bicarbonate Face Mask - This not only helps unclog and exfoliate your skin, but it feels good too! Mix baking soda and a small amount of warm to hot water together until you get a nice thick paste and spread it evenly over your face. Leave it on for about twenty minutes after it completely dries and then wash and pat dry your face. Sodium bicarbonate facial mask have been used since baking soda has been popular and its price makes this one of my favorite mask solutions.

Sodium Bicarbonate as a Facial Cleanser - Using baking soda as a facial cleanser isn't much different than making the facial mask. This time you'll want to mix enough warm water and baking soda together until you get a facial cleaner like consistency and then proceed to use the mix on your face. Rub it in softly, and let the small texture of the mixture exfoliate your skin. After lightly rubbing and massaging your face for 2-3 minutes with the mixture, rinse and pat dry. Baking soda won't over dry your skin so further cleansing is not necessary.

Whether or not you use this method or any method, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you've got to stick to the plan. Most folks give up on treatment way too early thinking that because they don't see any improvement overnight that their problem isn't getting any better. With any acne treatment make sure you give it a good week or two before really looking into how effective your method of treatment is.

Using baking soda as a facial cleanser is great but using it with tree oil as a way to clear acne is even better!

Hello, I'm a writer and I write for a living! I love writing. It is my passion! Hopefully, my experiences and knowledge can teach you something.

View the original article here

Using Tea Tree Oil for Acne

Hey Everybody,

I am a big advocate of using natural methods to treat acne, rather than solely relying on prescription medication. However, I do understand that some natural methods may not always be as effective as prescription treatments when it comes to treating some of the more severe cases of acne.

Having said that, if your acne is mild to moderate then perhaps experiment with some natural options rather than opting for treatments offered by your doctor. Obviously I am not a doctor so if your acne is really affecting your quality of life then you should get your skin seen to by a professional.

As you may already know tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia which is a plant native to Australia and has been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for various ailments by the original inhabitants of Australia, the aboriginals.

Tea tree oil is an essential oil and is extracted from the leaves of the plant through steam distillation. This process produces a pale yellow oil with a pungent but pleasant odour. The oil contains terpenoids, which are known to produce antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties. While the oil can be applied topically (I don't recommend using 100% tea tree oil, but I'll come back to that), it can be extremely toxic if swallowed.

You may be asking yourself "why is tea tree oil used in toothpastes and mouthwashes if it is toxic?" Well simply put we aren't supposed to swallow toothpaste or mouthwash, but if we accidentally do, it's not usually enough to cause any harm.

I certainly recommend keeping some tea tree oil in the medicine cabinet, because other than using tea tree oil for acne, I find it has many other wonderful and useful properties. I use it for cuts, grazes, stings, boils and just about any other lump or bump that appears on my body!

Tea tree oil contains terpinen-4-ol which is believed to be responsible for it's antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. It's these properties which can make Melaleuca Oil so effective for treating acne as it is believed to kill the acne causing bacteria Propionibacterium acnes, which lives on the surface of the skin.

I mentioned earlier that I don't recommend using 100% pure tea tree oil anywhere on the body and especially if you have sensitive skin like me, this is something I discovered after applying concentrated tea tree oil before bed only to wake up looking like I had fell asleep under a sunbed....not the best of looks as you could imagine!

Undiluted tea tree oil can cause redness, dryness and irritation so I recommend starting with a concentration of 5%. This concentration will be far gentler to your skin and studies have found it to be almost as effective as many over the counter acne products, but with fewer side effects.

I personally would suggest using tea tree oil in a gel form as it is much easier to apply than the oil itself, and a lot less messy too. Certainly one of the best and most popular tea tree oil based gels on the market is Kiss My Face - Tea Tree Gel which not only contains tea tree oil, but also witch hazel, aloe vera, peppermint oil and many other all natural ingredients, all of which are of particular benefit to acne prone skin.

As with all topically applied acne treatments I recommend a patch test in an inconspicuous area, tea tree may be a completely natural product but as different peoples skin reacts in different ways it is better to be safe than sorry. Below is a quick guide on the most effective way to apply tea tree oil (assuming you have done your patch test first! )

Step 1: Gently cleanse your face with a good quality cleanser (preferably a non-soap non-foaming cleanser). The benefits of a non-soap based cleanser mean that it's less likely to dry out your skin even if you have desert dry skin like me. Oh and remember, please do not wash your face more than twice a day..unfortunately you can't wash away acne! After cleansing gently pat your face dry a soft towel.

Step 2: Wait a few minutes for your skin to completely dry and using soft circular motions, gently rub in pea sized amounts of the tea tree oil gel onto the acne prone areas of your face. For example, use a pea sized dollop on one cheek, then the other cheek, and again on your chin etc.. This way you can be sure that each area on you face is well covered, and it makes the gel last just that bit longer (important when you're on a budget).

It's also very important to not to simply spot-treat (no pun intended) your acne, you want to prevent pimples from forming, so give em' hell before they ruin that big job interview!

Please feel free to visit my website at myacneguide.com for more information on how to properly understand and effectively treat your acne.

Thanks for reading guys, James

View the original article here

Using Food to Prevent Acne

Introduction

Acne and your diet go hand in hand. Your diet must be healthy in order to prevent acne because it just may not be enough to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize the skin on your face to stop and prevent acne.

These foods are not only healthy for your over all body, but they are also important in stopping and preventing acne.

Fruits and Vegetables

Your skin health can be greatly improved, not to mention improvement in your immune and digestive system, by eating at least seven to nine servings of fruits and green leafy vegetables a day.

These foods contain more water and nutrients than any other group of foods and help you keep a blemish free skin.

So when you need some fast foods, instead of going for that food rich in starches, carbohydrates or sugars that can inflame your acne, reach for a quick snack of veggies or fruits.

Unsaturated Fats

Ensure your diet is limited in the amount of saturated fats and high in unsaturated fats. This means switching your cooking oil to unsaturated fats and switch your diet from red meat to more lean meat, turkey, chicken and fish.

Cattle today are fed lots of hormones to help speed up their growth. By eating red meat you increase the levels of hormones in your body. A hormone imbalance is linked to acne breakouts.

Fish

The United States government recommends that we all eat at least eight ounces of fish a day to get the benefits of fish oil, Omega - 3. Fish oil has been shown to be beneficial in preventing and stopping acne.

Unprocessed Foods

Greatly improve your skin condition by switching your diet from processed foods to unprocessed foods. The difference between the two is that processed foods have been modified from their original state and turned into something else, removing their vital nutrients.

An example is wheat being turned into flour to make bread, cake and cookies to name a few.

Unprocessed foods are such items as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and retain their vital nutrients.

Dairy Products

Several studies in the last few years have shown that consuming dairy products can lead to acne. One study found that you have a 44% chance of developing acne if you consume two or more glasses of milk in a day.

Conclusion

You can help your routine of cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing your skin to prevent acne by eating the best foods to clear acne and prevent it.

Look into the foods I have listed above and you can greatly reduce and stop your acne condition.

Jimmy C has been studying skin care for many years because of his skin problems in his youth and he is the Editor in Chief of a number of skin care web sites. Being a victim of acne in his younger days, he has researched this subject to help people prevent and stop acne. He has also studied many aspects of caring for the bodies skin and keeping it youthful and free of irritants.

For more information on caring for acne or other facial blemishes and keeping your youthful appearance go to his web sites at http://www.skinguidelines.com/p/causes-and-cures-for-acne.html or http://www.squidoo.com/cause-and-cures-of-acne.

View the original article here

How To Pump Traffic To Your Blog Using Free Google Tools

How To Pump Traffic To Your Blog Using Free Google Tools

Check it out!