Difference between Pimples and Acne {Reader's Query}

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This has been lately asked by one of my friend's and frankly, the question confounded me. I mean everyone knows what pimples and acne are but how do you really define them and differentiate between them? Putting in words was not very easy for me and I thought this is a question or a topic which should be discussed on a larger scale. So, do join in with what you think too :) 

Ok, so my experience with breakouts overall is not very extensive and I am very grateful for that. In the course of last one year, I did face some series of acne cysts and the first of them was pretty serious. But, later on, I managed to control the breakouts by hit and trials. So, anyways, that was just a reference to how much I actually know about breakouts. But, lets see what I have found out by reading combined with something I know.

What is Acne?

Acne is an inflammation of the skin in which the secreted sebum gets collected in the pores of the skin and gets trapped there. That causes the skin to elevate in the form of a breakout. It may or may bot have a head. If its acne, it will most likely have a white head and is painful to touch. If its a pimple, it is not painful unless it is too severe. Pimple is also a form of acne. Any breakout on the skin can be termed as acne and then, acne is classified into various categories depending on its size and severity. 

Pimples are generally milder than a full-blown acne attack. But, the reason for both the skin conditions is same - clogged pores. And, why are they common in oily skin types? Because, the skin secretes more sebum and is more likely to have deposits of sebum on the skin. So, keeping the skin clean is one of the carnal rules of skin care. If you find that your skin suffers regularly from breakouts, you should consult a dermatologist and use prescription products as they have chemicals which are better at cleaning the pores and keeping them unclogged. 

Salicylic Acid is one of the common ingredients of such products. And, many people use aspirin tablets at home in their DIY's. I would like to reiterate the fact that only 2% concentration of salicylic acid is advisable for the skin at max so if you are one of the people who uses full dosage of aspirin for face, please refrain from doing that. You are damaging your skin instead of helping it. Read more about this here. I have already done a post on how to safely use aspirin tablets at home.

Baking Soda for Acne

We all know that baking soda is an all-purpose ingredient in the kitchen. It can be used to bring volume to your hair, whiten teeth naturally, as a lip scrub or body scrub, even washing the hair and, what is more, washing clothes and utensils about the house. 

Today, I bring another skin care use of baking soda. This is for acne. Make a paste of baking soda with water and apply to the affected parts anywhere on the body. Wait till it dries off and wash with cold water. Do it at least twice a week but no more than once a day. Your skin will become smooth and acne-free.

Carrot Face Mask

As I have pointed out earlier that not only fruits but vegetables also make great face masks and are extensively endowed with nutrients required for our skin. Spinach serves as a great hydrating face mask and beetroot can be used to give color to a pale complexion.

Today, I would like to discuss carrots with you. Carrots are, as you all are well aware, rich in vitamin A and helps improve our vision. But, actually, carrot is also very helpful for oily skin. It clears the extra oil from the skin and also takes care of pimples, acne and dark spots. Boil a carrot for 15 minutes. It would turn very soft and easy to mash. Mash it or blend it with lemon juice, orange juice or even the water in which it was boiled. Apply it on your face for 30 minutes and wash off with cold water. Your skin would be glowing. You can open your pores before you apply this mask as it helps carrot to act better on the skin. 

For people with dry skin or normal skin, you can blend carrot with honey or milk cream or even any nourishing and moisturizing fruit.

Natural Moisturizers for Oily Skin

Oily Skin mostly feels like a bane to everyone who has it. And, most likely, it is. Because, the skin is prone to the onslaught of acne and pimples and regular outbreaks. A slight imbalance of food habits can also tip the scales and result in more oil production. And, there seems to be nothing one can do about them. But, the boon part of having oily skin is that you are not prone to wrinkles and fine lines as much as people with dry or normal skin are. But, this seems like a small compensation when you have to invest so much amount of care to tend to oily skin. 

Cleansing is not that big a concern. There are a number of natural ingredients which can clean the oily skin. Milk, citrus fruit juices, tomato, besan or any other flour, baking soda, clay masks are all great cleansers when it comes to oily skin and they also tend to control the oil (sebum) production in the body. Green / Black Tea can act as a toner. But, my concern today is how to moisturize oily skin? I have been asked by many of my readers how to take care of oily skin. But, I am, honestly, clueless when it comes to moisturizing the oily skin. You can not use any ingredient like milk cream or oils like you can for normal or dry skin.

I would say that there are two ingredients in my mind which can be used to moisturize an oily skin. And, yes, oily skin also needs to be moisturized. Otherwise, it gets dull and greasy. 

First ingredient I would vouch for is aloevera. Aloevera gel, fresh from the plant, can be used to moisturize any skin type. But, aloevera is actually a little drying. So, I think it will suit oily skin well. And, it is great for acne and pimple prone skin.

Second is a product - any calamine lotion. More commonly, one we get in India, is called Lactocalamine. The blue bottle is suitable for normal to oily skin. The main ingredient of any calamine lotion is Kaolin clay which is very good for oily skin. 

But, I am confused as to is there any other natural ingredient which can be used to moisturize oily skin. I would not vouch for honey as a moisturizer because commercial honey has lot of preservatives. 

Another thing I was wondering was how does application of oil affect the oily skin? I know many of you would be horrified on the mention of such a thing and cast it directly as outrageous. The obvious answer would be that it would lead to more inflammation and acne and other kinds of outbreaks. But, is it really true. 

Update: I recently visited Marie Veronique Organics site and found this which I am directly copy-pasting from their site:

Most people get a bit nervous when they hear the words oil and skin in the same sentence. But there’s no reason to get nervous. In fact, waxes, not oils, are the major cause of skin congestion. Applying oils to the skin, without the interference of a wax barricade, gives your skin the essential fatty acids it needs. These fatty acids, called lipids, form an environmental protection barrier that prevents the elements from assaulting our skin, keeping all skin types healthy. Research indicates that a compromised lipid barrier may be at the root of skin problems such as eczema, acne and wrinkles.
MVO oils maintain the integrity of the lipid barrier, preventing moisture loss and dehydration. At the same time they inhibit peroxidative and oxidative damage. The reason you should care about that is, in a word, wrinkles. Upon contact with light, lipids will undergo what is known as peroxidation. These peroxidized lipids lose their barrier ability and gaps occur in the lipid matrix, resulting in a loss of skin resilience and the formation of wrinkles.
A word (or two) about acne. Treating oily skin with oils may seem even more counter-intuitive. But think about this:

• Scrubs, harsh soaps and other drastic treatments that strip off your topmost lipid barrier do a number of things that may actually aggravate the problem.
• Oil-stripping actually prompts your skin to produce more oil, but it may be more of the oil that you’re trying to control.

Topical applications of fatty acids alleviate breakouts by re-stabilizing the lipid barrier, thus restoring anti-microbial activity on the skin’s surface. What’s more, because lipids dissolve lipids, MVO oils actually break up congestion at the source.

Marie Veronique is a former chemistry school teacher who got into making her own products because she could not find any good sunscreen. And, now she is one of the biggest names of the industry. The best thing is that her products are all organic. And, she is one to advocate oils for all kinds of skin. So, I hope I have convinced you to try applying oil and see the results.


[Do share with me how you control your oily skin]

Always have a bottle of calamine lotion {Product Review}

Just a small advise from my side for everyone irrespective of their skin type is to always have a bottle of calamine lotion at home. Sudden and unexpected outbreaks are no irregular in the lives we lead even for the driest of the skins and in the unlikeliest of the weathers. These outbreaks are all thanks to our lifestyle and the pollution around us and not to forget the amount of chemicals we are slathering.

So, always keep a bottle of calamine lotion or a clay mask. And, when ever you have an outbreak, you can use either of them. A topical (on spot) application is fine with the lotion where as a clay mask should be done for the complete face. And, if I am not wrong, I should say a weekly or monthly application of a clay mask is actually not a bad idea for any skin type because it absorbs all the dirt from the skin and balances the oil production.  

You can read this post to know why clay masks are necessary for skin. So, go and get yourself a calamine lotion today if you do not have one and you would not be bothered with pimples and acne and other outbreaks. Calamine lotion works well for short notices and temporary fixes and acts as a great foundation for your make up without making your face oily. And, it also holds make up for long.

Use ginger to get rid of acne

Ginger is a very useful spice. And, it has great anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties along with its astringent properties which comes handy when you are dealing with a stubborn problem like acne. Acne can come in form of pimples, outbreaks or even worse. So, let us discuss what all you can do from ginger.

Ginger is great as a drink every day. Yes, it is pretty bitter in taste but it improves your skin from inside. It helps your body fight the free radicals and keeps your digestive system in order. It cleans out the toxins from your system. Ginger improves the blood circulation throughout the body and also cleans out the blood. Not only this, it also improves the skin tone and helps in getting rid of blemishes and spots. 

Squeeze out a little of ginger juice and apply it on your face or just the acne-affected areas and see your skin improve in a matter of days. It works very well for unexpected outbreaks and pimples. You can also use the juice as a face mask for blemished and sun-burnt skin. And, you can also help your body by including this spice in your daily diet. A little every day goes a long way. You can also use a little ginger in your spinach-lettuce juice in the morning. Pass a small slice of ginger along with spinach and lettuce while making the juice. It would give a spicy taste to your drink. And, not to mention, ginger is really good for throat infections, dry coughs and colds.

Acne: Home Remedies

Yesterday, I talked about how to take care of your skin and keep hygiene for preventing more acne outbreaks. Today, I would like to talk about some effective home remedies for acne. Hope these will be helpful for you. 

• Lemon juice is one of the best bets. It kills the bacteria in the acne and also reduces the oil production on the skin. In fact, all the citrus fruit family is great for acne. Oranges, strawberries, raspberries; take a slice of them every time you eat a fruit and rub it over your face and other affected parts of the body and keep it on till it dries off. Wash with very cold water so that it gives some relief from any burning or tingling sensation. 
• When I talked about lemon, tomato is the next follow up. Tomato juice is also equally effective for acne.
• Remember one thing: Whenever you feel a tingling sensation after you apply any herbal or other product, it is a proof that it is working. If it starts irritating the skin or causes change in skin color, then it is probably time to get rid of the product or remedy.
• Onion Juice and Ginger Juice is another great remedy for acne. Extract onion juice or ginger juice or cut a slice of onion or ginger and apply it on the affected parts. Wash off with cool water. You can even mix both of them.
• To reduce any burning sensation or inflammation, use cooled tea bags and chilled cucumber slices. They provide a lot of relaxation. You can also apply sandalwood paste. It cools the skin and is an antiseptic. Mint juice is also very useful in dealing with the acne.
• Mix 3/4th part of sandalwood and 1/4th part of turmeric. Make a paste with any fruit juice or mint juice and apply to the affected parts.
• How could I forget aloevera gel. Plant an aloe at home and reap its benefits. The gel straight from the plant is great for acne.
• Do not forget to use pomegranates. They too give you a lovely acne free skin.

The basic lesson is that use anything which will keep your face clean and reduce the oil production on the skin. You can also use something which will provide a cooling sensation or relief to the acne.

Acne: How to take care of your skin

Acne is one of the most afflicting skin disorders. Getting rid of acne is not very difficult if a strict routine is followed. The only thing to be kept in mind is to be strict with yourself whether in diet or skin care routine.

First things first. Never exfoliate your face. That just worsens the problem. You want to slough off the dead skin. Use milk. Apply raw milk on face with cotton very gently and wait for it to dry. Wash off with cold water (as cold as you can bear). It gives a relaxing effect to your skin.

Do not ever touch your face and do not let your hair fall on your face. The dirt and oil form the fingers and hair does cause bad outbreaks. You might also want to make a change in your hair products if you have outbreaks near forehead or chin. This might happen if your skin is giving allergic reactions to the ingredients of the products.

Use a separate hand towel or wash cloth for your face. Do not use your body towel to clean the face. Use a very very gentle cleanser. Best if you can get a dermatologist recommended cleanser which is more gentle as compared to over-the counter products. A cleanser with bacteria fighting abilities would be preferred. Be very gentle while cleansing your face. Any rough movement can cause an outbreak. Wash in circular motions.

Lets talk about your skin care products. First thing is a very light moisturizer. Preferred if it has spf properties also so that you do not have to cake your face in lot of product layers which will lead to closed pores. Makeup products should be water based and best if in a powder form or if you can avoid them totally, that would be the best. At night, try to keep your skin completely naked instead of slathering any anti-aging cream. That would allow your skin to breathe.

Change your pillow covers every day. The dirt and oil is soaked up easily by the pillow covers and if you use the same ones night after night even for a week, they would cause some outbreaks. Hygiene is a very big part of your skin care regime. Change the face towel also daily and wash in an antiseptic like dettol or savlon. That would keep it bacteria free and dry them in direct sun light. That would prevent any humid bacteria build up.

Now, lets talk about your diet. Cut on junk, oily and spicy food. That just increases the outbreaks from the inside. Decrease the amount of sugar and salt too. Also cut down on alcohol, coffee, carbonated beverages and smoking. They all contribute to your aggravated acne condition. No energy bars or energy or fruit drinks too. They are just full of sugar and nothing else. Reduce the chocolates too even if it is the dark chocolate you prefer.

Drink lots and lots of water and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Drink lots of fresh fruit juices made at home. Keep your body light and exercise for a hour or two daily or thrice in a week. Drink fresh lemon juice every day in the morning. Follow all the tips I talked about today and you should see some improvement in a week or two.

Mango - Health and Skin Benefits

The season of "the king of fruits" has come. Have you started eating mango regularly? It is a rich source of vitamin A. And, it is extremely good for skin too. Mango is rich in all vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C), minerals, proteins, carbohydrates (including sugar) and fiber. So, why not squeeze a little mango pulp and apply it on your skin for a beautiful smooth feel and to take advantage of all the nutrients in the fruit. Mango is good at getting rid of the blemishes and scars. Since mango is especially rich in Vitamin C, mango pulp is useful to treat pimples and acne.

You can make mango shake. It serves as a great drink which can satisfy your hunger too. It would save you many calories to skip on the sugar and substitute it with honey. You can use the drink as an anti-aging mask too as mango is rich in anti-oxidants. You can even make use of green mangoes (which are not ripe and really rich in Vitamin C) to make 'Panna', a traditional Indian drink, which provides enough nutrients for the body to fight sun strokes.

Caution: Please do not think of rubbing the mango peel on your skin. Mango peel contains a toxin named 'Urushiol' which can cause allergic reaction in the sensitive skin.

Chocolate Strawberry fruity face mask

It has been a lot of days since I have posted anything. So, today, I bring to you a very interesting homemade face mask which is so tempting that you would want to eat it. This mask is a variance of the earlier discussed chocolate mask and is good for getting rid of acne and pimples.

Ingredients:

- Strawberries

- Cocoa Powder

- Honey
 

Method: Mash the strawberries along with cocoa powder and pour honey to make the mask of a creamy consistency. Make sure not to mash the strawberries to a watery consistency because the mask would run down your face. Apply the mask to your face for 15-20 minutes and wash off with cold water.

Strawberries are good for controlling oil balance in your skin so it will take care of acne and pimples. And, they bring a rosy glow to your face. 

Honey and cocoa powder moisturize your skin from within. So, this mask is as good for dry skin as much for oily and combination skin. 

Feeding Pomegranates to your Skin

Pomegranates are the best fruits to treat the oily and combination skin. Let us see what health benefits they provide.

• Prevent heart diseases
• Slow down growth of prostrate cancer 
• Has anti-inflammatory properties so quickens the skin healing process
• Help in building up and strengthening the immune system
• Reduce chances of skin cancer
• Protects skin from UV damage  
• Highly rich in anti-oxidants, Alpha-Hydroxy Acids, Vitamin C so help in skin repair and regeneration process and also, slows down aging
• can also prevent acne

Home Remedies with Pomegranates.

• Grind the seeds and make a thick paste. Apply to face and wash off after 15-30 minutes. Your skin will feel fresh and firmer. Also helps in reducing the spots and blemishes on skin.
• Dip cotton ball in pomegranate juice and apply on skin after cleansing. It will help get rid of acne and pimples. It is an excellent astringent and toner.
• You can use the seeds paste as a body scrub. It would remove excess oil.
• Use pomegranate juice to make clay masks or other kinds of face masks
• For a dry skin, mix honey and pomegranate juice or seeds paste and apply to your skin. It will instantly revive your face giving it a fresh glow without drying your skin.