Acne Products

The real reason behind why you get acne bumps is not known. There are many co-relations that have been found though such as hormones, diet and stress. There is speculation that genetics may be a factor but most times a person who experiences these pimples find that they may have a mixture of any of the above going on in their lives as well as none at all. The known factors related to pimples are how they develop and the various ways of trying to treat and prevent them.

Let me give you a brief description of the mechanism by which a pimple forms. Follicles can be found all over your skin and thus all over your body. They are small ducts of the skin out of which hairs grow and as such they are called hair follicles. Beneath this duct you can find glands (one under each follicle) that make skin oil which is known as sebum. It is this oil that gives your skin and hair a healthy glow. When the skin around these follicles shed, the body instructs the cells to replicate to make more skin to replace the skin that it lost. If, however, the skin that is lost is not totally removed and the new skin comes then you will have an excess of dead skin lying on top of your healthy skin and will thus cause a blockage of sorts since your sebum won’t be able to come through. When this happens, it clogs the pores and then you will see a pimple arise. There are different types of pimples that may come up on ones skin and each forms in the same general sense with some little differences, let me tell you about these.
• The whitehead – this is referred to as a comedo or a clogged up pore. This happens when the dead skin cells and the sebum mix and plug the pore beneath the skin. In an effort to make space for the ever secreting sebum the area will form into a raised portion that appears white or to have white matter inside and this is why it is called a white head.

• The Blackhead – this is pretty much the same as the above with the only difference being that the area is not elevated and sometimes may actually sink in. it has a black center due to the plugged area opening up and oxygen mixing with the constituents.
If a bump becomes infected then it will be filled with pus that may be either a pale yellow or a deeper yellow depending on the severity of the infection. A pimple can become infected if one picks at it or tries to pop it. Once it is infected with bacteria it will swell more and be more obvious than just a simple whitehead.
Although there is no real known cause of pimples, the actions that bring them about are known. We know what happens to cause your skin pores to clog but we don’t know why this happens so it is up to you to take good care of your skin in an attempt to lessen or reduce pimples.

All puns aside, a big pimple that’s front-and-center on your face can cause havoc on both your self-esteem and your social life. However, if it’s an isolated occurrence (meaning, you don’t have widespread acne), it’s usually much easier to kill than mass-breakouts.

You know the story—the teenage girl, standing in the mirror in her prom dress—and, horrors! She just noticed that big, red hideous pimple on her cheek. As far as she is concerned, it’s basically the end of the world. You, along with our teen subject here, have plenty of options on how to annihilate that eye-soar.

• Toothpaste. Did you know that a dab of toothpaste–applied to a zit or big pimple–can dry, cleanse and sooth pimples? You do now; just apply a few dabs to the bugger, let it soak into the zit for a few hours and rinse it off.
• Many drugstores and supermarkets sell “sulfur masks”. They’re just what they sound like—they are worn whilst you sleep, and work to mitigate acne.
• Another technique to try involves the use of an ice cube, a speck of toothpaste and a speck of egg-whites. Use a mixture of the toothpaste and egg-whites to dry the pimple, then, apply the ice for a few minutes to reduce swelling and further dry out and heal.
• Use an unscented, acne-fighting cream or lotion on the spot after you have washed it with gentle soap.
• You can use concealor, but it’s only good for masking the problem of course. Nevertheless, make sure it contains no comedogenics and no oil.
• Try a fresh garlic clove. After you’ve cleaned the spot, lightly rub a clove of garlic on that unsightly big pimple. Garlic is well-known for its antibacterial, anti-toxic cleansing abilities.

If this pimple contains any pus, it’s usually ok to pop it. However, special care has to be taken to avoid additional contamination and inflammation. Under no circumstances do you use your fingernails to pop zits; just imagine a pool of dirt, bacteria, oil and soot—that’s what is under your nails.

Instead, use a sterile needle to extrude unsightly pus. Make certain that there is no excess “runoff”, as any falling pus will likely produce yet another zit. Dab it with a clean, damp cloth and apply an ice cube for a minute or two.
Your last-line of defense lies in a couple of other techniques. One of these uses alcohol. Half of a teaspoon of alcohol, applied to the big pimple, will help to reduce redness and counteract inflammation.

The other method uses aspirin. And no—you’re not taking them orally this time. With a couple of crushed aspirins, mixed with a tiny speck of water to make a paste, apply your solution evenly to the zit.

If that doesn’t produce results, you can even try natural lime juice to the beast that just won’t die. Notice the word “natural”, though—as in, from an actual lime.

If trying all of these techniques still yields no success, then your only weapon is time. Time, coupled with a few of these methods that you prefer, is the only thing that’ll heal it in this case.

Naturally, preventing acne from sprouting-up is the best cure. However, this is a whole lot easier for some people than for others. Genetics can be a factor, as well as the level in which your sebaceous glands are overproducing sebum (an oily substance that, when produced in excess, clogs the pores and let’s dirt and bacteria in) and your body’s autoimmune capabilities.

Remedies

There are many important steps that you can follow, though, to heal and eliminate a huge pimple. First, clean your face two to three times a day (and more if you’re exposed to excess pollutants in the air and surroundings). Do so with a soft, anti-acne cleanser.
If you wear makeup, make positive that it’s comedogenics-free and has no added oils or other unnatural ingredients. Be aware that makeup is often derived from things like fish oils and pigments, which are very bad for pimples and acne in general. Furthermore, use acne-safe or acne-approved makeup and use it sparingly. And of course, wash it off before you go to bed.

If you intend to use a lotion to cure that huge pimple, make sure it contains no alcohol. Alcohol is going to dry-out your skin and possibly inflame the pimple. Instead, try cocoa butter in addition to other, more natural topical solutions.
Here’s another tried-and-true method. It’s lovingly called the frozen-zit, and it usually works. Get a cold/hot pack, some crushed ice and fill it. If it’s too cold up-against the pimple, wrap a thin cloth or another insulating material around the pack.
Hold it on the zit for around 15 minutes. Doing so, you’re helping the pore to close and extracting the nasty gunk from it. This may not be as effective with smaller pimples with no pus and little redness, and is not recommended for larger cysts or cyst-like bumps. If the latter is the case, you are very much advised to see a dermatologist.

Other pointers include

- There are plenty of products out there that claim to zap zits. Whatever you choose among the numerous gels and creams, though, make sure it contains one or more of the following: a benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and/or Tricolsan.
- A huge pimple can sometimes be mitigated with the use of toothpaste. Apply a speck of toothpaste to that monster, let it sit for several hours, and wash it away. You might just be amazed at the antibacterial, anti-fungal capabilities good ‘ole toothpaste has.
- If it contains pus, use a sterile needle, swab the pimple with a few dabs of rubbing-alcohol and poke it. Make sure to capture any run over pus with a clean cloth or cotton-swab.
- When you wash it, make sure to use lukewarm water and a gentle, acne-fighting soap. Rub it thoroughly, but not abrasively. If you rub too hard, you risk further inflammation and even more stress.
- Use acne medications and cleansers that are free of any oil or fragrances. A moisturizer, along the same lines, is also a good idea—as many of the medications that you may apply tend to dry out the surrounding skin, which can have a negative effect on the actual pimple.

There are also many other methods. Some include the use of olive leafs and olive oil, balms and toothpaste mixtures.