How to Prevent Acne
By the time most people are looking for articles that will tell them how to prevent acne, what they really need is a way to prevent a whitehead from turning into a noticeable red pimple. Even at this last stage, it is possible to prevent acne blemishes. Here are five home remedies that can stop acne in its tracks.
How to Prevent Acne #1
Try a milk of magnesia mask.
Most of us are familiar with milk of magnesia as a treatment for occasional irregularity, but it is also a great way to conceal erupting pimples. Wash your face with your usual cleanser and then rinse with warm water, patting your skin dry with a clean towel. Next, paint a thin coating of milk of magnesia over your entire face (about a teaspoon/5 ml), and then lie down to allow the mask to dry for 30 minutes. Wash off with warm water and pat your face dry with a second clean towel. The milk of magnesia gently lifts and separates dead skin cells that can block pores, and also lightens the skin so that pimples are less noticeable.
How to Prevent Acne #2
Try a milk mask.
Whole milk is a terrific source of glycolic acid, the natural beta-hydroxy acid that is used in many skin peels. Follow the same procedure as above, making sure you have allowed the milk to warm to room temperature before you start. (One or teaspoons, 5 to 10 ml, is usually sufficient.) The glycolic acid also separates dead skin cells from the surface of the skin and opens blocked pores. It also stimulates circulation to the skin that gives it a slight rosy glow that helps conceal acne eruptions.
How to Prevent Acne #3
Use a vaporizer in the room you stay in most.
Vaporizers are used to increase humidity for people who have bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Increasing the humidity of the air increases the moisture in the skin, making it more supple. The enhanced softness and suppleness of the skin lets pimples drain inflammatory compounds so that they are naturally less noticeable.
How to Prevent Acne #4
Use honey as a natural antiseptic.
During the day, you may want to use concealer to hide pimples. At night, place a tiny dab of honey on pimples to act as a natural antiseptic. Acne germs never become resistant to honey the way they can become resistant to antibiotics, and the royal jelly in honey helps activate keratinocytes that break down the horny layer of skin covering acne-affected pores destined to become cysts.
How to Prevent Acne #5
If you feel a need for prescription medication, ask your doctor about azelaic acid.
Many of the medications physicians can offer to prevent acne outbreaks have an extremely undesirable side effect-they actually trigger acne outbreaks. Azelaic acid is a natural product available with a doctor’s prescription that prevents hyperkeratinization, or leathering, of facial skin. Azelaic acid, unlike Accutane and Retin-A, does not require blood tests to detect drug-induced liver damage, and does not cause inflammation, irritation, or itching.
