|
Posted by: Nimisha on 2009-07-07, 00:03:48
Remove dead skin cells regularly by exfoliating. Use a gentle scrub with natural defoliants like ground walnut shells, or use an over-the-counter chemical defoliant like salicylic acid or glycolic acid. Adding ground walnut shell to a thick moisturizer like cocoa butter can be effective too. Take caution, because over-exfoliating can actually increase the likelihood of acne by irritating the skin. Pat dry, rather than rubbing, since rubbing can cause irritation to the fresh skin you 've just revealed. Use a good toner. Spray onto face or wipe on with a cotton ball and wipe off with a clean, dry cotton ball. This gets rid of excess cleanser and tightens pores. Good, inexpensive choices include plain witch hazel for normal to dry skin, lemon juice, or 3% hydrogen peroxide for oily skin. 70% ethyl rubbing alcohol can also be used for severe oiliness, but it can really dry out your skin and irritate it more. Some toners are medicated, and this stage is the best for using a medicated product if you 're only going to use one medication. Bacteria in pores is one cause of spots. Reduce the amount of bacteria by using toners containing anti-bacterial agents like alcohol, peroxide and benzalkonium chloride, and by using creams that contain benzoyl peroxide (ask your doctor about benzaclin, with moisturizer if you have dry skin, as it works better than just plain benzoyl because benzoyl takes up to 8 weeks before improvement is seen) which kill bacteria as well as cause the skin to regenerate faster. |