How To Clear Up Acne

There are so many methods out there to rid your skin of acne, but it can get frustrating to try product after product only to find out that it doesn't help or it makes your skin worse. If you've been switching from one acne  product to another to try to get rid of annoying pimples, try the simple route: soap and water.

Yes. Bar soap and water. I've always read that you weren't supposed to use soap because it dries up your skin, but a dermatologist suggested just plain soap and water. Surprisingly, washing my face with just plain ivory soap and water really helped get rid of my acne. I used to get tons of new pimples everyday, but after I ditched the expensive acne facial cleansers, I have clearer skin. I still get pimples from occasionally (mostly during stressful times), but my face is definitely smoother. If you find ivory soap to be too drying for you (it wasn't for me because I had oily skin) then you might want to try and organic soap like oatmeal or papaya.

One important thing you need to do if you adopt this method is to use a good quality moisturizer. I use a light non-greasy facial moisturizer with spf 15 and it helps to keep my face from feeling dry and tight.

Remove Stretch Marks Naturally

If you have stretch marks and want to get rid of them without expensive cosmetic treatments or overpriced and ineffective creams, then you might want to consider using natural treatments.

There are a lot of home remedies out there, but one that looks promising is hard pressed raw coconut oil. I found out about it on a natural cures website and read about people significantly reducing the appearance of stretch marks or getting rid of them entirely. Coconut oil contains vitamin-e which is good for your skin and it has  antibacterial properties as well. Use the hard-pressed raw coconut oil. 

I've been massaging some onto the marks around my armpits once a day after a shower and it really looks less noticeable. I'll keep using it because it does seem to work. 

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/stretch_marks.html

UPDATE: I quit applying coconut oil because I found it to be too much work for me to rub coconut oil on my skin and I didn't really like the greasy feeling. However, I'm very happy to say that my stretch marks are a lot less noticeable. I will probably start this again when I have more time. 

How To Remove Moles In Less Than A Week

Disclaimer: DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Do not take what I say as medical advice as I am not a medical expert.

Before you go about doing anything with your moles, get them checked out! You want to make sure that your moles aren't cancerous before you try anything. I also suggest that you don't try this on your face as it may leave a scar.

This method worked perfectly for me. I removed 2 moles, one on my head (scalp, under my hair) and one on my thigh, and I only used garlic and vaseline. The one on my thigh however, came back, so I had to do it twice. The best thing about this method is it's super easy and it rarely leaves a scar (some may get scars).

Here is how to remove a mole with garlic:

1. Prepare the garlic. Peel one small clove of garlic. You only need small one as you're only going to cut a small piece the size of your mole. Cut a round circular piece small enough to just cover the surface of your mole, if you cut it any bigger, it will overlap and affect the skin around the mole, possibly  resulting in scarring. Lightly flatten the piece with the blade to squeeze some garlic juice.

2. Put vaseline around the mole. You will need a q-tip to apply the vaseline around the area of the mole. The vaseline protects the skin around the mole. When you apply the garlic on your skin, the juice will lightly burn the mole, removing the layers of skin. The pigment should be gone, and when your skin heals, it will be your normal skin color.

3. Lightly scratch the mole. This is just to make sure that the garlic juice really gets down into your skin. It's not absolutely neccessary, but it may take a little longer to remove the mole if you choose not to.

4. Place the garlic directly on the mole. It's best to use your finger to keep it in place because taping it or using a bandaid can allow the garlic to shift around. Make sure that the only skin the garlic touches is your mole. You don't want the garlic sitting on regular skin. The garlic piece should sit on top of the mole like a puzzle. Keep the garlic on the mole for 15 minutes (edit: some people commented that they had no problems with keeping it on longer, so keep it on for as long as you're comfortable).  If you  find that 15 minutes is too long, you can go ahead and remove it. Keep in  mind that removing it early may mean that you will have to have more of these garlic sessions to fully remove the mole.

5. Wash the area. Clean the garlic juice and vaseline off. This will keep you from smelling like garlic. To remove the garlic smell off of your fingers, just rub them on a stainless steel surface (knife, spoon, sink).

Do this for about 3-5 days or until the pigment is no longer there or the mole scabs over. It took me only 3 days for the mole on my thigh and about 4-5 days for my head mole. The mole on my thigh just rubbed off on the fourth day and the mole on my head scabbed over. When the mole rubs off or scabs over, put some triple antibiotic ointment to encourage healing and prevent scarring.

After the mole comes off, it will leave behind a pink spot where the mole was. You want to prevent it from forming a scab, so it's important to keep it moist with ointment or oils. If it does scab over, it's more likely to leave a scar.

Results may be different for you. My moles were flat and I didn't get any scars. Your mole may not completely go away, only lighten up a bit, or it may go away and come back a week later. It's also possible that you may get a scar. I just wanted to share a method that worked perfectly for me. Hopefully it works for you as well!

If you tried this method, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out for you. I'm curious to see how effective this method is for other people.

Get Some Sleep

You should already know that getting sleep is important. Not getting enough rest makes you look tired which other people  do notice. Have you ever had someone say to you "you look tired"?  What they're really saying is "you're not looking too pretty today".

Sleep allows our body to recuperate and repair damages done throughout the day, allowing our brains to function at an optimal level. There is also a connection between growth and rest, especially for children and teens, as studies have shown that growth hormone is released while we sleep.

How much sleep do we need? It differs from person to person, but most experts agree that adults need 7-9 hours of sleep at night. You might need more hours to wake up feeling rested or you might need less. The most important thing  is to make sleep a priority and make sure you get enough of it.

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

Exercise Your Way To Good Skin

It's amazing how much of an effect exercising has on your skin. Personally, I have found that my skin feels and looks better after I have been exercising regularly. During those times when I'm slacking in my workout schedule, I tend to get a little acne and my skin starts looking dull. So in addition to maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise is a must for flawless skin.


There are a lot of articles out there describing the benefits of exercise for your entire body and skin. There is plenty of science that backs up the claim that exercising keeps your skin nice and clear. Some of the ways exercise helps keep skin in tip-top shape include:

- Lowering stress levels. When we are stressed, our body produces hormones like cortisol, which ultimately triggers extra production of sebum. When we produce too much sebum, it blocks our pores with dead skin cells, causing inflamation and acne.

- Flushing out toxins through sweat. We are continually exposed to toxins and pollutants in the air, the surfaces we touch, and the products we apply to our skin. Sweating during exercise helps remove them from our pores.

- Promoting natural production of collagen. Collagen  is the tissue that keeps your skin elastic and makes it look firm and smooth.

- Toning and conditioning muscles, Exercises that focus on muscles (yoga, weight-lifting) gives not only your body a toned and tighter appearance, but can also help your face as well.

Remember To:
-Wash your face before exercising, otherwise, the dirt or makeup on your face can lead to clogged pores.
-Take a shower after exercising to wash the sweat off your body.
-If you exercise outdoors, be sure to wear a good sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV exposure.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/guide/exercise-your-body-your-skin
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/cleansing/myths/exercise-skin.htm