How to get rid of spots!

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SPOT ATTACK! Yes, those dreaded little blighters always make an appearance the day or night before a very important occasion; interview or date. But with the festive period soon to be in full swing, I thought I would blog with some great remedies that will stop the zit right in its tracks.

Anti Blemish Products

You and I both know there has been a significant increase in the amount of anti blemish products all claiming the same thing ''antibacterial formulas that will instantly reduce blemishes''. Although  getting rid of the offender is the key issue, so is reducing its appearance. 

Simon Ford, brand manager at Melvite Skincare suggests that 

''Most anti-blemish products focus on anti-bacterial ingredients that tackle the cause of the spot,But if you need an instant result, you should look for products which contain anti-inflammatories that will help to reduce the redness and inflammation that makes the blemish so unsightly.”

(Ford, 2011 cited in Yahoo!, 2011)

A great example of this could be the ingredient 'Tepezcohuite', which comes from the bark of a Mimosa Tree, and is known for the reduction of redness, and soothe spots. With its antibacterial properties, it can also help clear up the infection that caused the spot to occur.

Useful Products
I have come across articles in the past where Chamomile has been a suggested product for soothing zits, but so has Lavender and Ginger.

• Origins Super Spot Remover £12.00 'Blemish Treatment Gel' {Personal recommendation}
• Melvita’s Anti-Blemish Roll On £12.00 {contains Tepezcohuite}
• Soap and Glory Dr Spot Invisible Spot Fighting Gel £8.00 {contains Lavender and Ginger}

Zapping the root cause

Soothing the appearance of zits is one problem, but getting to the root cause of them is another. Ingredients such as Phytosphingosine (a lipid with anti-microbial qualities) Benzoyl peroxide, thyme, manuka honey or aloe vera, all contain anti bacterial properties which fight against the offending spots. 

 

Useful Products

• Dr Lowe's Spot Gel £9.18 - contains Willow Bark, Tea Tree and Thyme
• Sk:n Intense Spot Lotion £12.00 - contains Willow Bark, Salicylic Acid (help skin)

Spot the difference

When I read this part of the article, I immediately began to relate to everything said, so I thought I would feed back to you the tips suggested by Celebrity facialist Ole Henriksen. 

 

• Spot that appears pimple like, containing puss {apologies for detail}, apply a warm compress and hold for a minute {You can repeat as many times as necessary}
• Next, with a soft cotton handkerchief {I personally use 2 cotton buds, 1 in each hand} wrap around your fingertips, and gently squeeze until the substance releases
• After squeezing, dab the spot with either a spot gel, apple cider vinegar or I personally like TCP {which I know smells incredibly potent, but it'll dry up the spot overnight, leaving no sign of the blighter}

 

Some of you may be lucky, and not suffer with these type of spots, but they often live underneath the skin, never visible to the eye, but are incredibly painful; cystic spots. To remedy these zits requires a different approach.

 

• Whatever you do, you must never squeeze them
• Apply a clay mask instead of an overnight spot treatment
• If you don't have a clay mask, try an ice cube! Wrap an ice cube into a thin handkerchief, and massage into the spot for approximately 30 seconds at a time on and off for an hour.

Hope some of you found this post of interest to you, as I found it quite interesting. Full article can be found here.

 

PS: Have you entered my giveaway? If not, click here

 

PPS: I have not been paid by any of the companies mentioned in this blog post.