A light and glowing skin complexion is something that everyone longs for. In the quest to attain this, most of us tend to rely on commercial skin products, such as lotions, bleaches and creams. Nevertheless, this tendency seems to be changing as the awareness about natural skin care remedies is increasing. Most often, our kitchen cabinets contain all the natural ingredients necessary to make our skin look lighter and more radiant, that too without the side effects associated with chemical products. All it takes is some enlightenment to explore and apply the remedy that suits us. Read on to learn more!

Virtually every person encounters skin problems at some point in their life, be it acne, darkening, pigmentation, dark spots or wrinkles. Part of these issues can be attributed to the natural process of aging, but many of them are due to pollution, exposure to the sun's ultra-violet rays, stress, hormones, lifestyle, etc. Using natural remedies to lighten your skin complexion, i.e. bleach or whiten your skin,can provide natural clear skin by addressing the underlying problems. Unlike commercial lotions and acne products that cause side effects, natural remedies tend to moisturize and rejuvenate the skin effectively. Fruits and vegetables, such as lemon, orange, papaya and onion that form a part of our regular diet can provide an effective skin care regimen. Almond oil, milk and honey have excellent moisturizing properties, meaning that they serve to prevent skin damage when used in combination with relatively stronger ingredients.

Lemon is a citrus fruit that has natural bleaching properties that help lighten the skin tone and remove acne scars. As part of your daily skin care regimen, you can apply lemon juice on your face with a cotton ball, leave for about five minutes and rinse. Lemon juice can be mixed with honey or almond oil to increase its effectiveness. A facemask of lemon, sandalwood powder and tomato juice will tone and rejuvenate the skin. Allow the mask to dry before rinsing it off. If you are specifically looking for a remedy to heal sunburn-induced skin damage, the best suggestion is to apply a mix of lemon juice and turmeric powder. Both have bleaching properties.

Another citrus fruit that has effective skin-lightening properties is orange. An easy recipe is to grind dried orange peels and mix with yoghurt to make a paste. Apply it on the face and wash after about 15 minutes. This treatment lightens your skin tone and also eliminates blemishes.

Among other remedies, oatmeal is an excellent ingredient to make a skin whitening face mask. Make mixture of oatmeal, yoghurt and tomato juice, apply it on your face, leave for about 20 minutes, and rinse. A solution of equal quantities of white vinegar and water can also lighten your skin. Leave it on the skin for about 10 minutes before washing it off. Onion and vinegar juice provide acne solutions and lighten the skin through exfoliation. Aloe Vera helps in skin regeneration, while potato slices can remove pigmentation.

External natural remedies must be complemented by a healthy and balanced diet. It is important to consume fresh fruits and vegetables and drink enough water to keep your skin hydrated and eliminate toxic substances.

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What is Acne?

Acne is a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Some of the characteristics of acne include black heads, pimples, cysts, infected abscesses, and rarely scarring. Acne usually occurs during adolescence in both men and women. To be more specific, acne starts during puberty and tends to get worse for people with oily skin. Acne badly affects teenage boys. Only mild to moderate forms of acne occur in middle-aged women. Acne can be seen most commonly on the face. The other places where it can occur include the neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms and legs. Most forms of acne are the result of heredity and hormonal problems and has nothing to do with a harmful diet or poor hygiene.

Types of acne

Acne starts in a similar way for all but can take different forms and can react in a unique way according to the body conditions of the individual. A basic lesion called the comedo is the beginning of acne. The comedo is an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria residing under the surface of your skin, that waits for the right conditions to grow into an inflamed lesion. Whenever the skin produces more oil, the bacteria grows within the swollen follicle. The surrounding skin becomes increasingly inflamed as your white blood cells fight against the intruders. Two main types of acne include non-inflammatory acne and inflammatory acne.

Non-inflammatory acne

Closed comedo:

If the plugged follicle stays below the surface of the skin, the lesion is called a closed comedo. This usually appears on the skin as small, whitish bumps. This condition is otherwise called as whitehead.

Open comedo :

If the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin, the lesion is called an open comedo. The dark appearance of the plug is not due to dirt, but due to the buildup of melanin, the pigmentation element of the skin. This condition is otherwise called as blackhead.

Inflammatory acne

Papule:

This appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. The papules are tender in nature and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and clearly inflammatory lesions.

Pustule:

These are small round lesions that are inflamed and contain visible pus, which appear red at the base with a yellowish or whitish center. Pustules do not contain a large amount of bacteria. The inflammation is caused by chemical irritation from sebum components such as fatty free acids.

Cyst:

These are large pus-filled lesions that are usually present deep within the skin. The cysts are very painful lesions, as they are inflamed. Cysts form as a result of the contents of a comedo spilling over the surrounding skin and due to the response of the local immune system in producing pus. The cysts often leave deep scars.

Acne conglobata:

This is a rare but serious form of inflammatory acne that develops primarily on the back, buttocks, and chest. In addition, to the presence of pustules and cysts, there may be severe bacterial infection.

Symptoms

The common symptoms of acne include persistent, recurrent red spots or swellings on the skin known as pimples. The pimples become inflamed and get filled with pus. The pimples usually occur on the face, chest, shoulders, neck, or upper portion of the back. Some of the other symptoms include dark spots with open pores at the center, which are known as blackheads, bulged spots under the skin without openings, which are known as whiteheads, and red swellings or lumps filled with pus, which are known as pustules. The pustules can develop from blackheads or whiteheads. Inflamed fluid-filled lumps under the skin known as cysts are also a symptom of acne. These cysts can become as large as an inch across.


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Acne is among the biggest beauty woes. All the theories and concepts that 
explain the causes of acne tell us that clogged skin-pores harbor bacteria and 
lead to inflammation. Does the pore size matter? Probably yes, because the 
larger the pores, the higher the oil secretion and greater the susceptibility to
  acne. Read on to learn how to deal with large pores and the resultant
acne-prone  oily skin.


Large facial pores can be attributed to several reasons, including genetics, 
aging, gender, nutrition, stress, health conditions and improper skin-care 
regimen. Those who are genetically inclined to large or open pores must turn to 
precautionary skin care measures instead of searching for corrective measures 
after the pores enlarge. When it comes to aging, your skin produces lesser 
quantities of collagen and elastin as you age so as to lose its tightened 
appearance.  Hence, loss of skin elasticity, along with sun exposure can distend
  the pores and make them look bigger. Women go through different stages of 
hormonal changes, such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause, so their skin pores 
are more prone to enlargement.


If you have over-active oil glands on your skin, and you don't maintain a 
proper skin care regimen, continual oozing of oil and clogging of skin pores 
will eventually cause your pores to lose their elasticity. This leads to open 
pores, which render a pale look. When compared to oily and combination skin 
types, normal and dry skin complexions have smaller pores. However, overly dry 
skin is prone to clogged pores.


And now for the remedy, if you have enlarged pores and are suffering from 
acne, the best approach to solve both the problems is to follow the right skin 
care routine. Twice-a-day cleansing is widely recommended, but make sure to use 
warm water and avoid scrubbing. Pat-dry after washing. For milder cleansing, opt
  for products containing benzoyl peroxide rather than salicylic acid because the
  former controls oil and bacteria, while the latter mildly exfoliates the skin 
surface to unclog pores, check acne and improve the skin tone.


The most common side-effect of topical acne products is excessive dryness of 
the skin. So, the best way to nourish your skin is to use an oil-free 
moisturizer. Women who can't do without cosmetics must opt for non-comedogenic 
products, i.e. formulations that will not clog the pores. When it comes to 
prescription treatments, topical retinoids are considered effective in 
minimizing pores. However, they may trigger allergic reactions and require 
constant medical supervision.  Additionally, it is important to stick to 
instructions because over-enthusiasm may prompt you to over-use the 
formulations, inviting conspicuous side-effects and discouragement. Acne home 
remedies are usually free from side effects. Also, it is advisable to avoid 
using too many applications simultaneously.


Given that oily skin is more prone to acne, we may infer that controlling the
  pore-size can control the acne problem and vice versa. Smaller pores render 
tighter skin, which gives you a youthful and lively look. Regardless of the 
size, clean and healthy pores are the key to natural clear skin.



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Acne has long been one among the most common issues among many people. No one
  can tolerate it because of the psychological and social problems it creates for
  him. So how can one treat it? There are so many medications available. But the 
most effective way to begin treating one's skin condition is to take steps to 
stop it. Below are some natural remedies for acne prevention that will show  the
  way to prevent acne.

 1.Wash  face two times a day.

 Cleansing the skin is the most important pimples prevention step one can 
take. Daily one should wash his face two times  with a mild soap. This will 
remove the dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells and the excess oils which will cause 
breakouts. But do not over wash. It will end in more breakouts.

 2.Reduce stress level.

 Research show that anxiety and tension can also cause acne breakouts. Though 
it is not possible to get away from stress, one can always handle it properly to
  keep away from its side effects. Lack of ability to handle stress can make a 
person susceptible to skin problems like acne. By sleeping enough time, eating 
the healthy food, doing some meditations and keeping away from stressful 
situations, one can cut his stress level.

 3.Do some physical exercise daily.

 Doing regular exercise can cut one's stress level and help stop acne. When 
one work out, his skin gets more blood supply which give more oxygen to his 
skin. The sweating also cleans one's skin pores, also facilitating to end acne. 
Taking a shower soon after the work out is necessary.

 4.Drink enough water daily.

 One of the healthy ways to avoid acne would be to enhance the water intake. 
Sufficient water intake stimulates removal of toxins and maintains the skin 
hydrated.

 5.Eat healthy food.

 Avoid certain food items that enhance acne flare ups such as junk foods. By 
removing unhealthy foods from one's diet, he is reducing the amount of toxin 
being removed from his skin pores. Thus, one can stop an acne outbreak from 
development by eating a healthier diet. Add to diet zinc,vitamin A and E to help
  with acne prevention. Each of these vitamins and minerals can help to cut acne 
in its own way.

 The above mentioned natural remedies for acne prevention offer an effortless,
  low-cost solution to keep acne at bay. Pursuing these tips will undoubtedly 
safeguard the skin from acne problems.

 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Murugesan_Chockalingam 

Most people become angry and frustrated when dealing with acne. This is 
especially true of teenagers. Acne causes embarrassment and mars a person's 
appearance, and this is very upsetting to young teens; however, it doesn't have 
to be. It is really a lot easier to deal with acne than most people realize. It 
just takes using the right tips in the right situations. In this article, we 
will share a lot of practical, doable tips that will help you get your acne 
under control.

 Avoid touching your face throughout the day and at night when you are asleep.
  Many people tend to sleep with their cheek resting on their hand or with their 
fists against their chin; however, this is a bad practice that can cause germs, 
bacteria and oil to build up and encourage breakouts. Take care to keep your 
hands away from your face.

 There is a lot of debate over whether or not to pop pimples. Generally 
speaking, those that are very large and/or painful should be popped, but it's 
very important that you clean the pimple and the skin around it and also clean 
your hands thoroughly first. Be sure to wash up afterward as well. Treat the 
popped pimple with a natural antibacterial such as tea tree oil to kill germs 
and assist in healing.

 The use of skin peels containing hydroxyl acids and/or salicylic acid can be 
helpful in diminishing acne. This sort of treatment can be used once a week or 
so to help slough off old skin and reveal new, fresh skin. This treatment also 
helps remove acne and blackheads, reduces oil and helps the skin to heal.

 Be sure your bed linens are clean. This includes both your sheets and your 
pillowcases. While you are asleep, the oils and sweat from your skin can soak 
into your sheets and pillowcases. When this happens, germs and bacteria grow and
  transfer back to your skin the next time you get in bed. This is a vicious
cycle  that adds up to more acne and skin irritation. Be sure to change your bed
sheets  at least once a week, and change your pillowcase every night before you
go to  bed.

 Avoid extremes of temperature. Both very hot and very cold weather can 
aggravate acne. In hot weather, be sure to stay well hydrated and rest when you 
become overheated. If you sweat copiously during the day, be sure to take a bath
  or shower at night so that you are not going to bed with oil, germs and
bacteria  built up on your skin. Use an oil-free moisturizer during the winter
to protect  your skin against harsh, cold, dry air because this can cause your
skin to over  produce oil.

 Clearly, taking care of your acne is not impossible and it doesn't need to be 
frustrating. Consistent, intelligent, gentle care will keep your skin healthy 
and attractive. Follow the tips presented here to get your acne under 
control.

 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlos_E_Moretti