The Unsung Heroes of Skin Care

You know, there are a lot of potions and lotions and serums and such vying for attention from all who desire beautiful, healthy skin.  It would behoove both men and women to invest in great skin care, but I would argue that that investment need not cost a fortune.  Sometimes it's the simplest things that do the most for the very least.  I know of three tried and true items that are sure to give your skin care regimen a boost... and all are easily accessed for around one dollar each.

Let's say you have a breakout or perhaps maybe just one pimple that's giving you angst.  Dousing a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol) and wiping it over the irritated area or simply placing the wet ball on it for a minute or two will help to soak up the offending oils that are trapped in the pores causing the bump and dry it out.  I sometimes like to perform a preemptive strike and wipe my face down as soon as I see the beginnings of a bump, pimple or breakout.  I do this as part of my nighttime regimen and usually by morning, the bump has flattened and dried out.  If not, I do it again.  Also, the higher the percentage listed on the bottle, the stronger it is.  You need not go the maximum; seventy percent is all that's needed.

Witch hazel is my absolute love when it come to skin care.  Many use it as a toner (which rids the skin of residue from soap or anything else left behind after washing), but I love to use it to help soothe my skin from irritation/redness that may occur doing a break out.  Not only that, it flattens out pimples and bumps just like the alcohol, but is less drying.  It exfoliates and leaves my skin feeling soft after washing, too.  It is a skin care super power - it does it all!

Now the previous two items are to help dry out pimples before they settle on your face and possibly leave their mark.  But let's say you have a break out/pimple that's full grown... perhaps even with an ugly whitehead peeking out from the engorged pore.  In your mind, you can't walk around with this monstrosity planted on your face.  Gross!  In your mind, you feel that you have no choice but to get rid of it and, yes, pop it.  Well, although I normally would not advocate popping it because that WILL cause scarring on its own, desperate times call for desperate measures.  And that's where hydrogen peroxide comes in for the rescue.

If you pop your pimple (sorry, guys), first make sure to get all of the whitehead/puss/gunk out.  Leaving these behind will cause the bump to remain and worse - discolor and SCAR.  There may be traces of blood left so try your best to squeeze as much of that out, too.  And when you're done, put some hydrogen peroxide on your finger (or cotton ball) and dab it on the spot and leave it there.  It may bubble up slightly to a white foam, but don't be alarmed - it's doing its work.  This skin care dynamo is cleaning out the scar and sucking up the last bit of blood left behind like a vampire.  In the morning, if the pimple was small, IT WILL BE FLAT AND GONE.  If it was big, it may have a small scab on it.  DO NOT PICK IT.  When it falls off naturally within a day or so, THERE WILL BE NO TRACE OF THE PIMPLE WHATSOEVER.  I am not even joking.  I have done this several times and all with the same result; pimple-free, scar-free skin.  It is amazing.

I know that most of you have heard of these items and some may already use them successfully.  But for those who haven't and don't, you may want to check them out.  They are easily accessible, can work wonders on your skin and have no problem fitting into whatever regimen you currently have.  And on top of all that, they're cheap!  

So there you have it.  The ultimate triad of skin care heroes.  And to think, you get all that awesomeness for only a dollar each?  Yes, please and thank you!