Big, Red, and Angry...

It never fails the day before a big event a new little friend starts brewing on your chin. At first you try to ignore it but every time you smile the pain from the the soon to be zit is hard to ignore. Next comes the throbbing and the temptation to squeeze hoping  to get some kind of relief. This is when you need to tap into your inner self control super hero!! Remember your beauty and brains. All that self chatter trying to convince you to pick should be ignored immediately! Picking before your pimple is ready will only make things worse and potentially leave a nasty scar. We've all been there before, one little squeeze becomes an MMA style blood and gut fest with absolutely nothing positive being accomplished.  You'll be left with an oozy, swollen mess...NOT GOOD and super hard to hide! With deeper cystic like acne there's no quick fix so patience is a must. Try these helpful tips to help alleviate the redness and swelling so you can be more confident when you walk down the red carpet...

• Stop looking in the mirror - this little tip came from my beautiful daughter and seems like a no brainer but in reality we all catch ourselves focusing on our new friend

• Soak Q-tips in Visine, store them in a zip lock bag and throw them in the freezer. Use the individual pre-soaked Q-tips  through out the day to help take the red out and reduce swelling.

• Take an aspirin to help with the tenderness and swelling you may be experiencing

• Apply a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream. You can find this at any drug or grocery store and the cost is very low. Hydrocortisone will help with inflammation.

• Crush up an aspirin and mix with enough Visine to make a paste. Apply like you would a mask and let sit for 15-20 minutes. This concoction will help with the redness and inflammation as well.       

I hope these inexpensive tips help you feel more confident and provide some relief to get you through your evening out. Remember...there's not enough make up out there that can cover up a oozy mess!! Wait until after your event to use your PPK kit to destroy the unwanted eruption!!

BE beautiful because your FACE MATTERS...

Acid Relief...

Salicylic Acid is a beta-hydroxy acid that promotes surface exfoliation in a leave on form. Lotion is the most popular form but it can be found in forms like toners, cleansers and roller ball spot treatments. When left on the skin it will help dissolve the top layer of the Stratum Corneum. Click below to see an image and a brief definition of this important superficial layer of the skin: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-stratum-corneum.htm#anatomy-of-the-epidermis

When the Stratum Corneum becomes piled up with dead skin cells your fine lines look a little deeper, you skin has a dull, lackluster complexion and can experience comedonal acne. See image and definition: http://healthh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/comedonal-acne-pictures-4.jpg http://healthh.com/comedonal-acne/

Types of acne that benefit from salicylic acid are comedonal acne, black heads and overall prevention and correction of your misbehaving skin.

You'll thank me later for all these links! I am a very visual person so I am hoping you are too:) Plus, I mastered how to add links the correct way all by myself!! Those of you that know me realize what a challenge the world of electronics is to me and is an enormous contributing factor as to why my posts take forever to get written.

Exfoliation + Exfoliation = Aggravation

I say this catchy little phrase in my treatment room and wanted to share it with my readers too! So many of us don't realize that some of the products we use at home can wreak havoc on our skin when we don't know how to manage them in our daily lives. Have you ever been burned or had some skin ripped off after having your brows waxed? That little situation could have been avoided if you would have stopped using your topical exfoliants 48 to 72 hours before! Below is a list of what I consider exfoliation:)

Retin-A/Retinols Glycolic, Salicylic or Lactic acids Clarisonic Brush or any other knock of that type Threading/Waxing/Shaving Manual scrubs such as St. Ives Apricot Scrub Microdermabrasion Any prescription given by your Doctor to treat acne Hydroquinone

Here's a quick example of what NOT to do...

Clarisonic  +  Retin-A = Aggravation

Hope this phrase will stick with you to help you avoid a potential skin disaster. You keep reading, I'll keep sharing! BE Beautiful because your face matters...