Who Needs Pimples?
By Mandy, age 13, Oklahoma
Acne Control that Works
I hoped my last article worked for all you people out there. :DZits, pimples, and acne... the horror of teenage girls everywhere. There are probably about a million solutions out there. Some that work, some that don't do anything ... which is a total waste of your money. So what products do work? (Please note that these products work on my skin type; they may or may not work for you.)
Aspirin
If you read [use link] my last article about the aspirin mask, it works great for me, and it's totally inexpensive too. I used it for about four weeks, and my skin has been clear ever since. :) The cost of a small bottle of 100 tablets is 99 cents at Walgreens.
If this doesn't work for you, there are other ways too:
Neutrogena Complete Acne Therapy System
My dad bought this for my sister who has a lot of acne on her forehead. I used some when she wasn't looking because I was starting to break out. It works really well. Within a day, my sister's acne started to clear up, as did mine. :) You get a lotion for daytime and nighttime. It contains SPF. :D Cost is $22.99 at Walgreens.
Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment
Cheap, and it works really well for that pimple that is starting to show up. :D It goes on clear, so you can put your makeup over it too. Plus, it was given the "Readers' Kiss" for Best Pimple Fighter in CosmoGirl! (Cost is $7 at drugstore.com.)
More Tips
To keep your skin clear in a natural way, I recommend drinking 8 glasses (or 5 bottles) of water a day to flush out the toxins in your face. Eat your fruits and veggies too! :D Carrots are especially good for your skin.
Okay, so there's a pimple that didn't go away ... and now you have to go to school. The last thing you want is to go back to school with a pimple, right? I'll tell you how to cover up those pimples ... or at least how to draw attention away from them.
Concealer or Foundation?
Concealer is not for zits. It is usually used for covering up your under-eye circles. Since a concealer is lighter than your skin tone, putting it on your zits will draw more attention to them. So leave the concealer for your under-eye circles, and stick to cream or stick foundation. It's important to get exactly the same color of foundation to match your skin color, so be careful, or you'll end up looking like a victim of a really bad tanning incident, or else as pale as a ghost!!
Let's Get Started! :)
1) Spread an oil-free moisturizer all over your face. Use your finger to pat a little extra moisture on zits, as they will absorb it. The idea is to have a smooth surface. (Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle SPF 15 is $12.49 at Walgreens.)2) To take it another step, use a clear zit medicine, and pat it on your zits. Wait 5 minutes for the medicine to absorb. This is so the medicine can work during the day. (Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment is $7 at drugstore.com.)
3) Use your finger or a thin brush to cover the zits with foundation. Don't overdo it by over-rubbing or over-blending. The only thing that would do is blow your whole cover! (Covergirl TruBlend Makeup Liquid Foundation is $9 at drugstore.com, and earned the "Readers' Kiss Award" from CosmoGirl! for Best Foundation.)
4) Set with a yellow toned powder and a cotton powder puff. Wipe off excess powder with a brush.
But what do you do if the zit is still showing or you're not happy with your cover-up? :O
Color
When you go outside does your zit really disappear? Yellow tones are what you should look for when buying foundation and power. Shop for these products and be careful: 90% of what is sold is pink. Before buying a product, make sure that you test it first. Try the product on your face and check it out in the daylight before you buy it!
Texture
If the pimple is dry because it is healing, don't be afraid to moisturize it. Oil-free lotion doesn't make you break out, I swear!
Size
If the zit is just too big and red to cover up don't touch it! If you pick at it, it will make the pimple more inflamed and may take longer to heal. Do your best at covering it up, and then put some fun colors on your eyes and lips to take attention away from it.
Wishing all of you out there a great first day of school! :D
Mandy
