SKIN FIXES
Is your skin less than flawless? Hey, join the club - nobody's perfect, not even celebrities (they have air-brushing)! No problem - you can put your best face forward, with these simple solutions by Myjellybean.com for irritating skin problems.
Beauty Bummer: Greasy skin
Washing your face twice a day - morning and evening - with salicylic acid cleanser helps control oil, lightly exfoliates skin and prevents clogged pores. Antibacterial soap also helps remove oil and kill acne-causing bacteria. In the morning, either skip the moisturizer, or choose a light, oil-free formula. After your night-time cleanse, use a toner to erase excess oil and dirt before you hit the sheets. Once a week, apply a mask that has oil-absorbing ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or clay. Make sure you've got some oil-blotters in your backpack, and use them to dab away shine during the day.
Beauty Bummer: Dry, flaky skin
Your skin is thirsty! Make sure you're drinking 8 glasses of water a day, to keep it hydrated. Wash your face once a day (in the AM) with a creamy, moisturizing cleanser. Choose a "noncomedogenic" formula, so you don't get clogged pores. If you tend to get breakouts, a cleanser with glycolic or lactic acid is best - these moisturize skin and lightly exfoliate at the same time. Rinse your face well after cleansing. While it's still damp, apply moisturizer to seal in H20.
Beauty Bummer: A big honking zit
To deal with your monster pimple, don't squeeze or pick at it! You'll just spread the infection and make the zit angry (sore and redder). Instead, hold a hot washcloth on the blemish for about 5 minutes, twice a day, to help open the pore and drain the zit. You can also apply an oil-reducing, anti-bacterial blemish treatment. Or, camouflage your zit and treat it at the same time, by using a concealer that contains benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or tea-tree oil.
Beauty Bummer: Blackheads on your nose and chin
These form when oil and dead skin cells clog your pores. Wash your fash twice a day with a grainy scrub. Be very gentle, or you may cause irritation! Then use a daytime, oil-free moisturizer - or a night-time treatment with salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) - to exfoliate pores. You can also try pore strips - they stick to your nose like tape, and when you peel them off, they take blackheads with them. Just don't just these strips right after exfoliating your face, or you could damage your skin.