Women generally wear makeup to look good and feel more confident about themselves. Makeup also conceals a great many blemishes and scars you would be otherwise not willing to show off. The other side of makeup is however not that pleasant as oily products and cosmetics can clog the skin pores that can give rise to acne. The emerging culture for beauty is therefore boasting of something called the Mineral Makeup for all kinds of sensitive skin.

Unlike most traditional cosmetic products, mineral makeup has a hypoallergenic loose powder base that hydrates the skin naturally, and contains none of these – perfumes, dyes, alcohol or preservatives.

Benefits of Mineral Makeup
Mineral makeup has the following benefits for users:

• It works as a sunscreen agent with the presence of effective antioxidants and minerals and protects the skin from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun
• Mineral makeup contains favorable ingredients for the skin such as zinc, gold, titanium, magnesium, and aluminum that naturally relaxes and refreshes the skin
• Mineral makeup can be used after peels or lasers as it can soothe the skin from the redness, itching, inflamed or flaking tendencies
• Mineral makeup contains properties that can cool the skin and encourages quicker healing
• It is light and does not feel like a mask (comfortable to sleep with)
• Unlike traditional powders, mineral makeup does not perpetuate wrinkling (oxidants, vitamins and minerals hydrate naturally and hide the wrinkles)
• It suits sensitive skin and does not aggravate or cause clogging of pores, dryness, allergies or acne conditions

Cyclic acne basically refers to premenstrual breakouts in women in their teens and till their mid thirties. Cyclic or premenstrual acne last for 4-5 days and can cause great damage to your self-esteem and social life. One thing women need to know is that premenstrual breakouts cannot be treated by washing the face. It is a hormonal cause that can be improved only with diet and supplements.

Treating Cyclic Acne

DIET: Some doctors believe that diet has everything to do with acne. Toxic foods have a tendency to show up in the form of acne breakouts. Recognizing toxic foods therefore becomes important for women who get their periods. However, this depends on factors such as body type and sensitivity towards certain foods. In many cases, it is found that the foods which women crave for before their periods actually lead to acne breakouts. Controlling your cravings and replacing it with healthy and nutritious foods can prevent cyclic acne.

SUPPLEMENTS: Supplements such as fatty acids which contain flaxseed oil and fish are helpful in treating cyclic acne. Many women have witnessed its best results when they include fatty acids in their daily meals. Besides, fatty acids come with additional benefits for the nails and hair. Rejuvenation of the skin is what this wonder pill can do for you in those traumatic days of pain and embarrassment.

It has never been easy to decipher what causes acne. However, there are certain factors which have a direct or indirect impact on the acne condition and can worsen or aggravate it. Depending on the severity of the condition, acne also takes its own time to heal. So apart from knowing what to do (i.e., eat right, sleep well, etc); it is important to know what is to be avoided such as squeezing, picking and more.

What to Avoid?
Things to avoid for acne cure include:

• Though scientifically unproven, you may realize that certain foods maybe aggravating the acne. In such a case, it is better to avoid those foods.
• Certain cosmetic products can also cause acne by clogging the pores and making them swell to form blackheads. So avoid oily cosmetic products that can aggravate and cause acne. Non-acnegenic or non-comedogenic cosmetics are also available in the market today.
• Do not over wash. Most people think that acne is caused by dirt or not washing which is not true. It is caused by clogging of the pores and oily sebaceous glands. So do not wash too often or scrub too hard.
• Sweat, perspiration or humidity aggravates the acne condition. So wear loose clothes and keep fresh and clean.
• Avoid or curb stress by engaging yourself in healthy workouts or recreational activities.
• Certain contraceptive pills can also cause acne (consult physician to avoid medicines that can perpetuate acne)
• Do not squeeze or pick acne as it can lead to scarring

Among some of the related questions to acne cure is whether ice really helps. Experts suggest that ice does help in giving relief to the inflamed and aching acne but cannot cure acne completely. In fact, applying ice actually speeds the healing process of other treatments for acne. For example, swollen pores generally remain close. So ice helps in reducing the swelling and hence opens the pores for other treatments to work effectively on the bacteria.

The ice treatment actually works effectively with the three-step cure for acne which includes getting rid of the dead cells (salicylic acid), unclogging the pores (Glycolic acid) and killing the bacteria (benzoyl peroxide) causing the infection.

Ice Treatment for Acne

• Firstly, wash your face with acne soap. Then gently apply ice cubes over the affected acne infected region. Do not freeze the face but have it around for a while. This would reduce the acne swelling.
• Secondly, apply the medicine over the infected region after dabbing the area dry. The opened pores will now absorb the medicine and speed the healing process.
• Thirdly, huddle ice cubes into a cloth and gently dab over the acne affected region now also applied with medicine. This will help the pores to absorb the medicine further.

Ice cannot cure the pimples or acne but it can certainly be a relief to a severe acne condition and can speed the healing process.

Many people seek for natural cures for acne. This is usually on account of skin sensitivity or allergic reactions towards certain drugs. Sometimes, natural remedies have proved to be the best cure for acne rather than medication. It is possible because sometimes the body simply needs good nutrition and proper skin care.

Natural Cure for Acne
Listed below are some natural ways to cure acne:

• Apply honey as a face mask once or twice in a week as it contains anti-bacterial properties
• Wash you face twice daily with a sulfur based soap
• Keep your hair tied or don’t let it fall over your face
• Take a multi-vitamin supplement
• Start chromium supplement in your diet as it helps fight skin infections
• Include beta-carotene for vitamin A such as carrots in your diet
• Avoid makeup for a while
• Do not squeeze or pick blackheads or pimples
• Change your pillow cover often
• Include zinc in your diet as it contains anti-bacterial properties

Acne is a group of skin rashes that have different causes. It is most commonly experienced in puberty, and the lesions usually occur on face, neck, shoulders and chest.

Acne, rather than a health problem, is much about how you feel or how you look.

The treatment for Acne
The goals of the treatment are:

• Heal existing lesions.
• Prevent the formation of new lesions.
• Minimize the psychological stress.

Depending on the extent of the problem, doctor may suggest an OTC (over-the-counter) medicine or prescription medicine. Some of them are topical (applied to the skin) and some of them are oral.

Treatment for mild stages of acne
For people with mild signs of acne, OTC or prescription topical medicine can be used. Most commonly used OTC acne medicines are:

• Benzoyl Peroxide
• Salicylic Acid
• Sulfur
• Resorcinol

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They are commonly available in different forms like gels, creams, lotions, soaps and pads. Sometimes the use of these medicines may cause side effects such as skin irritation, burning and redness.

Treatment for moderate to severe stages of acne
Normally prescription topical or oral medicines are used alone or in combination for the treatment.

Prescription Topical Medicines

• Antibiotics
• Vitamin-A derivatives (retinoids)

Like OTC topical medicines, they also come in forms of gels, creams, lotions and soaps. Depending up on the skin type, the doctor will prescribe the product. These medicines also can cause side effects.

Prescription Oral Medicines

• For the moderate or severe stage acne patients, oral antibiotics are prescribed. They help to control acne by restricting the growth of bacteria and reducing inflammation. Prolonged treatment is required to achieve necessary results.
• Vitamin-A derivatives

Treatments for hormonally influenced acne in women
The doctor may suggest one of the many drugs for this treatment.

• Birth control pills to suppress the androgen (male hormones) produced by ovaries.
• Medicines to suppress the androgen produced by adrenal glands
• Medicines to control excessive oil production.

Acne facials
This involves going to a spa or health center and performing a special cleansing of the skin. This is having short term effects, but long term effects are disputed.

Other Treatments
There are a lot of other treatments available for acne. Early treatment is the best way to prevent acne scars. Moreover, it is very important to obtain good information regarding your acne from a medical professional.

Acne is not a life shattering disease, but severe forms of acne can lead to scarring. There are also different types of scars and also there are some spots, which may not be scars. These are referred to as pseudo scars. They are red colored spots, which could be residues of inflamed acne. These may vanish after a few months without a trace.

What causes Scars?
Scars are formed at the spot where a lesion is formed, because it would have injured the tissue. The two kind of scars that are formed are depressed scars and raised keloids.

Increased tissue formation results in scars and these are called keloids or hypertrophic scars. Increased amounts of cell substance, namely, collagen becomes a fibrous mass and causes keloids. These keloids are usually tiny scars and is observed to be genetic.

Whenever there is excess oil secretion on skin resulting in blocking of follicles, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. This sends signals to the white blood cells that act as the defense mechanism of the body. They try and repair the damage or injury caused and after the infection subsides, some molecules may remain on the site causing scars.

However, it is not an universally occurring phenomenon. Certain people are more susceptible to scarring than others. Inflamed nodules and hardened cysts are more likely to leave scars than other types of moderate acne.

There are some scars which may be permanent in certain people, but some skin types display changes with time and scars may diminish or completely disappear. Some acne patients are acutely sensitive about scars and feel embarrassed to appear in public.

Scarring can be prevented to a certain extent; but sure shot solutions are hard to come by.

Acne needs to be treated in the early stages and this can prevent scarring. A dermatologist is the best person to treat acne and his advice must be strictly followed.

Types of Acne Scars
There are two general types of acne scars, scars caused by increased tissue formation, and scars caused by loss of tissue.

Treatments for Acne Scars
There are a lot of treatments available for acne scars. Surgery is one of the methods of treating scars. The decision to undergo dermatological surgery depends on your type of skin, the afford ability factor, and your expectations from the treatment.

Some people are ready to live with scars and are willing to wait for its disappearance. Also, if the scars are disfiguring it is best to consult a dermatologist and seek his opinion. At times, total restoration of skin quality may not be possible, but it can definitely improve the appearance of your skin and face. The treatment may last for a few months to show positive results.

However remember prevention is the better than cure. Avoid over scrubbing and abrading your skin to prevent scars. Resist the temptation to pop your zits.

One of the popular myths about acne is that it is caused by poor diet. However, dermatologists dispel this myth. Poor diet may not cause acne, but it may aggravate acne.

A lot of acne patients try many fad diets like, Vegetarianism, vegan ism, low-carb diet, fruit diet, raw food diet, and so on. However, there is no concrete proof to prove the positive effects of such diets.

There is no single diet or factor that can cause acne. There are several internal factors, which are responsible for causing acne.

Some dietary factors that may influence acne are discussed below.

• Meat eating women are prone to acne: Meat and poultry can impair the hormonal balance in the body. Women who eat meat often may be affected by acne and unwanted hair growth because of the hormones and steroids in meat.
• Essential Fatty Acids can control Acne: Essential Fatty Acids are successful in maintaining hormonal balance. Hence it could prove beneficial to include sunflower, soyabean, flaxseeds and corn oil, which are rich in EFAs in your diet.
• Vitamin A supplements can control Acne: Vitamin A supplements restore hormonal balance. They can even help cure scars left from pigmented lesions. A diet that consists of green leafy vegetables, fruits like mangoes, peaches have found it an effective cure for acne. Selenium coupled with vitamins A & E reduces the severity of persistent acne and cure scarring.
• Zinc is a cure for Acne: Zinc deficiency increases an increase in androgen. A diet that is low fat and rich in zinc gluconate has successfully cured patients with persistent acne. Include whole grains, pumpkin seeds, and brazil nuts in your diet.

It is commonly believed that fatty foods, pizzas, chocolates, sodas are responsible for Acne. It is however, not true. While these could probably be responsible for some nutrition related problems, they are not known to cause acne.

Since a nutritious balanced diet is essential for remaining healthy it may be better to avoid such food.