Does anyone know any good remedies for spots?

Question

I know all the usual stuff like cleanse, tone, moisturise etc. but my spots have got really bad in the past few days. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Use Oil Cleansing Method [OCM], it will stop you getting spots to begin with and help heal up any spots you already have.

With OCM most people start with a 50:50 mix of Extra Virgin Olive Oil : Castor Oil, which most people have in their homes already. The EVOO is moisturizing where as Castor Oil is cleansing – some people will use other oils (I personally use nothing but Jojoba oil, similar to skins natural oils and healing) and will change the mix to perhaps 75:25 or 25:75 depending on their skin type (i.e. if your skin is dry you would use more EVOO to moisturize), and some will also add essential oils such as lavender or tea tree oil (both help prevent and treat spots) – one advantage of OCM is that it is totally customisable so if your skin type changes, as it does very often, you can change the mix to suit your skin.

You put the oil onto your face, then take a facecloth that has been into hot water and rung out and put the facecloth onto your face, leave the facecloth on your face for a minute so it is similar to steaming your face to open up your pores, then wipe off the oil – follow with a toner to help clean off any small excess oil and tighten your pores after they have been opened by the heat of the facecloth.

Reason it works is because it does not strip your skin of it's natural oils – when you wash your face with washes or soap it strips the natural oils that help keep your skin healthy and help keep your pores clean, so your skin is not only not as healthy as it should be but your skin also produces a load more oil to make up for all it has lost.

Reason for OCM being so good is not only is it VERY good for your skin, but it is also very customisable, cheap, easy to get a hold of, easy to use, does not support animal testing (as many commercial products do) and does not contain a load of toxic chemicals (as many commercial products do).

http://www.purehenry.com/ocm.htm
http://www.moogoo.com.au/category13_1.htm
http://community.livejournal.com/naturalliving/437205.html

I personally use OCM to help with hormonal break-outs, spot treatments did nothing in fact if anything they made my spots worse and did nothing for my black heads, I switched to using jojoba oil rather than the EVOO:CO mix as I discovered jojoba oil is closer to the skins natural sebum, I also found on switching that the jojoba oil works better for healing existing acne scaring.
Before using OCM not only were my spots a lot worse but my skin was very oily around my nose and prone to flaking, OCM stopped the flaking and made my face feel like a babies bottom rather than an oil slick, my skin improved within just a week of using OCM – I promise OCM works wonders!

A steam is also really good, all you need is some really hot water and a towel; stick your head over the steaming hot water with the towel over your head for ten minutes. Homemade face packs are also a good idea; pineapple is a good one to use, as is banana, homemade are best because unlike mask you buy in stores these do not contain harmful chemicals that can harm your skin. Make sure to exfoliate, a cheap way of doing this is using apple cider vinegar or using baking soda in small amounts to scrub without drying out the skin, moisturiser is also vital as a lot of people with spots miss out on this under the impression that it will make things worse, but a moisturiser is a good thing – Bio oil is an expensive product but it works as a fantastic moisturiser on the face as well as helping with OCM and healing any existing acne scars.

Homemade face masks - http://www.makeyourowncosmetics.com/recipes/index.asp?cat=facial
Bio oil - http://www.bio-oil.info/en/home

A lot of first aid kits have witch hazel or tea tree oil, the tea tree oil you can use neat on your face but you'd need to dilute the witch hazel as the fluid can be too harsh on the skin - hydrogen peroxide is another similar solution found in first aid kits that is very good for spots, particularly after they are popped to avoid bacteria getting in and making things worse.

Another point is of course diet, diet has a major affect on every aspect of your health and as spots are a sign of toxins being released from the skin it may be something you want to address – consider a detox like a master cleanse (it will help you loose weight in a healthy way too, if you need to) or alternatively just cut out the diary, processed foods and junk opting instead for lots of good foods, raw fruit (bananas especially) and vegetables and lots of water. A good multi-vitamin will help, be sure that this includes zinc to help the body absorb the vitamins.

Answer 2

Try an antioxidant supplement containing vitamins A, C and E and minerals such as zinc and selenium. Zinc is necessary for healthy skin (low levels have been linked with acne), vitamin C is used by the body in collagen production, while vitamins A and E are anti-inflammatory and help protect skin cells from damage.

Nutritionists and naturopaths feel that there's a link between acne and sugar consumption - with studies showing that some people suffering from acne do not process sugar efficiently.

Tea tree essential oil is antiseptic and can help get rid of pimples, though it can dry the skin so you may want to dilute it with a base oil first or try a spot product containing tea tree among other ingredients. Essential oil of lavender is also anti inflammatory, soothing, healing and generally non-irritating - just dab on the affected area.

Of course, too much junk or refined food can also lead to a sluggish gut and constipation, which shows up in the health of the skin. Eat more fruit and vegetables and increase your water intake to keep your gut healthy and help your bowels empty regularly. Eating more wholefoods, fruits, vegetables, protein (for example from fish or tofu) and good fats from oily fish, seeds or nuts is a surefire way to fewer spots.

Choose a multinutrient formula including high levels of vitamin B5 (as well as other B vitamins) to keep hair healthy.

Answer 3

Yes. Go to a chemist and ask for Pan Oxyl 2.5 Aquagel. It will cost about £3 or £4 but you can only get it from behind the counter. Dot it onto your spots morning and night and this will quickly absorb into the skin (allowing you to put your makeup on over the top almost straight away if you wear it because it creates a nice, dry base instantly). The gel dries out the spots and totally speeds up the whole healing process. What would normally take 2-3 days to vanish will only take a day when you use this. My boyfriend and I use it whenever we get a breakout and it definitely works!

Answer 4

Well i think proactive works pretty well. If you wash your face with it everyday it should help acne from coming back, and get rid of what you have already. Proactive also has a refining mask. You put it on for a certain amount of time and then the acne spot is usually almost gone when it comes off. Like you could put it on at night and when you wake up your acne spot will be better. But it doesnt always work for everyone....It works for me but my face heals really fast and easy... I hope i helped!:)

Answer 5

My Doctor prescribes me a gel based product called Nicam gel....I have found it brilliant so long as I use it frequently. If I come out in a few nasties I apply before bed and the next day the inflamation that was building has virtually gone and the next day is gone totally. Obviously what works for one doesnt always work for another but worth a try...goodluck!!

Answer 6

Tea Tree Oil - Put a few drops in your bath or sink.
Failing that ask your doctor about Oxytetracycline tablets, they are a broad spectrum antibacterial medicine and they worked for me.

Answer 7

I'd look at what you've been eating of late. If the fatty foods have been your friend, it can express through your skin. So there's another reason to eat healthy!

Answer 8

just use water and soap lol it worked the best for me but i usually get coverd in spots a couple of days b4 my period so mabe thats got somthin 2 do wit it unless ur a boy lol i didn actually check

Answer 9

tea tree oil is really good for spots and they sell it in stick form in the body shop.

Answer 10

put a bit of toothpaste on them before going to bed .wash off in morning ,works!