Cheap Acne Remedies

  Now, I'm no skincare expert but I've suffered from acne on and off for over 15 years.  I've tried countless "acne" products, prescription creams, antibiotics, and have been on Accutane twice.  My skin has been relatively clear for the past 2 years but I still get acne here and there.  Being on Accutane twice has left me with very sensitive and dry skin so I can't use products marketed for the typical oily/acne prone skin. Nor did I find them effective when I had oily skin.

  When my skin was at it's worst a few years ago in desperation I read everything I could about acne and discovered a few tips along the way.  Today I'm going to share my top 5 tips in both preventing and drying up acne.  These all work for me but as everyone's skin is different I cannot guarentee that they will be effective for everyone.  Some of these items you may already have at home so if you're desperate to cure up your pimples, why not try these tips out?

  These 5 items are all things you can find cheaply at Wal-Mart or a drugstore:

1. Tide Free Laundry Detergant: Any gentle laundry detergant will do, this just happens to be the one I have at my apartment right now.  Basically, wash your pillow cases and face towels frequently!  Use a gentle, unscented detergant and don't use fabric softener.  Whenever I go on vacation or sleep over at someone else's house and they use strongly scented detergant I always break out.
2. Spectro Derm for Dry Skin: Use a gentle, soap free, and unscented cleanser.  Cetaphil, Neutrogena, and many other brands make similar cleansers but this one just happens to be my favoruite.
3. Aspirin Masque: Crush up 3-4 Aspirin tablets and mix with either a soap free cleanser or honey.  Leave it on your face for 15 minutes before washing it off.  It will shrink and dry out pimples instantly.
4. Pore Cleansing Pad: You can pick these up at Sephora, Wal-Mart, or purchase this L'Oreal cleanser that comes with one.  Since I use a soap free cleanser I need something to help me ensure I remove all traces of my makeup and this helps deep clean without causing irritation.  You can easily wash this with soap and water too.
5. Diaper Rash Cream: Yes, really!  This contains zinc oxide which helps skin heal.  Acne gels and creams really irritate my skin so I use this instead.  It will dry out pimples (even cystic ones) completey within a few days.  It's also effective at healing razor rash and sunburns.