Welcome to Acne Anonymous

The adventures of ‘Pizza Face’ and her struggles with acne, as told by Armani Syed…

If there’s one area of expertise in which my knowledge is plentiful, it is skincare; specifically, skincare for the persistent, people sniggering in the street, kind of acne. Following the stress of exam season, I took some preventative measures to ensure that my old friend ‘violent breakout’ was less likely to pay me a visit – and so for all my fellow members of acne anonymous, I’d like to introduce myself: Hi, I’m Armani and it’s been six months since my last breakout.

I thought it would be helpful to share my most and least recommended products for treating blemishes. From home remedies to the pricey treatment kits thrown into adverts between Teen Mom and Catfish, I’ll give an honest account of what has proved most effective, warts and all (well, blemishes). I would like to clarify that I am in no way a dermatological professional, I’m just an individual sharing personal experiences that may not always be effective for other people.

Cheap Tricks: My home remedies or household items that have reported benefits for helping to achieve a two dimensional complexion.

• Sudocrem:

This over-the-counter cream is marketed as a nappy rash treatment for babies, so what better way to achieve that ‘smooth as a baby’s backside’ finish? The reason I would recommend this is due to its antiseptic nature; it’s an excellent way to shield blemishes from further dirt but it’s also effective at reducing facial redness. Whilst its mild nature doesn’t boast instant results, as a cream that costs nothing more than a few pounds from drug stores, it’s a definite must have for daily usage.

• Toothpaste:

This is a commonly heard trick that completely divides nations. Some see it as a random substitute to eradicate those stubborn mini-mountains that products like Sudocrem just aren’t equipped to deal with, whilst others have found that applying toothpaste can cause some skin discolouration in darker skin tones. Generally, when dabbed onto individual spots, toothpaste can prove to be a drying agent that helps absorb excess oils and ultimately causes spots to shrink. For me, this has worked on occasions, so I would suggest giving it a shot with caution and if all else fails relegate the surplus toothpaste back to its familiar oral purposes. WARNING: accidental toothpaste in the eye really does sting like a mother…

• Homemade masks:

These masks my sisters have been throwing together since I can remember; they may not be the most powerful at fighting acne but they are effective cleansers and natural toners. A simple combination of yogurt or milk, lemon and turmeric powder can prove to be great at cleansing skin, whilst the yellow tones of the turmeric have been suggested to counteract the colour of blemishes and pigmented scars to help neutralise their harsh appearance, as well as having anti-oxidant properties used for healing. You can experiment for different effects with household items such as honey, oats, and tea tree oil, almost an effective breakfast (minus the latter). WARNING: accidental lemon juice in the eye also stings like a mother…

Cosmetic Cures: These are the products that I’ve discovered in a vast array of stores and online sites.

• Proactive:

This is a product I had seen on TV advertisements with celebrity endorsements and overly rehearsed lines that I assumed was simply a fad. However when my sister bought the kit, as all annoying younger sisters who are good at their job do, I stole, or ‘borrowed’, the kit out of curiosity. It consists of a cleanser, a toner and a repairing lotion for daily use. My skin vastly improved with use of the kit, which leaves you with a nice, clean finish. However, I began to wonder how good anyone’s skin would be if they religiously used any three products of this nature for an extended period. My conclusion is that the product was good, but for price of £60 you could replicate these results with any spot treatment products and regulated usage.

• Personal Favourites:

My personal cosmetic picks that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking to improve their spot treatment routine are as follows:

La Roche-Posay Effaclar DUO[+] is a great anti-blemish cream priced at £15.50 and worth every penny as it effectively dries out spots much more consistently than that ole toothpaste trick.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque is available online for under £5 and is a perfect masque for acne. Developed by a dermatologist, it has visible improvements in just the following days.

Finally the Neutrogena Wave is an electronic facial massager priced under £10 that comes with refillable cleansing pads. The exfoliating, electronic motion helps to unclog pores and allow the product to cleanse deeply.

All in all, for occasional blemishes and mild acne it’s worth trying some of these retail products to help existing spots and also as a preventative measure to minimise further breakouts. Alternatively, for intense acne, such as that which is genetic, it’s worth consulting a dermatologist to see if they have a treatment suitable for dealing with the root causes of your acne, rather than splurging on topical treatments to no avail. Ultimately, I hope that you can all draw some useful tips and recommendations from my unfortunate adolescent adventures as ‘Pizza Face’.