Top Three Tips to Deal with Acne Breakouts

There is nothing worse than waking up on the day of an important job interview or a highly anticipated date to find a huge pimple gracing the tip of your nose. While acne breakouts are often considered to be an unfortunate part of being an adolescent and teenager, pimples can affect people of all ages. And of course, they always tend to pop up when we least expect them.

While dermatologists often prescribe expensive medications for serious cases of acne, there are several ways to both prevent pimples from ever showing up and to quickly deal with them without resorting to chemical treatments that can negatively affect your skin. Below, we offer a few suggestions on how you can naturally prevent and cure acne breakouts.

Eat Right

Despite the claims made by companies that put expensive skin care products on the market, no cream, face wash, or pill can effectively prevent pimples from ever appearing. Rather, the best way to prevent acne from appearing is through watching your diet. A healthy, balanced diet obviously offers numerous health benefits, not least of which is healthy, vibrant skin.

If you are naturally prone to acne breakouts, one way to avoid pimples is through limiting high-glycemic foods in your diet, especially empty carbohydrates found in processed and refined flours. Furthermore, limiting your dairy intake is also a good preventative strategy.

While many people associate fatty foods with acne, this is not entirely true. While French fries and potato chips might lead to oily skin and acne breakouts, healthy Omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in olive oil, fish products, and avocadoes are actually a great way to promote overall skin health. Foods that have a high level of probiotics will also promote overall gut health which in turn leads to healthier skin.

The best dietary advice for people prone to acne breakouts, however, is to eat a diet that is extremely high in zinc. People who don’t get enough zinc in their diet are much more likely to suffer from pimples. It is known that kidney beans are extremely high in zinc along with certain nuts like cashews and almonds.

Honey and Cinnamon Masks

Even if you are careful about what you eat, avoid high glycemic foods and excessive dairy, and make an effort to up your zinc intake, the occasional pimple might still appear. Fortunately, there are several natural ingredients that are extremely effective at getting rid of pimples and protecting your skin from future breakouts.

Natural, organic honey has anti-inflammatory qualities that is effective in reducing the swelling and redness that accompanies acne breakouts. Furthermore, honey also has natural antibiotic and antiseptic properties that will help you to avoid any sort of infection that can worsen and prolong the life of a pimple.

One simple way to deal with a pimple is to make a mask from honey and cinnamon powder. Cinnamon will soften and soothe dry and dead skin while the honey is also a natural humectant that will keep your skin moisturized. While some acne treatments will severely dry out your skin, this natural face mask will help to eliminate and prevent pimples while simultaneously promoting overall skin health.

Try the Toothpaste

Lastly, if you notice a small pimple beginning to emerge while you´re brushing your teeth at night, you might consider applying a small dab of toothpaste on top of the zit. Most toothpaste contain baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol which can effectively dry out a pimple. Furthermore, many toothpastes contain a type of menthol that can help to reduce the swelling from a zit. Toothpaste will dry out your skin, however, so you might consider adding a bit of honey to also add needed moisture as well.