Stephanie Linus Daily

Tag: acne

  • Skin Positivity, Not Skin Perfection

    I’ve had many women talk to me about their insecurities when it comes to their skin – from dealing with issues like acne or blemishes to not feeling confident about their skin color, the list is endless. It seems that now, more than ever, women are being forced to conform to certain standards the society has labeled as norms even though they are far from our realities. 

    This is what I think: the criteria for “good skin” and “bad skin” is purely subjective and doesn’t align with everyone else’s criteria all the time. And that’s OK! Girl…. breathe! 

    From skin to hair, and in general our identity, women need to encourage others to fully embrace themselves without judgment. Skin perfection is not attainable, but skin positivity is. Be positive about your skin at whatever place you find yourself. In order to overcome stereotypes about skin issues, we must start with our own mindset. My skin is a work in progress just like I am. As we go through life, our skin changes. It’s a journey. 

    So I encourage you to be kind to yourself. Take a moment to embrace the skin you’re in. Say to yourself: “You’re doing great”….light or dark-skinned, acne or no acne. You are beautiful.

     

  • Smart Ways to Include Egg Whites into your Beauty Routine

    There are many health benefits of using natural products rather than chemical products. I am always careful about what I use because the skin is the largest organ and absorbs almost everything you put on it! Besides the fact that natural or homemade products are healthier, they are also cheaper and more accessible.

    Today I would be sharing 5 useful tips on how to use one ingredient that everyone can find in their kitchen – Egg Whites. Egg whites are rich in protein and albumin that have skin toning properties and promote wrinkle free skin. They are especially good for oily skin and hair since they help tighten large pores and hair follicles that secrete too much sebum.

    Here are 5 beauty benefits of Egg Whites over chemical products:

    1. Tightens and shrinks large pores: Egg whites have astringent properties that help can help close up the skin pores by tightening the skin. To get the best results, mix 1 teaspoon of egg white and 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Apply this onto your whole face or large pore affected areas. Wait for 15 minutes before rinsing off with tepid water. Pat dry with a soft towel and continue this treatment at least twice a week.

    2. Reduces oily skin: Egg whites are especially great for those with overly oily skin. Before applying, rinse your face gently with warm water and pat dry with a soft towel. Coat your face with a thin layer of egg white and let it dry up. Once it has dried, remove the mask by rinsing with cold water.

    3. Treats puffy eyes: Lack of sleep, long hours behind a computer screen, and too much stress can cause puffy eyes. Nobody likes to have puffy eyes and egg whites offer the easiest solution for this! Simply apply a thin layer of whisked egg white under your eyes and allow it to dry for ten minutes. Rinse it off with a cotton ball soaked in warm water and apply coconut oil. Follow this routine every other day to achieve the best results.

    4. Treats acne: Acne is a very common and sometimes difficult skin problem that can be prevented with egg white. The protein in the egg whites has the ability to absorb excessive oil from the skin and also has a deep cleansing effect. Take one egg white, whisk it and then add one teaspoon of honey to it. Apply this mixture on the affected skin area, allow it to dry on its own and then rinse off with lukewarm water. Follow this simple treatment once daily until the acne has vanished completely.

    5. Treats wrinkles and fine lines: Egg whites are very useful in delaying premature aging caused by fine lines and wrinkles. Simply apply white egg face mask on your face in upward motion. Leave it to dry and rinse off after 15 minutes. Do this twice a week to achieve the best results.

    So get into your kitchen and start making magic with egg whites!

  • Tempted To Pop That Pimple? Read This First!

    You wake up in the morning and see one ugly bump on your face. It may be a whitehead, inflamed pustule (pus-filled) or just a modest blackhead. Either way, you search for the simplest, fastest way to get rid of it and the first tool you reach out for is your hands. You either want to pop it, squeeze it, squish it, prick it, scratch it, scrape it….

    However, before you do that, take note of this:

    The reason you’re not supposed to pop pimples is that anytime you deliberately break skin, you risk creating a scar or getting an infection. Popping pimples also in the long term damages skin.

    According to some dermatologists, you should only pop a Whitehead and not a Blackhead. Whitehead pimples have usually been around for a few days, and they have a white tip where pus has collected underneath the skin. These pimples are easy to pop, and when treated with care they can be safely removed without causing an infection or scarring.

    However doing it right is difficult for most people that is why it is generally advised to avoid it. As tempting as it may be to pop that pimple, you may regret it later if it scars. If you squeeze a whitehead wrongly:

    • you inflame it and the tissue around it
    • it bleeds and scabs over, making it harder to cover up
    • it ends up lasting a week instead of a few days
    • you might even damage the skin, leaving you with a scar

    Still, there are many people who just can’t resist attacking a pimple. It can be an irresistible impulse, much like scratching a mosquito bite or picking a scab. So, if you insist on attending to it right away, here’s what you can do instead. I found this on TheBeautyDepartment

    • Run hot water that is pretty hot but not so hot that you can’t touch it with your finger. Place a corner of a clean washcloth under the hot water to soak it.
    • Wring it out so it’s no longer dripping.
    • Immediately hold the corner with your finger directly on top of the blemish. This is bringing all of the fluid to the surface (where the phrase “bringing it to a head” comes from).
    • Watch TV or chill for a few minutes until the cloth is no longer warm. While holding your finger still directly on top of it, gently slide your finger 1 millimeter in any direction. The whitehead should slide right off with the cloth.
    • If not, no worries, you just need to repeat steps 1-4 again until it’s ready and it works.

    Whatever you do, make sure you never use your nails to pop a piimple. Also, don’t pop the pimple if you don’t think it’s ready to pop. If it’s something little and you try and mess with it, it’ll make it look worse.

    A final caution: There are types of pimples you should never try to pop, no matter how great the urge — cysts and nodules, which are firm, painful pimples that form deep in your skin. The treatment for these pimples is more complex than that for regular acne, and they should be treated by a doctor only.

    Stay beautiful!

     

    What are your thoughts on these tips? How do you resist the urge to pop a pimple anytime you feel like? Do you know of any other ‘proper’ way to pop a pimple? Let’s share!