Acne!

It's the most fun ever. We all know that.

But seriously, it's one of the worst things to experience. It can significantly decrease self-esteem, which can lead to many other psychological problems.

I used to suffer from extreme acne. Almost every spot on my face was covered with the stuff. Worse yet- I was a picker. Ew, right? Well, not only was my face a giant, pus-ey mess, but it was red and agitated as well.

First I started with the grocery store acne wash. Didn't work.

I moved on to Proactiv. It helped...minimally. I moved on to a topical medication. Again, minimal difference. I tried an oral supplement (prescribed.) Didn't help.

UGGGGH. After trying all of these things, I was just about ready to skin my face with a potato peeler. Scabs are at least predictable (ha.) Buuut...I held out. Unwillingly, but I did it. And I found a really cheap way to deal with things.

Baking soda.

"What?" you might be asking.

The secret:

Most acne is caused by an uneven sloughing of dead skin cells on the face. Meaning, essentially, that dead skin builds up and doesn't get removed. (Think of your pores like pipes carrying air deep into your skin.) Meanwhile, oil is being produced underneath this caked layer of skin cells. This leads to clogging, which leads to acne.

So how do you get rid of these dead skin cells without spending a ton of money that you don't have in the first place? Exfoliation. The most effective exfoliants contain very small beads. The smaller the bead, and the higher the ratio of bead to solution, the better the exfoliant.

Proactiv skin products have achieved a great level of effectiveness with their customers, because they contain relatively small exfoliant beads (compared to many over-the-counter washes.) Plus, there's a higher amount of beads in their solution, making for a more effective scrub.

But Proactiv is $20 a month that you don't need to spend.

Baking soda is a much more effective exfoliant, plus it comes with many amazing properties besides "wonderful scrub."

1) The fine, powdery consistency is prime for exfoliating. I just wet my hands and pour a little bit onto my palm (about a quarter-sized amount.) I then proceed to scrubbing my (already wet) face. I usually precede this with a gentle wash to remove excess oil before scrubbing.

2) Baking Soda is a salt, so it's a natural anti-bacterial product. Being so fine/powdery, it will make its way deep into your pores and kill bacteria that can cause acne.

3)Baking Soda is a natural lightener, so it can help to lighten acne scars on the face. It really helped me in that regard.

After scrubbing with baking soda, I advise a light moisturizer. I use aloe gel, because it's very light. Some people don't like the way it dries on their skin, however, so it might not be for you. If you're looking for a gentle, light moisturizer, I'd suggest Cetaphil. It's about 10 dollars for a huge container that will last you for several months- a good deal as far as moisturizers are concerned.

In the end, it was a combination of prescribed oral medication and a regular baking soda scrub that helped with my acne (finally!) I hope this can help for you. I really think that it can help most people.

If you go for the baking soda/aloe regimen, let me know how things work for you. I'm curious.