Twenty Facts about acne and its treatment

Acne is the most common skin problem that affects both men and women.

What causes acne?

Acne is a skin condition that causes pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and red inflamed patches of skin. Our skin has pores and each pore opens to a follicle, which contains a hair and an oil gland. The oil glands are connected to the pores through follicles and pimples grow when these follicles get blocked and infected.

This occurs by a simple process:

The oil released by the gland helps remove old skin cells and keeps your skin soft. When glands produce too much oil, the pores can become blocked and dirt, bacteria, and cells build up. The blockage is called a plug or a come done. If the top of the plug is white, it is called a whitehead and if the top of the plug is dark, it is referred to as a blackhead.
Once the plug occurs, bacteria called Propioni bacterium Acnes starts to grow in the follicles.
The bacterium then sets off a cascade of inflammation. The plug becomes red and bigger and ultimately turns into a pimple.
When the inflammation doesn’t stop, the pimple becomes even bigger and goes deeper into the skin, ultimately becoming a cyst. This is why acne should be treated as early as possible to prevent the formation of these deep cysts that can leave scars and marks.

Stress

Recently scientists have suggested that cells that produce the oily substance sebum have receptors for stress hormones. Sebum is a bad substance that mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria and in the process clogs up hair follicles, resulting in acne and pimples. When you are highly stressed, a lot more sebum or oily substance is formed, causing a lot more acne.

How to treat your acne

Change your routine

Changing your daily habits can go a long way in improving your complexion. Below we have listed changes that you can make to get glowing skin.
If you wear make-up, wear products that are oil-free or water-based. Choose products that are labelled as ‘non-comedogenic’, meaning that a dermatologist has certified that there are no ingredients that can cause pimples in the product.
Always remember to wash off your make-up at night. Otherwise it can clog your pores, resulting in even more pimples.
Try not to squeeze, scratch, pick, or rub pimples. Although it might be tempting to do this, it can lead to skin infections and scarring. Also, avoid touching your face with your hands or fingers.
Be healthy from the inside out. Eat lots of green vegetables and fruits and always remember to exercise.

Look for active ingredients

Many different ingredients or medications can treat acne. However, a doctor always delivers thegold standard of acne treatment so that acne can be treated before too many scars occur. So, remember to go to a dermatologist to get the best treatment for your pimples.
Many different ingredients or medications can treat acne. However, a doctor always delivers the gold standard of acne treatment so that acne can be treated before too many scars occur. So, remember to go to a dermatologist to get the best treatment for your pimples.

Salicylic acid

Salicylic Acid decreases oil secretion while also unclogging follicles to help get rid of your pimples. So, clean your skin twice daily with a cleanser containing 2% Salicylic Acid. Make sure this cleanser has a skin-safe pH to ensure that your skin stays soft and strong and look for a daily cream that contains at least 1% Salicylic Acid to ensure that you get double the effects from this ingredient.

Retinoids or vitamin A derivatives

Retinoids such as tretinoin, tazarotene and adapalene are very effective for treating Acne. They act by making newer skin cells rise up to the surface, thus exfoliating away older cells. This ultimately reduces pimples while also reducing post-acne scars. However, these retinoids can cause dryness, redness and irritation. Retinol and Retinyl Palmitate are slightly weaker versions of Retinoids, however in the right percentage, they are highly effective against Acne, without the side effects.

Sulfur

Many people believe they are allergic to sulfur, however this is a myth. Sulfur is a natural element that is present in every cell in your body. It is Sulfa drugs that can often cause an allergy. Sulfa drugs use a large molecule with many different elements in it, and it is this molecule that can cause an allergy in some people. So, remember sulfur is natural, sulfa is not. Sulfur is a highly effective and natural treatment for pimples. It acts on many different levels: it reduces oil secretion, it is anti-bacterial, it is anti-inflammatory and it is an exfoliating agent. That is why it is such an effective and time tested remedy for Acne. BioSulphur is an even better version of Sulfur, where the natural element Sulfur has been encapsulated in a skin-safe vehicle, making it gentler on the skin.

Benzoyl peroxide

This ingredient is highly effective in reducing bacterial activity. By eradicating the bacteria in the follicles, pimples stop developing, thereby reducing your pimples.

Multani mitti (Fuller’s Earth)

Multani Mitti is called bentonite. It only works by reducing oil on the skin, but otherwise is not very effective for pimples.

Ayurveda treatment for acne:

Mix lodhra – from the lodh tree, dhanyaka – coriander and vacha – acorus calcmus with water and apply it to face. Leave the mixture on for about 20 minutes and wash it off with luke warm water.

Ayurveda treatment for acne

Apply a mixture of haridra/haldi – turmeric, chandana – sandalwood and water. Leave this mixture on your face until it dries and then wash it with warm water.
Consume one teaspoon of amla or Indian gooseberry powder, once in the morning and once again in the evening. Amla will help cleanse the system internally.
Make a mixture of neem, haldi, saffron, red sandalwood, tulsi and fuller’s earth or clay-like material with milk. Spread this paste evenly across your skin.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes have beneficial properties that will reduce acne and reduce suntan. Prepare a mixture of ripe tomatoes and cucumber juice and apply it to on your face.
This mixture will benefit you in several ways:
- absorb excess oil
- tones skin
- fights bacteria to prevent acne
Aloe vera
Cut an aloe vera leaf and apply the gel on the surface of your skin to reduce acne. If you do not have an aloe vera plant, there are several aloe vera gel products available in the market.
Honey
Apply a paste of apple and honey to reduce pimples and acne. This mixture also makes your skin healthier and rejuvenates your skin.

Travel like a local

 

So you fell into the lavishly expensive trap that your cabbie sold you, while chit-chatting on your way from the airport to your hotel. You did get a very touristy tour of your holiday destination in the Buick convertible you drove, but the money you shelled out at the end of it all could’ve probably got you one for yourself back home. Yeah, we’ve all been there, done that. So here are a few tips on how to act like a local while globe trotting.

1. Learn the lingo: Google common phrases, greetings and some oft-used full sentences in the language of the country you’re visiting. Communicating becomes a hell lot easier. Plus, trying to talk in their language always earns you extra brownie points from the locals. Don’t forget to download translator apps before you land at your destination. But remember to smile—it goes a long way if you are getting the lingo all wrong.

2. Couch surf: It’s easier said than done, we know. Especially if you are a solo girl traveller. So make sure that you have researched well and studied the background of your host first. Pick the most recommended host. It’s a cheaper option and definitely more fun. Once there, chat with your hosts, befriend them. They can make the best guides—you will have access to all the cool, offbeat haunts.

3. Dine at local eateries: Of course, you can visit that fancy Michelin-starred restaurant that the whole world is talking about, but don’t skip the smaller, cheaper and more localised diners. The hole-in-the-wall, cheap restaurants are usually the best ones ever. You get a chance to watch their food culture here and mingle with the local crowd better. And you definitely get the best taste of local dishes at these ethnic joints.

4. Check out a local event: Pick up a newspaper or download a daily app that allows you a peek into the local events, workshops, art shows, concerts, gigs etc. Pick one option and spend an evening going to the places where the locals congregate. It’s the best way to understand and experience the ethnicity and the way of life.

5. Obey customs and traditions: The worst thing to do while you are holidaying abroad is to disobey the local customs. Please don’t turn up in beachwear and a sarong at a place of worship. Avoid dressing inappropriately where it’s mentioned. Apart from a few annoyed looks you don’t get anything worthy of mention from locals. Wouldn’t you rather respect their culture and get that freebie they gift you if you’re nice? Trust us, it makes for awesome stories back home.

Nutritional and beneficial tips for preschoolers!

It is very important for the parents to feed their kids good nutritional food every day, since they are in the growing age and they need to stay fit and healthy. It is sometimes very difficult for the mothers to feed their kids nutritional food, because most of the kids are more fascinated towards the Junk food stuff that they get in the shops. Parents have to literally compel their kids to eat good food.

Your child should gain about 4 to 6 pound per year and 2 to 3 inches in height per year. If your child isn’t growing as per these figures, you may have a problem. Here are some useful tips for the parents who want to give nutritional food to this child:

1- You should allow your kid to eat 5-6 small meals each day.

2- Don not stop them from eating anytime, let them eat anytime they want.  

3- Feed them through storytelling, or make different shapes of the food, add some color in their meal, for e.g., leafy vegetables, tomatoes and dal.

4- Do not help them eat, as it can be irritating for them and they might give up soon, so let them enjoy by eating their meals themselves.

5- You should serve yourself the same food and eat with your child.

6- Make the eating experience for your kid enjoyable.

7- Don’t ever use food as a reward or as a punishment.

Get the acknowledgement for your work!

Most of us have hard times with our bosses since they are a complain box and you may feel like nothing when it comes to work. It is very difficult to have your boss on your side, but here are some easy ways to make him realize where he is missing out your potential and hard work.

1- The Nasty Nitpicker

Grump factor: Rashmi Raje, a secretary at a legal firm says, “No matter what I do, my boss always finds some reason to criticise me. Even if I have done more than my share of work, my boss will still point out some tiny error in a document that I have worked on. I spend more time agonising over documents than being productive.”

Smart retort: Psychologist Dr Anjali Chhabria insists, “Do not take every remark, comment or criticism personally as it may just lower your self-confidence.” You must adopt an approach that is diplomatic and that could pint out her flaws instead tactfully.

2- The Lazy Lord

Grump Factor: There are some bosses who are just lazy and leave all their work on their subordinates. Sometimes when they have to leave early, the subordinates put a spring in their eyes till midnight for work’s sake.

Smart retort: If you have such a lazy boss, then you must talk to him and must take his help in various projects that keeps him busy. Dr. Chhabria says, “Your boss may be the one who requires a push. Try involving him in more matters. Present new ideas you and your colleagues may have to motivate him so he can become more active and feels a sense of responsibility.”

3- The Sly Politician

Grump factor: The sly politician boss is the one who is coward and clever. He takes on others ideas and keeps his interests on above the team’s interests. Media planner Sindhu Krishnan says, “My boss appears to be supportive, but I have discovered it’s all a farce. When faced with a crisis and hauled up by senior management, he lays the blame entirely on our shoulders. Even if he has been informed of a potential problem, he pretends to be unaware of it.”

Smart retort: If you have this kind of boss you must keep your communication gap filled with your colleagues and senior management. Dr. Chhabria says, “Email is the best way to keep everyone in the loop about critical steps that can hound you later. Preserve all correspondence that you share with him and stay mum when you can sense that he is inciting you into gossip.”

Well, you may have hard tome bringing your boss on track, but nothing is impossible.

Here are the skin conditions you should not ignore!

Skin allergies are completely no-no for anyone. But do know that patchy skin, dark spots, boils, discoloration and easy tanning of the skin may not always lead to acne and pimples. Most often skin problems can be a biological tap on your shoulder for other grave health conditions.

Here is a list of skin conditions you should know about it:

1. Acanthosis nigricans: In this condition you have dark brown to black, velvety patches of skin in body folds under eyes, neck, underarms, groin, elbows, knees and fingers. It may be familiar, and the condition worsens with weight gain.0

2. Molluscum contagiosum: It is a viral infection of the skin, appearing as pearly bumps on the skin. It may resemble pimples or milia. It spreads by skin-to-skin contact. It is commonly seen in children, but it can also be seen in adults, where it can be sexually transmitted.

3. Warts: Small, rough cauliflower-shaped in look, warts can occur anywhere on the skin. They are caused by a viral infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Certain types of HPV have been associated with cancer of the cervix, mouth and anus.

4. Varicella or chickenpox: It is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Typically, it causes a blistering skin rash which heals with scabs and marks; along with fever and weakness. Less frequently it can infect the lungs and the brain; which could be fatal.

5. Tanned skin: Easy tanning without much sun exposure could be a sign of vitamin B-12 deficiency, an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), or underactive adrenal gland (Addison's disease).

6. Acne or pimples: The common skin problem acne is considered as a part of growing age. However, untreated acne can lead to permanent scarring and disfigurement of the face. With the availability of safe and effective oral and topical medications, acne can be effectively treated.

Quick and simple exercises that you can do indoors!

The weather is becoming unpredictable these days since the monsoon have flushed water on the roads and many areas. It may be hard to step out for jogging or going to a gym, but one cannot take a chance with his workout because of the rains. There are several indoor activities that you must do to keep your work out going.

1- Skipping: Skipping helps you reduce a lot of weight and is easily done indoors. It hardly takes any space in your house and makes you lose your flabs. Stick to your daily cardio kick: warm up with a few stretching exercises, followed by jogging on the spot. After doing these stretching exercises you must do skipping for 15 minutes.

2- Dumbbells: Dumbbells are another good idea to lose weight indoors. Get a pair of dumbbells and shed that extra weight you got.

3- To tone up your arms, shoulders and ab muscles you must do push ups, chin ups, pull ups and chair dips at home.

4- Sit-ups, waist bends, knee bends, and calf exercises are a great way to flex your muscles. You can take a place in your home where you have ample of space to work out.

5- Kickboxing class is a fast and energetic workout. It burns several calories per hour.

6- You must dance a lot because this is the best way to lose weight. Just turn on the music and dance like no one is watching you. You might lose weight by doing this very easily and fast.

7- You can also go in for a treadmill and start walking on it for few minutes everyday to shed off the extra weight. It is one of the best ways to stay fit.

8- Yoga is one of the most recommendable indoor exercises, besides keeping you fresh all day long, starting your day with yoga will help you stay fit and in good shape all the time.

Dessert for breakfast

Feeling guilty about that chocolate cupcake you snuck after dinner? It’s said that breakfast is the best time to indulge—you’ve got the rest of the day to work off the calories. What could be better than having dessert for breakfast?

Chocolate chip pancakes
Golden brown, caramelised pancakes studded with melting chocolate chips, and topped with honey.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: Four

•    1 cup flour
•    1 tsp baking powder
•    ½ teaspoon salt
•    1 tbsp brown sugar
•    1 cup milk
•    1 tbsp vinegar
•    30 g butter, melted + extra, for cooking
•    1 egg
•    1 tsp vanilla essence
•    60 g chocolate chips

1.Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk, milk, vinegar, butter, egg and vanilla essence together.
2.Slowly add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Mixture will be thick. Stir in chocolate chips and let rest for 3 minutes.
3.Heat butter in a non-stick pan and spoon 2 tbsp of batter per pancake into the pan. Cook about two to three pancakes at a time, depending on the size of the pan. Cook on both sides until golden brown and serve hot with maple syrup or honey.  


Lemon blueberry muffins
Fluffy, airy muffins, laced with sweet and sour berries and with a tangy smack of fresh lemon.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: Four

•    2½ cups frozen blueberries (use while still frozen)
•    3 cups flour
•    1 cup sugar
•    2 tsp baking powder
•    ½ tsp salt
•    115 g unsalted butter, melted
•    3 large eggs
•    ¾ cup sour cream
•    juice and zest of 1 lemon
•    1 tsp vanilla essence

1.Preheat oven to 180° C. Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners and set aside. Pulse half the blueberries in a food processor until coarse. Set aside.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl, whisk melted better, eggs, sour cream, lemon juice and zest and vanilla essence together. Stir the chopped berries into the mixture.
3.Slowly whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moist and blended. Do not overmix. Gently stir in the remaining blueberries.
4.Spoon batter into lined tray and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes and then serve immediately.