BellaSugar

How To: D.I.Y. Spa Treatment - At Home Blemish Blaster

BellaSugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:12:22 -0700

After reading about the many spot treatments available, I've researched a little at home remedy that won't cost you a lot and will leave your skin free of pestering pimples. All you need is a small bowl of crushed mint leaves and all natural oats. Here's what to do:

Take a handful of fresh mint leaves and pulverize them with a pestle in a bowl.
Next, add moist oats to the mixture and mix until it forms a paste.
Apply evenly to your face, or just to your affected areas, and wait 20 minutes.

Relax and take deep breaths during your waiting time. Allow the oats and the oils to absorb. The mixture should smell delicious and should also do the trick. Apply twice a day as needed storing the remaining mixture in a sealed container in the fridge. I hope this helps! To read my last D.I.Y. post, click here, and for even more D.I.Y. ideas from FitSugar, click here.

Source

Superior Spot Treatments, Part I

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:13:33 -0700

Let's face it, everybody gets a pimple here and there and they always come at the most inopportune times. Who saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding? When you get a blemish that's red, swollen and sore, you look and feel pretty terrible. Here are a few of my favorite zit zappers that can help blast those gnarly blemishes! Be sure and stay tuned for part two of superior spot treatments later this week!

Origins Spot Remover, $10, is a clear acne blemish treatment gel that tingles upon contact. Just a teensy bit goes a long way. It is made with salicylic acid that helps dry up your trouble areas, prevent new pimples from forming and also helps calm redness.

Stop using as often if your skin becomes dry or irritated but because it is created for sensitive skin, it shouldn't provoke any tenderness. Use as needed, one to three times a day and apply a thin layer to the area and let it dry. Suitable for all skin types.

For two more ways to blast blemishes, read more

SkinCeuticals Blemish Control Gel, $32, is an ultra light acne treatment that helps combat, whiteheads, blackheads, cysts and other acne related issues. It also helps to kill the bacteria on your skin that causes new breakouts to form. Active ingredients include purifying agents and salicylic acid (one per cent)!

This gel will also help exfoliate the dead skin around the pimple and unclog your pores. This is one super strong sucker, but not to worry; it won't leave you dry, red or irritated.

Murad Acne Spot Treatment, $17, is a sure fire way to banish your blemishes! This powerful formula is made from: sulfur (to minimize breakouts), salicylic acid (to dry up and kill bacteria), zinc oxide (to reduce swelling), licorice extract and allantoin (to calm irritated skin), hydrolyzed oat flour (to fight flaking and over-drying) and lastly Vitamins E and C (to keep skin protected). This is my buddy FabSugar's pick, what's yours?

Back to Basics: The Best Zit Zappers

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:00:24 -0700

I've never been one to have consistently gorgeous, glowy skin. It's always either a little bit dry, kind-of blotchy and almost always oily on the nose. Oh, and around that time of the month, you can bank on being able to play a fierce game of connect-the-dots. Having been a connoisseur of spot treatments since puberty, these are three of my go-to products that help pacify my pimples without causing dry patches or added aggravation. Which is your all-time favorite topical zit zapper?

Clearasil Tinted Acne Treatment Cream ($5.79) can be found at most drugstores. It doesn't sting or make you teary-eyed from the strong scent when you have to apply it to your face. The best part about using the tinted version is that it really helps cover up the red without having to pile on potentially bacteria-infested concealer.

Origins Spot Remover ($10) is a minty-smelling, transparent spot treatment gel that contains salicylic acid to dry out sebum and help kill old and new bacteria. It tingles just a touch upon contact, but it's nothing you can't handle. It stays clear and won't dry to an embarrassing flaky finish. Also, the tiny bottle is sure to last you through all twelve bouts of PMS per year, since all you need is a super-small amount.

For one more tried-and-true spot treatment that's slightly pricier, read more.

YonKa Juvenil Purifying Concentrate for Problem Skin ($37.95) is the product I use when my skin is red and irritated all over. I use it if I have excessive swelling and sensitivity since it's so calming and gentle. It contains five essential oils that ward off bacteria, heal, sooth and restore your skin to a calm and balanced state. Also, it has a heavenly botanical smell and doesn't sting in the slightest.

Can You Guess Which Celebrity Had Acne?

BellaSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:16 -0700

Acne does not discriminate, now does it? I envy my friends who have the clearest, naturally pimple-free skin, wondering when I'm going to eventually be rid of my chin and jawline acne. Luckily, the majority of us don't have the paparazzi following us around to catch us, spots and all. Even celebrities get zits, and they've got something to say about it. Can you guess who said what about their own skin problems?

Question 1 of 6

"You can say acne is a small thing, but if you have it, it's not. It's humiliating. It changes you. You want to retreat and hide out." Who said it?

There Is Such a Thing as Clean Coal - on Your Face

BellaSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:00:22 -0700

Ages ago, in the first half of the 20th century, charcoal was a common ingredient in everything from toothpastes to soap to indigestion pills. As Americans began using new, "modern" synthetic products, charcoal went out of vogue, consigned to the world of unreliable folk remedies from your great-aunt and the sketchy back aisles of fetid hippie-run co-op grocery stores. Which is sad, because charcoal is a very effective cleanser, non-acnegenic, and totally biodegradable. Plus, unlike a lot of synthetic surfactants we use to clean ourselves, when it gets into your water system, it doesn't take eight trips to the processing plant to make the water potable again, and there isn't nasty chemical run-off.

Thankfully, then, the "green" trend has brought charcoal products back from the brink. Charcoal's effective as a topical ointment for zits, makes a really nice exfoliant, and on oily skin, there's nothing more naturally effective as a cleanser. If your skin has become sensitized lately to your product regime, or you're looking for a cleanser or acne solution so non-toxic you can eat it, make like Great-Aunt Edna and check out charcoal.

Coalface Cleanser - $10.95	Origins skin diver® charcoal scrub - $19.50
Dr.Ci:Labo - Basic Black Blemish Control Gel - 60g - $36.00	D Tox Purifying Body Wash by Giovanni - $9.95
Ulta Mineral Powder Eyeshadow - $10.00	Origins Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask to clear pores 3.4 oz. - $21.00
Dark Angels Cleanser - $10.95

Source: Flickr User jbcurio

Darphin New Zit Zapping Duo

BellaSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:46:04 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Spa Treatments Get More Affordable at Exhale's Wellbar

BellaSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

I'm doing a little dance right now because Exhale, the luxe spa that has everything from Core Fusion exercise classes to acupuncture and brow tweezing, is adding another quirky set of services - and they're cheap, my friends, (relatively) cheap. From this month on, all their spas will have a Wellbar kiosk that offers shorter, less expensive takes on some of their full-length services, which means $20 for a zit-zapping mini-facial that includes a round of blue light therapy, or $40 for an aromatherapy scalp and hand massage, which is incredi-cheap given how much spa massages usually cost. It sounds perfect for days when I'm stressed in the morning and just need a half hour of pampering.

Reader Review of the Day: Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion

BellaSugar — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:02:56 -0700

Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion ($33) promises to hydrate and protect blemish-prone and oily skin without breaking you out, and reader nursesarah can't get enough of the stuff. She says:

"This is my favorite moisturizer by far. I've tried a lot of them, and this is the lightest, airiest lotion, but it still does its job and makes your skin feel silky smooth and quenched. I worry about occasional zits and oil, and since using this lotion, my skin has been almost blemish free. Being without it for even a few days, I can feel and see a difference in the smoothness of my skin."

Absolutely love something you just tried (or absolutely hate it)? Want to know what people who've tried the newest makeup and hair products think about them? Head over to our Product Reviews section to write reviews of your own, and see how other people rate the beauty goodies you're interested in.

How to Treat, Conceal, and Prevent Cold Sores

BellaSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:59:14 -0700

Cold sores (or oral herpes) are not so cute, and they always seem to appear at the worst possible time. To add insult to injury, upward of 70 percent of the general population (some estimates range as high as 90 percent) carry the HSV-1 virus that causes cold sores, but some people are asymptomatic, so it's difficult to explain to them that a virus they almost certainly have as well is causing your little problem. Never fear, though; there are lots of ways to control, cover, and prevent the little buggers. To find out how, just keep reading.

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:51 -0700

Oh my. Glovettes. - Beauty Snob
Esquire struggles to find something to say about Bar Refaeli - The Cut
Is Julianne Moore wearing too much makeup? - Fashionista
Smashbox has new lip glosses - Makeup and Beauty Blog
How to erase your zits in iPhoto - Glamour
Cynthia Nixon is working with Curel for a good cause - People StyleWatch
What makeup they're using on the set of Gossip Girl - Allure
Preview Kristen Stewart's Allure cover shoot - PopSugar
Guess which beauty brand was spotted at the White House - Nylon