I'm not sure how I feel about surprises. You could say that I am somewhat undecided. I'm still waiting for my husband to jet me away on a surprise romantic vacation. I think I will be waiting for a while. Either way, it's safe to say, I've had a complicated relationship with surprises.
About a year ago, my husband and I were standing in the kitchen when I heard a strange noise. It sounded like something squishy had fallen onto the floor. To my husbands' horror, and my confusion, the sound was that of a rather large snake falling out of the ceiling. Not a good surprise! To this day he attests that the snake was a Copperhead (a type of poisonous snake common in our area). What's more, he failed to relocate the snake to the outdoors.
I'll tell you more on that later. Thank goodness not all surprises are of this nature. However, for many people, one of the most common surprise events is waking up to a blemish. This article is dedicated to quickly dealing with these little annoyances. I have several helpful methods for banishing a breakout, depending on the time you have available.
5 Minutes - Anti-redness Eye Drops
Eye drops are great for quickly treating blemishes. These same ingredients that eradicate redness from the eyes will also help to decrease redness in a pimple. Just put a couple of eye drops onto a cotton swab and swirl over the affected area. You should see a lessening of irritation within five minutes. Plus, the use of eyedrops will also work to dry a blemish out.
30 Minutes - Aspirin
We all know that aspirin is used to treat pain, fever, headache, and inflammation. It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that aspirin will treat swelling outside of the body (in the form of a blemish or breakout). For this method, you will need a non-coated aspirin tablet and a few drops of water.
- Crush a non-coated aspirin tablet into a powder. Add two drops of water and mix until it forms a paste. You can add more water if needed, but the paste should be easily spreadable (like a face mask).
- Cover the blemish(s) with the mixture and let dry. The longer the paste is left on the skin, the more significant the reduction in swelling and redness.
An aspirin mask is a nifty little trick that will give you noticeable results, fast!
6 Hours - SUNDAY RILEY Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask
This mask works wonders! I was in awe the first time I used a sample. After trying it, I immediately ran to Sephora to purchase the full size of the product! It banished my breakout in half a days time. While the directions say to apply the mask for 20-30 minutes, I recommend using the mask for a 10 minute period (it's very potent). I also only apply the product to my problem areas. It's interesting to note that even though I have an allergy to Sulfa Drugs, this mask didn't bother me at all.
I don't know many people that enjoy the smell of sulfur, but I found that this mask had a tolerable smell. I really only got a whiff of sulfur when I washed the mask off. The benefits of this product far outweigh its minor odor.
Overnight - Tea Tree Oil with Vitamin E
If you read my blog, you know that I love Tea Tree! Simply put, this oil is a miracle drug. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory, as well as a potent anti-bacterial agent. Before using, thoroughly wash the face. Take a drop of oil and massage into any blemishes for about one minute. Moisturize as normal. You should wake up looking like a new person! This oil is the ONLY product that I have used that has cleared up an underskin blemish.
Weekend - French Green Clay + Apple Cider Vinegar
If you have an exceptionally bad breakout, it may take a couple of days to clear it up. At one of my previous jobs, I was in charge of planning and executing a company picnic for hundreds of people. I had no idea it was going to be so hot that day. The picnic turned out great and went over without a hitch. Unfortunately, my makeup literally melted off of my face and caused a horrible breakout around the bridge of my nose. Fantastic!
I had two days to clear my face or risk going back to work with a brown paper bag over my head. Luckily, I had recently picked up some French Green Clay at a herbal store in Tennessee. I decided to test the effectiveness of the product. Some recipes state that you can use water to make a clay mask, they would be wrong. If you use water as your liquid, you end up with a runny slime-like substance. Gross out!
Instead, measure about 4 tablespoons of loose clay into a bowl or plastic baggie. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and mix. The ingredients should combine to create a mask of medium consistency. You can always add small amounts of additional vinegar to the mix if the mask is too dry. Apply the mixture to the face and allow to dry/harden. Complete this task once a day for two days.
After the first day of use, I noticed a HUGE improvement in my skin although I still saw some blemishes. I used the mask the second day and woke up with blemish free skin on Monday! Yay!
So, about that snake. Up until that moment, I had no idea that my husband despised snakes to such a degree. From a young age, my father taught me that not all snakes are bad. King Snakes (more commonly known as the Black Snake) kill poisonous snakes and catch mice. That is a vital job on a farm with livestock and large hay stores. My husband apparently does not share the same beliefs.
Of course, we both wanted the snake removed from the house. He used my barbecue tongs and Cook's Fork to try and grab the snake without touching it. My husband was so affected by the snake that he yelled, "This is so disgusting! I'm going to be sick! I'm going to throw up!" My husband actually allowed the snake get away. We have no idea what happened to the snake. Fortunately, the snake fell into our sunroom which happens to be sealed off from the main house.
The sunroom is built over a carport, and there seems to be a small space that the snake could have crawled out. We are really hoping that it slithered outside!