Zit Fix! The 3 Best Spot Treatments

I have had acne off and on since I was about twelve.  Unfortunately it's been mainly "on" and very rarely "off."  I have tried so many different acne products both prescription and over the counter with little success.  There are a few products that are worth sharing though :)

If you have acne often or even if you only get a "spot" rarely, the best strategy may be just to treat each spot.  Often using a strong or drying product on your entire face will cause more harm than good.  These three use a variety of active ingredients to help you get rid of zits faster.

The first is Murad's Acne Spot Treatment.  This baby is $16 for a little tube that will last for a very long time.  It is very soothing and effective at reducing the swelling and pain of a zit while helping it heal faster.  Here are the claims straight from Sephora, "High performance ingredients, such as sulfur and salicylic acid, reduce the appearance of blemishes while supporting natural cell turnover. Zinc and licorice root extract help support natural healing. This product is dermatologist developed."  I just barely ran out of this and I will miss it.  The only downfall is that it is a little smelly due to the sulfur.

The second product is a glycolic acid acne spot treatment called the Zit Zapper from Perfectly Posh.  This is also a small tube with the same amount of product as the Murad treatment.  It also will last forever!  This acid is great for getting rid of the dead skin cell plugs and oil that causes zits, blackheads and whiteheads.  It can shrink some zits in a matter of hours!  The claim straight from Perfectly Posh "Aggressively exfoliates clogged pores to reduce duration of blemishes."

The third product is actually a mask but I liked it a lot better as a spot treatment as it was a little too drying for my entire face.  It is Proactiv's Skin Purifying Mask.  This product was great for making you feel like you were instantly shrinking and drying out your zit.  It also always made them heal up in about half the time that they would heal in without this treatment.  The mask uses sulfur, kaolin clay and tea tree oil to clarify skin and kill bacteria.  The claims from Proactiv "Containing sulfur medicine and kaolin clay, it draws out impurities, reduces excess oil, and keeps pores clear, helping prevent new breakouts. It also soothes and calms skin as it reduces redness, irritation and blotchiness."
These three have really helped me with my skin when I was desperate to fix a nasty spot or two (or three).  :)  I hope they will help you out too!
What are your favorite acne fixes?  I'd love to hear in the comments below!

A Few of my Favorite D.I.Y. Beauty Treatments

I love D.I.Y. concoctions!  Even when I was little, if the babysitter was foolish enough to let me, I would make some pretty crazy stuff.  FYI: garlic powder, kool-aid, salt, pepper, brown sugar, popcorn seasoning, etc. are a lot better when they are not all mixed :)

Now that I am older and a little wiser ;) I can actually whip up some pretty sweet and useful stuff.  Most of these are ideas or recipes I found online.  The Crisco and sugar lip scrub was my own invention and was pretty effective and quite tasty.


Acne Clearing Mask: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, approximately 5 tsp honey, mix into a paste and apply to your face.  Leave on for 10 to 20 minutes, much longer and it may start to irritate your skin. If you have sensitive skin I would test this on a small amount of skin before slathering all over your face.  You can do just honey and it is helpful by itself.

Soothing Body/Face Scrub: about 3/4 Cup of brown sugar, about 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, about 1/3 Cup olive oil, (you want about a 2 parts sugar to 1 part total oil ratio).  Mix together in bowl with spoon or hands and apply to body, gently massage in circular motions.  I love how this smells!  To do it as a facial scrub keep the same ratio but make just enough for a handful.

Smoothing Lip Scrub:  approximately 2 tsp sugar, approximately 1 tsp Crisco or olive oil. Mix into a paste, apply to lips, gently massage in circles, wash (or lick) off.

Facial Scrub for Dry Skin: spoonful of plain yogurt, two spoonfuls of sugar, mix together and apply to face, massage lightly in circles.  The lactic acid helps moisturize and exfoliate along with the sugar.

Eye Makeup Remover: apply oil or vaseline to your eye makeup and eye lashes, let sit for a minute or two, gently remove with a warm, moist cloth.

Anti-Cellulite Scrub: approximately 1 Cup coffee grounds, half Cup of olive oil or coconut oil, mix together, gently massage in circles to thighs, butt, and or tummy.  This is a temporary cellulite shrinker due to the caffeine in the coffee grounds.

Deep Conditioning Hot Oil Hair Treatment:  approximately 1/4 cup each of olive oil and coconut oil, heat in microwave on low setting or on stove top on low until coconut oil is melted and mixture is warm, apply to hair in sections, concentrate on ends, when finished applying, massage scalp, cover with saran wrap, blow dry for about five minutes on low to help mixture penetrate hair.  Wash out with shampoo and warm water.  More details for application and washing out here, slightly different due to different ingredients but basically the same.


Thanks for reading!  Do you have a favorite D.I.Y. treatment?

**Update:  If you are visiting from Pinterest, thanks so much for stopping by!!  You might also like my post about Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning, D.I.Y. Eyeshadow Primer, D.I.Y. Translucent Powder, or  Spa-At-Home Facial.





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