The strangest acne minimiser.

As a teenager I had mild- moderate acne. Most teens get it, but it always made me super self conscious, especially when all my friends had next to no acne at all. 

I tried all of the on the shelf acne creams, cleansers and toners that you could think of. Then 

I tried Duac, a prescribed and medicated cream, which worked fantastically, that was until my skin decided to develop an allergic reaction to one of the chemicals used in the cream. I was almost tempted to try the famous Pro-Active, but my local chemist warned me that it is prone to completely dry your skin out, especially on people with sensitive skin. She then offered me Az-clear products, which were medicated, but didn't have strong chemicals. It worked for a while, but my acne still seemed to burst through.

Now I'm a young adult (nearly 23), and my acne is now adult acne. It drives me crazy. It's worse than teenage acne for sure! So a few weeks ago, I decided to do some internet research. Home made face masks made my skin feel a bit more moisturised, but I didn't find much worth in them, because they didn't do much for my Acne. With a bit more research I found my new favourite product.....

.... Tee tree oil!.....

I have no idea why I hadn't thought of using it before! 

Here's the trick.....

I've done face steams in the past: where you fill up a deep bowl or a jug with boiling water, and then lean over it with a towel over your head...It's like a mini sauna, but for your face. Breathing in the hot steam is good for clearing your sinuses, and it also opens up your pores. It is quite a relaxing experience. Ten minutes of that, and I feel like falling asleep! Now that I've discovered my love of tee tree, I have made my face sauna even more blissful, by adding a small amount of the oil into the bowl of water. Since tee tree is a great wound healing product, I love that while the steam is opening up my pores, the tee tree is cleansing. 

Straight after that, I grab a bit of cotton wool, or a swisper, and I put some of the tee tree oil on it, to dab on my pimples. It can sting a little, but the sting doesn't last long. 

If I've done both of those things before I go to bed, I wake up with a lot less bumps and redness all over my face. It slightly dries the skin out, so don't drench your face in pure tee tree! I also usually put on a good oil free moisturiser in the morning before my makeup, which really helps my makeup go on better if my face is dry.

I hope this helps someone else with acne. Seriously, try it!