So I’m on a quest to discover what causes acne. Right now I’m on ezinearticles.com and I found this list of things that can trigger acne problems. They are (with my personal reactions):

• Inadequate sleep (I suppose I need more of this)
• Constipation, indigestion, stomach disorders (Really?)
• Stress (Yes…)
• Eating excessive sugar (I’m not sure if that one’s true or not)
• Eating greasy, spicy, or deep fried foods (Oh, no French fries?)
• Exposure to pollutants (I should’ve thought of that)
• Roughly scrubbing your skin (Yes…)
• Alcohol-based cleansers (These dry out your skin)
• Hormones (The hated hormones)
• Allergies to cosmetics (Is an allergic reaction technically considered an acne breakout?)
• Dandruff in your hair (I knew shampoo and conditioner could, but not dandruff)

Subsequently, I’ve just been directed to thebestacnetreatments.net (has very little information…) where I read that some home remedies include, but are not limited to, aloe vera, cucumber paste, cooked oatmeal, and egg whites. I don’t like this website because it doesn’t give instructions on what to do with the above listed items. Personally, I wouldn’t use aloe vera on my face because it feels oily to me. I’m not sure what cucumber paste is, so I wouldn’t be trying that either, though it seems like what people would make facial masks out of so I could see it as worth trying. I’ve heard cucumbers are good for preventing wrinkles around the eyes, too. Cooked oatmeal seems to be a cure-all, so I’d probably give it a shot, and egg whites I’ve heard a lot about; however, due to lack of knowledge on how to use them, I’m not getting myself into that mess.

When it comes to home remedies, I’ve heard everything from the above stated to toothpaste to baking soda to saltwater to Jell-O. The important thing to keep in mind when looking at home remedies is that some of these are really crazy and some of these actually produce results. It’s not fair to count something off because it sounds like it wouldn’t work. Similarly, don’t just expect it to work because one person says it does. It could have been a coincidence in the timing of their face clearing up, or it could have reacted well with their skin on fluke.

I personally, of the things I’ve listed, would eventually like to try the oatmeal, the toothpaste, and the saltwater sometime and tell you all how it worked out. I want to know though, would any of you like me to start including things about makeup, like facts or tutorials? Please email me with questions, comments or anything else at [email protected]!