Oh My Face Looks Like a Map! On Blotchy Skin - Causes and Remedies

Have you ever looked in front of a mirror and notice how your skin looks uneven, with patches that appear red or brown? No, you don't have to just be a woman to see these on your skin. You can be a man or a woman, young or adult. These patches or blotches do not come with age alone. A lot of different factors can cause these to appear on your skin. If you are someone who has been dealing with these skin problems, continue reading the rest of this post as you might find something that can help you.

Okay, okay, I know that photo of me looks exaggerated but there are certain people in this world who are battling with such patches and blotches on their skin and that isn't even a funny thought. To some, having such skin problems may even cause lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Good thing is there are natural remedies for these conditions without even having to go under the knife and those painful cosmetic procedures (injection with huge needle alert!). But before we go ahead and tackle these natural remedies, let's discuss and educate ourselves a little with these blotches, shall we?

What is blotchy skin?

These are discolorations or pigmentation on the skin that appears like brown or red patches or blotches (hello, freckles!) on the skin caused by several factors such as skin damage due to excessive sun exposure without wearing proper sunscreen, rosacea, dermatitis, allergies, hormonal changes, acne, too much stress and anxiety, aging, intake of certain medications, and even genetic predisposition to name a few.

What can cause blotchy skin?

Here are some common and known causes of blotchy skin.

• Are you expecting a baby and so excited about motherhood? Aside from a baby, you can also expect hormonal changes during pregnancy. This is one of the factors that may cause you to have blotchy skin. Although not everyone experiences this which is really good, there are a few women who are dealing with this at this very moment. Imagine all the emotional roller coaster a pregnant woman has to go through and add the horror of seeing these discolorations and pigmentation on her skin. Not a very pretty thing to experience, right?

• I must admit that I am guilty of not religiously using sunscreen or sun protection and I take a huge risk exposing myself to the harmful rays of the sun. I have seen an increase on my freckles and sunspots on my arms, shoulders, and some on my cheeks. Freckles are cute on kids but not on adults so don't be like me and wear sunscreen whenever you have to go out or even inside the comforts of your own home as the lights on your ceiling also need some protection from. 

• Your boss sets a target unrealistically high, your co-worker stole your idea and presented it as her own, you got several Fs on your report card, your baby is crying non-stop and your husband won't even take shifts with you, and the pizza parlor delivered pepperoni when you wanted all the works on your pizza. Aren't all these stressful? Believe it or not, stress and anxiety can even cause all those bumps and blotches to appear on your skin. Acne is a classic example. When I get anxious over something, I get a nasty zit or two.

• I have atopic dermatitis and allergies so I easily get rashes on the affected area. Sometimes, just leaning on a table can cause these to appear on my arms. It's difficult but I have both medical and natural remedies for that.

• We all age, don't we? Unless you have found the Fountain of Youth (by all means, spill the beans!), you will age too. And sometimes, seeing age spots is inevitable so at a young age, go find skin care products that work for you. You might not see the effects right away but give it 30-40 years and you will be thankful you heeded my advice.

I can go on and on about what causes all these and if I do, it will probably take you an hour to finish reading so let's just skip to the natural remedies which is brilliant because you can find most of these in your kitchen.

• Who loves oatmeal? I do! Simply mix oatmeal with olive oil honey, or milk til you make a paste. All these ingredients have natural soothing properties. 

• I love yogurt especially mango-flavored ones but this time, let's use unflavored and plain ol' yogurt. All you have to do is apply it on your face and that's an instant yogurt mask. The say it's good for the tummy. What they fail to mention is that it's also good for your skin.

• Green tea. I can't think of anyone who hasn't heard of green tea as a natural remedy for acne and skin irritation. Make a green tea mask by adding rice flour on it until a paste is formed.

• Bananas. This is perfect especially for those who have dry skin. Mash a ripe banana and add olive or almond oil, lemon juice, egg yolk, and voila! You got yourself a banana mask. BUT be sure that you are not allergic to nuts before you add almond oil as it will just worsen your skin problem.

• Unrefined cocoa or shea butter. This is my personal favorite as it works quickly and the irritation is gone in just a few minutes. This is what I apply whenever my allergies flare up.

• Aloe vera gel. This is one of the most popular natural remedies for inflammation and skin irritation. Just be sure you don't get too much from your mom's plant, okay?

• Egg white. You can mix this with oatmeal or use it alone. I especially use this when I get burn marks from cooking. I continuously apply it on the burned part and like magic, it doesn't hurt and I no longer get blisters. BUT make sure you're not allergic to poultry.

• Lemon juice. I see this all the time when it's all about getting rid of hyper-pigmentation and dark spots. So it must really work. Just make sure you don't apply a little too much as it might inflame the skin even more because lemon juice is about 5-6% citric acid.

These are just some of the natural remedies that can be commonly found at home, perhaps the unrefined cocoa or shea butter an exception. But all these have been proven to work at some point all these years. Of course, taking care of your skin and body is the best preventive medicine from all these. Derma visits are a lot of times needed depending on the severity of the skin condition.

So do you have other natural remedies or insights on blotchy skin?

TGIF, everyone!

Cheers,

Read more...

Make your Eye Bags Instantly Disappear (a concealer trick)

Eye bags and dark under eye circles are two of our worst enemies aside from acne and wrinkles so we do our best to lessen and to conceal them. But when it is hereditary, your best friend will be the concealer. I grew up without that problem and I didn't have dark circles back then. It was just the puffiness of my eyes (as if they were bulging out) and that creates that nasty shadow.

Having insomnia and having an average of 2-3 hours of sleep every day (more if I take my medicines), I now have both problems - dark circles and puffiness. It is just frustrating to be dealing with something I did not have to deal with before. It came to a point that I was seriously considering having botox done on my under eyes so the puffiness will be gone. But I am mighty scared of needles and knowing that it will be done on my under eyes and seeing it actually going to that direction, I might just pass out or smack the dermatologist or whoever will perform it. So instead, I am relying heavily on concealers, I think I have 6 now. I use them mostly on my under eyes and not on blemishes. But it's such a hit or miss and quite tricky. Sometimes, they cover it well but ends up being cakey, and sometimes, they just don't work at all. I am testing out an eye cream right now and I will be reviewing it once I've used up the product so I am now left with trying out different tips and tricks I come across with.

Thank God my favorite YouTube guru did a video that IS the answer to my problems - gossmakeupartist. I love this guru! His videos are super helpful aside from the fact that I love how sexy his accent is. :P Since I have tried one particular tip from him, I would like to share it with you guys and attest to its effectivity.

                       

The trick is to basically apply a lighter shade of concealer ON THE SHADOWS that the eye bags create and not on the eye bags themselves. I saw him work his magic on his very own eyes and seeing the results was enticing enough for me try it and ALAS! It works! I realized that I have been doing it wrong all along. I was applying concealers in the wrong places. I agree that it can be quite tricky at first and needs a little getting used to. I still make mistakes just like on the picture and the biggest mistake is that I was not able to blend it properly and you can still see the unblended concealer. For those of you who would like to see the video, I have embedded it.

                           

I am still practicing and haven't mastered it yet. I don't know if you can see the difference it made but I certainly do! I used the Maybelline Mineral Powder Natural Perfecting Concealer in Ivory which is a tad light for my skin tone. I honestly hope you can see the difference. And my mom who has been telling me how bad my under eyes are told me they looked better. I would love for you guys to also try it and see for yourselves. I can only do so much as to just keep on raving about this trick.

Happy Thursday, super awesome peeps! :)

Read more...

Where to go for product reviews...

Before buying any product, I always make sure to check out reviews first before hitting the mall. I have to base my decision on other people's reviews and of course, if my lemming is really strong. I would rather use a product that has been tried and tested by other people than risk being the first to use it. Here are some websites that I often check and feel very helpful when it comes to checking out reviews.




These are some of the websites I visit and find very helpful. (In no particular order)

1. MakeUpAlley - This is my number one go-to for make up reviews. It provides reviews from different people with different types of skin, different skin tones, colors, and from different countries. I always consider the reviews here before finally giving in to one product.

2. Girltalk - Since this is a Filipino website, I really take the time to read on product reviews here about the products available here in the Philippines. And this is one of the reasons why I got hooked into make up. You'll discover new goodies as reviewed and recommended by fellow girltalkers. Here is where I discovered DWH Toner, ACV as toner, OCM.

3. Blogs - I love reading blogs. I have fun reading product reviews, seeing hauls, and even rants. I always find it cool when bloggers get to show products that are really awesome and especially the cheap ones tht turns out to be really good finds.

4. Temptalia - I always go to this website for collections and swatches. Other than reviews, seeing swatches of products such as blushes and lippies is one factor I consider before buying anything.

5. Youtube - I really like product reviews and tutorials.

6. Pebble - This is a recently-discovered website for me. I checked it out the first time and find it to be a helpful one. It doesn't only come with make up reviews. I like that you can find reviews and Q&A's about the latest gadgets as well. And it does not only show reviews when you search on a product. It also shows the items available at different stores at bargain prices which is really cool.

7. Make up talk - Another make up forum which I also find helpful reviews at.


Of course, googling a product for reviews is one thing I always do and it leads me to different sites like the ones I mentioned. When in doubt, Google it. :P

Read more...