Zits are a common problem in teenagers, especially those going through puberty. However, this does not mean you have to live with zits, or be okay with having them. Just because they are common does not make them any less frustrating to have. The following are 8 tips for things you can do to reduce and get rid of your zits:

1. Stop popping them. It usually leads to them spreading because the bacteria that was in the pore that caused it to be blocked and a zit to form in the first place is spread when you pop the zit.
2. Use mild soaps and exfoliate regularly. Your skin is going to need a little help. Basically you have millions of pores, and sometimes oil, dead skin, or bacteria block the pores, and then a zit forms. The best way to stop this from happening is to help your skin have the right amount of oil, to clean away dead skin cells, and to kill bacteria. A mild soap is best for this. If you use too strong of a soap, you might throw off your skin’s natural oils, and it will have to over-produce in order to keep the skin from being too dry. You do not want to irritate skin.
3. Use toner. Toner is not just some expensive ploy to get you to buy more product. Toner helps clean off any excess residue from your cleanser, and it tightens your pores up so that they are less likely to get debris and bacteria in them. You can purchase a toner, or use lemon juice, or witch hazel. The toner you use should depend on the oiliness of your skin. The more oil you have, the more alcohol you want, or the more medicated toner.
4. Stick to a routine. Inconsistency in either frequency or product can cause problems for your skin. For the best results and fewest zits, using the same routing each day can result in significant improvement. It gives your skin a chance to balance out and rid itself of pollutants naturally.
5. Keep hair off of face. Your hair has oils in it, and this can make too much oil on your skin, causing pores to clog, and acne to form.
6. Get enough sleep. Sleep is the best way to kick stress, and stress leads to hormone imbalance and zits!
7. Drink lots of water. Being well hydrated is going to help your body rid itself of toxins, waste, and pollutants far better. If your body is not hydrated well enough, your skin can’t do its job of sweating and carrying waste out of the body as well, and so zits form.
8. Change your pillow case regularly. You sleep on it, and it gets oil, dirt, etc. on it, if you change it regularly you are not plaguing yourself with zits by putting your face on a dirty surface.

As a teenage girl you are probably familiar with, and wear make-up on a regular basis, but sometimes it is hard to know when too much make-up is too much. So, how much make-up is too much? The following is a guide to make-up so that you do not find yourself in the position of wearing too much make-up.

Before you can understand how much make-up is too much, you have to understand the purpose of make-up.

Makeup is there to cover zits, pimples, and dark circles. We all get them, and make-up, concealer, foundation, translucent powder, etc. are all wonderful tools to help our face look clear and refreshed even if it is not.

Makeup is there to enhance your features, and show your best self. Some of us got blessed with outstanding cheekbones, beautiful eye color, long lashes, etc. Others of us did not. Make-up can help bring out the vibrancy in your eyes, draw attention to your cheek bones, or to full lips, etc. It is a great way to enhance your existing beauty. Not create it.

Make-up is too much when you are using it as a crutch, or as a way to create beauty. It should be use to enhance and cover blemishes, not create a look that does not exist.

So, how much is too much? It is too much when it does not do what it is supposed to. If you only need a light foundation to cover your zits, do not put on a heavy foundation, it is too much, and leads to the expression “cake face”. If you do not have zits, and your skin tone is even, you do not have to wear foundation, and avoiding it is best. If you have naturally dark eyelashes, you may not need mascara to darken them. You get the idea. However, even knowing this it can be tempted to put on a lot of make-up. It seems like today that a girl who doesn’t wear make-up has something wrong with her. It is a common thing in our culture, and girls are wearing make-up younger and younger. However, too much is too much. So, look in the mirror and ask yourself if your make-up looks natural. If you answer no, then you probably have too much on.

With make-up it is best to look at natural as possible, then add a little spunk and color for fun. If you love purple, add some purple to your eye-shadow, but don’t paint your face for no reason or to make yourself look different then you are.

Most people would agree that you have done your make-up really well if when someone looks at you they have to ask themselves whether or not you are even wearing make-up.

Sometimes you do not have too much on, you just have the wrong stuff. To make sure you always look your best, find foundations and concealers that match your skin tone as closely as possible. If you are not sure how, get some help.

Zits are a common plague of the teen years, and unfortunately all of the products designed to get rid of zits can be pricey. Many teens can’t afford to buy the expensive products to rid their skin of zits, so instead they live with them. If you or your parents can’t afford expensive acne treatments, or if your parents won’t or don’t buy acne treatment for you, do not be discouraged. The following are some cheap tricks for getting rid of zits. Most of them use items commonly found in your home, and with a little effort on your part you can rid yourself of, or at least diminish the look of pimples, zits, or acne.

Tip one: If you have areas of your face that have breakouts, try smashing one tablet of aspirin in a small bowl, then adding a little lemon juice to the mixture to create a paste. Then apply the paste to your breakout area, and sleep on it. Wash it off in the morning. Aspirin is acetesalicylic acid, which is very similar to salicylic acid, which is a common  ingredient found in acne treatments. It should speed up the time it takes for your skin to heal, and will reduce redness, irritation, and swelling at the same time.

Tip two: If you have tried everything, and feel like you are out of options, or if you just do not have the money for typical treatments, consider drinking four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted with water daily. It works very well for some people and while it does not taste very good, it is worth the discomfort if it works.

Tip three: Take some toothpaste (the paste kind, not gel), and put it on your problem areas, and cover it with a bandage. Keep it on over night, then in the morning, wash it off. Your acne should look better. The astringent and surfactant nature of the toothpaste will help diminish the appearance of pimples. If you have sensitive skin this option may not work for you.

Tip four: Rid yourself of bad zits with some shaving cream. You just have to apply it to your pimple and it should dry it up, you will want to sleep with it on it, and wash your face in the morning. It should be gone, or at least shrunk down.

Tip five: If you get zits regularly, and want to lessen their frequency, a great thing to do is take aloe vera gel fresh from the plant, taken orally, however, this can give you diarrhea if you are not careful.

Tip six: If you are in a pinch and need to disguise a pimple fast, get some eye-redness relieve eye drops and use a Q-tip to apply the solution to your pimple. You will want to hold it on the pimple for about 10-15 seconds. It should lighten up.