Dealing with unwanted blemishes (is there any other kind???)

After moaning yesterday about having a horrible big sore spot on my chin, I had to break out the secret weapon that I have read about on other blogs in the past and stored in my memory for times such as these. I’ve never actually needed to use this concoction until now. The spot on my chin was one of those ones that resembles an insect bite, it seems to originate from deep under the skin and my face was beginning to hurt when I moved it!
So, on my way home from work yesterday, I bought some pharmacy/drugstore own brand aspirin (it only cost £1.50 and it’s best to get the uncoated, dissolvable kind). I crushed one tablet on a plate until it was in powder form then I added a couple of drops of water to create a thick paste. I always think it’s best to wash and cleanse your face before applying it otherwise all your makeup or dirt from the day could end up making the spot worse and hindering the magic of the aspirin mask. I applied it directly onto the spot and left it for 15 minutes. After that I just wiped it off with a face wipe and settled down for a good night’s sleep.

I wanted to find out why aspirin works so well, so I did some research and apparently it is a form of Beta Hydroxy Acids or BHA’s, which are actually found in many skin creams on the market. BHA’s work by exfoliating the dull, dead layers of skin and drying out any blemishes, whilst restricting the blood vessels to fade redness.

When I woke up the next day after using the aspirin mask, the swelling had gone down completely and the spot wasn’t noticeable anymore. I had a BIG smile on my face! I am going to apply it again tonight just to get rid of the blemish completely but when I applied my makeup today, I only had to apply a tiny amount of concealer to hide it (a truckload wouldn’t have hidden it the day before when it was at it’s worst!)

I did think about doing before and after pictures but to be quite honest, I doubt any of you want to look at my zits! I certainly wouldn’t…it would put you off your dinner! Next time you get an embarrassing blemish, give this a whirl and you’ll see what I mean.
If your skin is continually breaking out then you can also make an exfoliator/mask to be used every other day by mixing the aspirin with tea tree oil and honey. It’s best to use a good moisturiser if you’re going to use the mask regularly as the aspirin can dry your skin out otherwise. Just apply the mixture, avoiding the eye area, wait a few minutes and then very gently rub the mask in for 20 seconds or so. It really helps to clarify the texture and tone of your skin with regular use.
So, if you ever wake up with an awful spot on your face, you know what to do…break out the aspirin, it’s cheap and it really does work wonders!