Tuesday, July 5, 2011

BHA!

After covering AHA, now on to BHA.

The only BHA - Beta Hydroxy Acid - in face care is salicylic acid. It is the best treatment option for acne in general. When I had my milia breakout, I found that salicylic acid, as well as glycolic acid, are good products to treat them with.

While there are salicylic acid products available, there is a very effective homemade version. 
http://www.femtalks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/aspirin.jpg
Aspirin has high amounts of salicylic acid; one can make  a  scrub/mask (thank you, Google!) I bought up the last few bottles of cheap uncoated aspirin in the drugstore (the law was recently changed requiring all aspirin to be coated) and ground them with a mortar and pestle found at Homegoods for $5. 
http://www.victorie-inc.us/images/incense/VictorieInc.MortarPestle.jpg
Or try a pill crusher

Cheap generic aspirin, like those that can be found at 99 cents stores, can also be used. 

The crushed results are very fine and can easily be inhaled, causing violent sneezing, so mix the results with aloe gel or honey (every Jewish household has that) to bind it together (plus these ingredients are good for the skin). Water is not much use as a binder. I learned that the hard way.  
http://www.photo-dictionary.com/photofiles/list/279/949honey.jpg
Take a washcloth and scrub it onto the face, or shmear it on as a face mask and leave it for a half hour or so. I advise the washcloth since when I used my fingers to apply, they ended up being seriously pruned.

I had also tried this with coated aspirin when I had run out - I soaked the pills for little bit, loosening the covering, then sliced it off. Really boring and tedious, but for the face, I go above and beyond.

If this sounds too complicated, others have sworn by Origins Spot Remover

You want a high concentration of salicylic acid, between 1-2%

Always, always, always moisturize afterward. The skin is a little shocked after such treatment and needs TLC. If one is acne prone or has milia, an oil-free moisturizer is key.

4 comments:

  1. Aspirin is really good medicine, it is very effective and it has no side effects..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey just saw you're my new follower! Love love love meeating new frum bloggers!! Not to be tacky....I only do this with fellow frumsters, but....add me to your blog list and I'll add you? We all gotta promote each other!
    xo
    Sharon
    www.fashion-isha.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Done! We frummies must band together! :)

    ReplyDelete