When Disaster Strikes

"I had plenty of pimples as a kid. One day I fell asleep in the library. When I woke up, a blind man was reading my face" - Rodney Dangerfield

I woke up the other day with a strange yet oddly familiar tingling on my face. One was just to the left of my nose, another spot under my chin.

For a brief second, I thought some pesky mosquitoes had found their way into my carefully guarded room, when they weren't itchy. In fact, they were a little sore.

And then it hit me. I jumped up out of bed and ran into my bathroom. Looking in the mirror confirmed my worst suspicions. I had not one, but two pimples. I haven't had pimples for at least 15 years, when puberty first hit me, and now I had two. TWO.

I dug around in the draws for a bit of Clearasil but couldn't find any, and in a moment of desperation smeared toothpaste all over my face. I had heard the minty chemicals would dry it out or something.

With less than a year, I can't risk having an outbreak of pimples, so I've done a bit of research and besides the usual "drink lots of water", "keep your face clean" advice, here's 5 more tips to have a pimple-free face for your big day. 1. Use makeup sparingly
While you may want to cover up the offensive red lump on your face, this is a rookie mistake. Allow your face to breathe by limiting the amount of make-up (especially foundation) you wear. Try to find oil-free make-up, or water-based products, and be sure to clean it all off as soon as you can.
2. Watch what you eat
Even though "experts" agree that junk food such as chocolate and chips don't necessarily trigger pimples (woo hoo!!), however, maintaining your diet of fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods high in Vitamin A is key to your immunity and skin health. Load up on apricots, cantaloupe and spinach.
3. Use honey
Honey has been the new medical marvel and is used to boost immunity if you have the common cold. However, did you know it also contains cleansing properties? Open up your pores by using warm (not hot) water, or using a steam bath, then apply the honey. Definitely a messy process, tie your hair back! Wait a few minutes before rinsing off with warm water. You can then splash cold water on your face to re-close the pores.
4. Keep your hair out of your face and avoid hats
Especially important if you use a lot of hair products as this then gets in your face and can cause pimples. Likewise, don't wear a hat everyday, as the oils in your hair get trapped, causing pimples on your forehead.
5. Chill out! The "experts" agree that stress plays a big factor on the state of your skin. Take the time to figure out what is stressing you out and deal with the cause before a breakout. Make the time to relax with your friends, or even better...book yourself into a health spa for a bit of pampering.

I mean...you don't want to break out because of over- stressing, right? For more blog posts, visit us as at simplybridal.com