Does Swimming Cure Your Pimples?

I've been swimming at my gym pool and started to wonder what it did to my skin, specifically to my pimples. My skin has been pretty clear but milia and as of late, pimples, started to pop up. Was this the case of chlorine water?

I typed in "swimming" and "acne" into google and was surprised to come across articles claiming that swimming can pure acne. Was I the exception? If so, how do I become the rule?

Chlorine disinfects the skin and kills bacteria on the skin surface, thereby reducing the amount of oil your skin, and thus minimizes the amount of pimples on one's face and/or body.

Swimming is a good form of exercise. Recall my entry about exercising and its benefits on your skin. If you are healthy, then your skin is healthy, too. Deep breathing allows more oxygen to be processed and circulated by the body assisting in the removals of toxins and dead cells from the body and promoting the regeneration of cells.

The absorption of water is also part of the equation. It's recommended to drink a couple cups of water a day. Why? Because it flushes your toxins out and keeps you hydrated. If there are no toxins in your body then guess what? You'll probably end up with clearer skin. In the same way, swimming detoxes your body. It exudes harmful toxins through the skin and the excretion system for blood circulation is greatly improved.

So with all these great news about how swimming reduces pimples, what the hell happened to my skin?

I came across an article and while it agrees that swimming will cure your acne, the effect is only temporary. It goes on to explains that too much exposure to chlorine will make one's pimples and blemishes much worse. The area becomes dry and itchy and will become irritated. I guess it's kind of like oily hair. If your body thinks your hair or face is not getting enough oil, it will pump out more oil. = Pimples.

SO IN CONCLUSION,

Swimming is not an absolute cure to acne. Just like 2342423 other products and other methods, it's 50/50. It will either work for you or not. And in my case, it doesn't. So does this mean that I will stop swimming? Nope. I'll just find a way to battle the acne out and get that paparazzi skin.

Sunday Tip: It Takes [Your Age] Days To See A Brand New Layer of Skin

It Takes [Your Age] Days To See A Brand New Layer of Skin.

At one of Dermalogica's Skin Savvy workshops, they taught us that it takes about [insert age] days for you to see a brand new layer of skin. At that point, all the skin shedding would be completed and a new cycle will now begin.

So when you start using new products, give it approximately [insert age] days for you to see "results". You can then decide whether or not that product truly worked on your skin. But of course, if you've developed a reaction (pimples, dry rashes, etc) before that date, there is no need to continue its use.

I'm 22 so I should use a product for about 22 days before I can really see its true results. Twenty-two days is kind of long so I would take a picture on day 1 and compare it to day 22.

After twenty-two days, I'm hoping to see some paparazzi skin or the product is going straight to the garbage bin with a big fat F label.

Beauty Products You Hate

I'm sure we've all been through a few products that were all the rave but when we tried it ourselves, it was nothing but a waste of money and/or it did damage to our faces (break outs, black heads, etc).

For me, it's The Body Shop's Tree Oil line.
I've been meaning to review the line for a long time now, but I'm just dreading spending time writing about such an awful product. I used a dime size amount once a day everyday and it dried the hell out of my skin.

Definitely not paparazzi skin worthy.

So, What are some beauty products that you would never buy again? aka the products to avoid when you're in the lime light.

And The Winner Is...

#12

Congratulations to Cindeee who won my Cargo Blush contest!

You have been emailed.

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How The Winner Was Chosen
I simply input the number of contestants that entered (13) on random.org and the number that appeared (12) was the winner. No cheats in this game!

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I forgot to do this with my last contest but I took pictures of how the package looks pre-mailed. Because we all know what it'll look like once Cindeee actually gets it. A huge postal sticker with a bar code, the corners will probably be dented and I won't be surprised if all the ribbon was gone. Plus it looks cute! -=P

Thank you everyone once again for participating. There will be bigger and better contests in the future! Until then, flashing lights are still coming because the paparazzi is after your skin.

P.S. Loved Gaga's MTV performance.

Sunday Tip: Concealer Is Not For Zits

According to makeup guru Bobbi Brown, concealer is not for zits. Concealer is lighter than skin tone and should be used on dark under-eye circles and at the dark inner corner of the eye. Putting concealer on zits will draw more attention to them because it will make them look too light.

CARGO BLUSH GIVEAWAY

It's time to hit the books and to lighten up someone's mood, I'm giving away a CARGO blush.

CARGO blushes contain:
Silica — An oil replacement that gives our blush a long wearing, silky, blendable and layerable texture for foolproof application every time.

Aloe Vera — Extracted from the aloe plant, Aloe Vera offers soothing hydration to the skin and is particularly good for sensitive skin.

Vitamin E — An anti oxidant and skin conditioner that helps fight the damaging effects of radicals and repair minor damage found on the skin.

All you have to do is:
1. Be a follower
2. Leave a comment

and voila, you're entered.

The winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) and will be contacted by me via email.

The contest starts today (Monday September 7, 09) and will close on September 20, 09. The winner will be announced on Monday September 21, 2009.

Good luck, everyone!
& Thank you for participating.

Have fun at school

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.

Hide Those Bags Under Your Eyes

As a night crawler, I'm bound to have heavy black bags under my eyes. Sometimes when I try to cover them up with foundation, it suddenly looks darker. Do you get that? Anyway, instead of covering them up, get rid of them!

1. Find eye creams with vitamin K. They are used by cosmetic surgeons because it prevents bruising, peptides and/or kinetin.

2. Wrap grated raw potato in cheesecloth or slice a kiwi. Lie down, and apply to eye area for 15 minutes. Pat dry.

Do you have any remedies that help decrease the appearance of under eye bags?