Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Mark Popovich Product Credit: For Love & Lemons dress, BaubleBar, Vita Fede and Vanessa Mooney necklaces, Preston & Olivia hat
You can always count on pimples and other breakout nightmares to appear right before a big event — weddings, work parties, and even on your birthday (ugh!). While it can be a bummer to deal with it, there are often easy fixes for your skin care issues . . . often the supplies and solutions are sitting in your own kitchen!
Recently, right before traveling, I was plagued with two under-the-skin pimples, which are not only painful but often take days to go away. The temporary solution would have been to leave them alone and hide them with concealer, foundation, or a light BB cream, but a face full of products seemed like it would only aggravate the zits even more. So I switched it up and tried the warm tea bag hack, hoping it would make everything go away in 48 hours. This true lazy-girl method (I held the bags on my nose while watching a movie) worked like magic, making both pimples disappear completely, save for a little redness.
If you know about this trick, then chances are you're interested in other simple solutions to fix all your Summer skin care woes. Sweat, dirt, and the sun bring out a fresh set of skin stressors, and to help combat this, we rounded up 21 easy hacks anyone can do in minutes. Read on to see how you can target those troubled spots!
Prevent Foot Odor
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Flats- and sneaker-lovers know foot odor is almost unpreventable, but there are nine natural remedies that can get rid of the funky smell. One easy way is to rub lemons on your feet, followed by exfoliation. If you don't have lemons, soaking your feet in mouthwash for 10 minutes works too.
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Get Rid of Pimples
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Breakouts always seem to happen right before a big event. If you're suffering from under-the-skin pimples, try to bring them to a head with warm compresses and tea bags. After you pop the pimple, boil some water, soak a tea bag, and gently press the tea bag on the area for as long as you can.
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Prevent Blisters
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Blackheads are the bane of our existence. Get rid of these dark spots by cutting a lemon in half, sprinkling the insides with sugar, and then applying it directly to your face each night.
A quick and natural way to reduce redness in your face is simply with a mixture of one-fourth teaspoon of salt and one cup of warm water. Soak a cotton ball or gauze pad in the solution, and then dab over the red spots.
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Prevent Cold Sores
Image Source: Shutterstock Product Credit: For Love & Lemons dress, BaubleBar, Vita Fede and Vanessa Mooney necklaces, Preston & Olivia hat
Change your toothbrush after the cold sore forms and again after it clears up, because it can harbor the virus for seven days! Also, drink some lemon balm tea, which has antiviral properties, and avoid the sun if you can.
Although we all have our favorite toners, sometimes we want to give our skin a break and turn to a more natural remedy. For a quick DIY toner, mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and water and spritz it on your face for the same clean effect.
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Rehydrate Your Face
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For a quick, fresh, and clean way to rehydrate your face, rub a watermelon rind all over your skin. The rind is great for your skin and immunity, plus it's another way to cool off from the Summer heat.
While wrinkles are a natural part of your body's aging, there are some ways to delay the fine lines. Mash up one banana with a teaspoon of orange juice and a teaspoon of plain yogurt, and leave the mixture on for 20 minutes. Vitamin A treats dark spots, while vitamin B helps with antiaging and the potassium will moisturize and hydrate skin cells.
If you don't have time to try this DIY rose-petal lip balm, rub some honey, which is rich in vitamins and minerals, over your lips for instant hydration.
Ease your worries about a skin blemish by treating it with a little lemon juice every day until it lightens up.
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Remove Eyeliner Residue
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Sometimes the liner you used to make that cool cat eye doesn't completely wash off in the shower. If you find yourself with some liner residue, use a Q-tip and gentle cleanser like Cetaphil to wipe it off, because the eyelids are sensitive.
Even though your friends will probably never notice your whiteheads, you might still want to get rid of them. Next time you spot some forming, rub the pulp of a tomato over the area. Leave it on for five minutes before washing off. Tomatoes are also high in vitamin C, which is great for dull skin.
We're all for embracing our stretch marks and even support the #LoveYourLines campaign. For those who are looking to just minimize their marks in a healthy way, however, try beating up some egg whites and applying them to the marks for 15 to 20 minutes before washing off with water.
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Moisturize Dry Feet
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For an overnight treatment to hydrate your dry heels, rub coconut oil all over your feet before slipping them into socks.
Before you test out the latest hair color trend, rub some Vaseline along your hairline. By doing this, the dye will stain the jelly instead of your skin, so you won't have to walk around with pink marks.
Eczema flare-ups can cause discomfort and terrible itchiness. If an oatmeal bath seems too time-consuming, just mix oatmeal and water until it becomes a paste. Apply the mixture on the itchy spots for instant relief.