Ice, Ice, Baby!

You would not believe the way people marvel when I reveal to them that one of the best skin care products is not only free, but sitting right there in their freezers. That's right....ice! Ice is cold. And cold is good for pimples. Not only can acne bacteria not survive in a frozen environment (think of the concept of refrigeration... invented to keep bacteria from fuzzing up your food), but it is also a powerful anti-inflammatory - it takes down swelling. So next time you have a big, angry pimple coming up... grab a cube and a towel (to hold it with) and apply liberally. People ask how long to keep it on there. I usually say, "a little longer than you want to, but not long enough to get frostbite!"


Last summer I was in my friend Melanie's wedding. And of course... what comes out to say hello a few days before, but a big, red, "under-grounder" on my cheek. This was so not okay. So I went to the freezer and I held that ice on so long that i got all red and puffed up all around Mr. Zit. So, I think 5 minutes was too long! Try a few minutes - until you get that cold "ache". Or do it on and off for a while. Then do it again an hour or two later. You can do the ice trick multiple times on the same spot. My ice welt went away in about 30 minutes and the pimple immediately shrunk and was gone within a couple days. No picking, scabbing, scarring. Just gone. While this may not work on every spot every time, it's a good first line of defense. It's available, easy, free, and contains no artificial fragrance and no preservatives!
Have you ever tried this trick of the trade? I'd love to hear about your experiences if you have or if you do!

Melanie's wedding:


Super pretty, no?