The only thing worse than a bad hair day, is a bad skin day. We all know how it goes; you’ve got a hangout planned with new friends or a link up with a crush or an important presentation, and you wake up that morning with a glaring zit on your face. You despair; rage a bit at all the unfairness in the world, and then start to wonder if you should cancel your plans. It's amazing that something as small and common as a pimple can be so crushing to our self-esteem and confidence.
The majority of teens battle with pimples, blackheads, whiteheads and in some cases, acne for years on end, but skin blemishes can happen to anyone of any age. While acne should be brought to a dermatologist’s attention, we’re on our own when it comes to trying to keep garden variety pimples under control.
Qualified pharmacist and aromatherapist, Dorcye Sher, the founder of Aromatic Apothecary developed the formula for her Zap-Zit range to help her children when they were in their teens. Her goal was to come up with a fast-acting natural product that would not dry out the skin or lead to scarring and more outbreaks.
Unsightly pimples present three main challenges – a bacterial infection, an excess of oil from the skin’s own sebaceous glands, and inflammation which causes swelling and discoloration. Pimples engender such shame that in desperation to just get rid of them, too many of us squeeze pimples as soon as we see them. While this changes the look of the blemish, it’s not actually for the better.
Doryce says, “Squeezing a pimple exacerbates the inflammation in the area and causes greater and potentially long-lasting skin damage than the pimple itself. Most importantly, squeezing a pimple risks spreading the infectious bacteria over a greater area of your skin and igniting a much worse outbreak. Zap the zit, don’t squeeze it.”
The beauty of an aromatherapy formula for the treatment of pimples is that the blend of essential oils does more than any one ingredient. Do an internet search and you will find that Tea Tree oil is often recommended as a seemingly stand-alone pimple treatment because it does have significant anti-infectious properties. The trouble is that Tea Tree oil should not be applied neat to the skin. It is a safe ingredient in a blend, but undiluted tea tree oil can irritate, burn and cause skin inflammation. Some people even have a mild allergic reaction to it.
Doryce says, “A quick-acting aromatherapy solution such as the Zap-Zit Mini Roll-on has the advantage of using carefully calibrated volumes of selected essential oils in a non-greasy alcohol base. It won’t dry out your skin which simply prompts another over-production of sebum and the next outbreak of pimples. Instead, it dries the pimple and deals directly with the immediate challenges of a pimple and helps you to restore balance over the longer term.
When it comes to pimples, what are the hero ingredients in a formula?
The formula for Zap-Zit Mini Roll-on synthesizes three essential oils:
Tea Tree – which is anti-infectious and should only be used in a dilution like Zap-Zit Mini Roll-on.
Lavender – which is anti-inflammatory, calming, repairing and helps cell regeneration. Lavender is also mildly anti-infectious
Bergamot – which is a natural, anti-microbial astringent that gently dries up excessive oil and can help to tighten pores. Bergamot is photosensitizing so it is safer to only use it in minute amounts and in a balanced aromatherapy blend such as the Zap-Zit Mini Roll-on.
What really causes pimples?
We all care about avoiding pimples and it helps to have a proven strategy to deal with them. We must be aware that many products that promise to get rid of pimples and achieve that proverbial advertising-perfect ‘clear and glowing skin’ can be harsh and drying. In the short term this might well knock a pimple back, but there is a longer-term concern.
We have many thousands of sebaceous glands in the skin, including our face. Their job is to secrete protective and moisturising sebum. Surges of hormones called androgens, particularly during adolescence and pre-menstruation can stimulate sebaceous glands to over-produce. We can notice this in the typical oily ‘T’ of the forehead, nose and chin. Dead skin cells, bacteria and other microscopic environmental grime can easily get trapped in oily pores leading to a pimple and blackhead outbreak or whiteheads and bumps under the skin.
Doryce says, “Temporarily drying out your face because you have a pimple doesn’t help, it just fuels endless cycles of outbreaks. Instead, we should take the view that a pimple is a sign that we need to be restoring balance to our skin. A pimple is toxins breaking out of our skin. It’s a message from our body, and our response should be to react holistically because we achieve that ‘clear and glowing’ skin we all aspire to more effectively and consistently through sensible self-care and the restoration of balance.”
Setting the stage - Doryce’s Foundation for Skin Care
It's important to remember that your skin deserves gentle care, not harsh measures. The next time a pimple threatens your confidence, rely on a fast-acting natural solution and reach for the Zap-Zit Mini Roll-on. It’s more than just a quick fix; it’s a step towards restoring balance and nurturing your skin naturally.
