Here are some helpful tips of my own I thought I'd share. Some of them you may already know, some you may not.

Tip #1: First thing in the morning on an empty stomach, have one glass (8 oz or more) of fine grey sea salt mixed with water. This isn't just the sea salt you buy at the grocery store. This is high quality sea salt from France with over 80 mineral elements in it. Mix ONLY a pinch of it into your water and drink (it's pretty much tasteless). This will also cause you to lose some pounds even if you don't need to, but it balances the body which I think helps a great deal for ones skin!! (I lost 7-8 pounds in 1 month even though I didn't need to, and my skin is improving a lot) The salt can be found at: http://www.eco-natural.com/greysalt/products.html [the fine grey sea salt]

Tip #2: If you have a bad breakout or your face is irritated, take an ice cube and ice your face for however long it takes for the ice to disappear. Do this 1-2 times a day. It really helps soothe and calm the area, and cold is really good for the skin. I do this every night even when I don't need to, I just love the feel of it.

Tip #3: Using a mud mask is really good for those annoying tiny little bumps that are a pain to get rid of. Apply it thick (thicker the better) on that area, let dry and then gently massage some water over it in circle motions for about a minute. Then rinse. When I had some of these bumps around my mouth one time, I did this and they practically disappeared overnight. It dries them right up.

Tip #4: Apple Cider vinegar mixed with honey is a great after-wash. Just mix them together and splash it on your face after cleansing, then go to bed. Don't rinse it off. It usually does a good job drying pimples out because the vinegar is good for killing any bacteria that forms while the honey makes it less burning. I've heard some people rave about it, I haven't tried it though.

Tip #5: Pure juice from a lemon is known to dry up acne, however..I found that the juice is better as a toner and lightening acne marks and scars. Delute some of the juice with either rose water or normal water and apply with a cotton ball over the entire face. It's good to use during the day, but if you wear makeup then use it at night. It brightens the skin also and promotes a glow.

Tip #6: This is my favorite home-made scrub! You'll love it. Take a handful of oats (natural plain porridge oats) and put it in a cup or small bowl, add just enough cream (or warm milk), or even just water until it forms a paste. Then spread on your face and wait about 3-4 minutes. Then wet your hands and slowly massage it in circle motions for 1-2 minutes, you'll love the feel of it. Then rinse. It's awesome for oily/normal skin and leaves it sooo extremely soft. It also does a great job at fading marks and overall makes the skin look good. Do this 1-2 times a week. Caution: it's gets very messy!! =)

Tip #7: Avoid dairy!!! I'm sure you know this one already. That goes for milk especially, cheese, and so on. There are much healthier alternatives. Use goat cheese made from goat milk. Use goat milk, coconut, almond or rice milk. These taste even better than the normal cows milk. Also avoid as much refined sugar as you can. If you drink coffee or tea and use sugar, get stevia. Stevia is a plant and is natural. Avoid pastries (donuts, muffins, cakes, pies) even though they're so yummy..there's also alternatives. Basically anything white like flour...you can get coconut flour if you love to bake.

Tip #8: Apricots, blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears, plums, watermelon..etc are excellent for the skin. (Oranges, grapefruit..etc) are not (as I've heard so many people who breakout from these high citrus fruits.)

Tip #9: Change your pillow case every night, change your sheets once a week/biweekly. I find that fresh air while sleeping really helps the skin. It's freezing here in Canada right now with winter and I always keep my window slightly open at night so I can feel a light breeze on my face. My skin always looks so much clearer the next day! And 8 or more hours of good sleep helps.

Tip #10: Think positive. Find some time to yourself when you're all alone (during a bath maybe, or laying in bed) and just focus and concentrate on clear skin. Visualize yourself with clear skin, hold that image in your mind for as long as possible, take deep breaths and do this for at least 10 minutes. Hang up a picture in your room of a model with perfectly clear skin and stare at it. Your mind is powerful and create anything you want, but it's difficult for us because we are impatient. Practice a few times and do it daily. I did this a few months back when I was really miserable about my skin, and in less than a week my skin just cleared up. I even got compliments on what I was doing, it was an awesome feeling. Try not to think about the bad so much, like being totally obsessed of what you eat that day or forgetting to wash your face. Blank out the negative whenever it starts to show and just hold that thought in your mind of having clear skin no matter what you do, and it will manifest.

Well I hope you find some, or at least one, of these tips helpful. Good luck.

Stay Strong!! ~