If you have little whiteheads on your eyes and or cheeks – these are actually not pimples – they are Milia.

Milia are the most stubborn, unsightly and annoyingly hard to get rid of skin inflictions which can affect skins of all ages.

Even babies are not safe from them – over 50% of them can be affected by these monsters as well as children and adults.

They are not racist – and not sexist – these nasty little lumps are happy to turn up on anyone’s skin – preferably around your eyes, upper areas of their cheeks and even more annoyingly on your eyelids.

They are basically a mini cyst which is full of keratin.

Although keratin is our best friend because we need it for our skin, hair and nails – we just don’t like it trapped under our skin in white lumps.

They are linked to the liver not functioning properly – especially those under the eyes – so if you have them – or many of your bloodline relatives have them – you may want to speak to an iridologist to see if you have a weakness there.

Why not the doctor? Because regular blood tests only show that you have liver issues when they are really bad – not when there is a weakness there.

The important thing to remember is:

• They are NOT spots
• They have nothing to do with your pores – they are under your epidermis (surface layer of your skin)
• They are not harmful
• They are not infectious
• They are not caused by germs/bacteria
• You cannot get rid of them by taking an antibiotic or the pill

If you have a lot of them – and if your family also suffer with them – you’re probably genetically predisposed to them. If you just get the odd one here and there you probably just need to up the ante on your skincare routine.  

How do you get rid of them?

First of all – don’t even think of picking at it. You’re setting yourself up for a whole heap of trouble. Because essentially what you are trying to do is pick a hole in your skin.

• Get a professional beauty therapist to do it. Before booking in – ask specifically if they remove milia. Double check. You want someone who really knows how to treat them to deal with them – not someone who is not confident – we are talking about the safety of your eyes.
• Go see a dermatologist – let them deal with them, again – only if they have experience in this area – personally I think a really good beauty therapist is a better option.
• All though I don’t really recommend this – you can have a go yourself. But I also recognise you may not be able to afford a facial/don’t have a decent therapist near you so I thought it best to address the issue.

How can I remove them if I want to do it myself?

Well to start with you need to get into a really good skin routine every day to make your skin work for itself.

• Keep your skin cleansed – ideally using an oil cleanser. Why an oil cleanser not a foaming one or a cream one? An oil cleanser loosens everything up without drying it out, because our skin’s protective layer actually contains oil (if your skin is healthy and you are not post menopause) and by using an oil, it loosens the dead skin cells and loosens the keratin in the milia.
• Exfoliate the area you are treating every day with a Lactic Acid (not glycolic) serum. I don’t like glycolic because although it has its place – it dries out the dead skin cells stopping the skin from doing its thing. Lactic exfoliates and hydrates – it’s all about getting the skin functioning at its best – it needs oil and water (hydration) to do this well.
• Moisturise them with a non-mineral oil moisturiser – nothing containing petrolatum. You can use beeswax-based creams or other hydrating creams – but not anything which can block the pores. Ideally use something which hydrates and helps the skin repair itself – a oily cream will NOT cause you to get more milia – remember – they are NOT pimples, and even pimples clear up when you use a hydrating healing cream.
• Use a clay mask 3 times per week – a pink one is best. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a mask – just buy a pink clay, mix a bit of water – and you have the perfect mask. It is anti-ageing, regenerative, deals with acne and gives you the perfect glow. You should find that some of the smaller ones shift themselves doing this.

Some general guidelines…

Don’t:

• Use products containing mineral oil or lanolin
• Pick at them with needles – if you don’t know what you’re doing you’ll scar your face

Do:

• Use a topical AHA acid on the area
• Exfoliate regularly
• Moisturise them normally
• Use good clay masks on the area regularly, such as a pink clay mask
• Get them removed safely by a professional beauty therapist or dermatologist