Honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a good natural product for reducing redness on your skin. Look for honey that is all natural and raw.  Dip a cotton ball or a Q-tip into the honey and dab it onto the pimple. Leave the honey on for about 15 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water. Do not scrub or rub at the pimple when you rinse off the honey. You can apply the honey as needed.  You can also try making a paste with cinnamon or turmeric powder and the honey. You can then use a Q-tip to apply the paste to the pimple. Cinnamon and turmeric have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Keep in mind turmeric can tinge your skin an orange color so you may want to try the paste on the inside of your wrist or behind your ear before you use it on your face. You can also try using ice on the pimple to make the swelling and redness go down, similar to how you might ice a swollen muscle. You will need ice and a clean cotton towel for this method. Wrap the ice cube in the towel and apply it to your pimple for 20 minutes at a time. Allow for 20 minutes between applications, applying the ice as needed. Cucumbers are great natural coolants for the skin and they contain astringent properties that can help to reduce swelling and redness. Make sure you use a cold cucumber for this method. Place it in your refrigerator so it is cold enough. You can place a thin slice of cucumber, peeled or unpeeled, directly on the pimple. Leave the cucumber on for five minutes or until warm, then replace with a new, cold slice. Repeat as needed. Both witch hazel and apple cider vinegar have astringent properties, which can reduce the swelling and redness. You can find both of these products at your local health food store or in the natural beauty aisle.  Apply witch hazel or apple cider vinegar with a Q-tip to the pimple and let it dry. You can apply the witch hazel or apple cider vinegar as needed throughout the day or overnight. Stop applications of apple cider vinegar if skin becomes irritated after application. Lemon juice is a good natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Try to use fresh lemon juice for this method.  Put one to two drops of lemon juice on a Q-tip and dab it on the pimple. Keep it on for five minutes and then rinse it off with warm water. Repeat this method three to four times a day with a fresh Q-tip. Lemon juice is slightly acidic so it may sting a little when you apply it to the pimple. It also has bleaching qualities so make sure you do not go out in the sun right after you have used the lemon juice. The bleaching effect could make the pimple lighter, leading to a spot on your skin that is lighter than your skin tone. Aloe vera is an herb that has been traditionally used to promote healing and to soothe inflamed or irritated skin. It also has astringent properties, so it will tighten the skin as it dries. You can get aloe vera gel by breaking off an aloe vera leaf and squeezing out the gel. You can also find packaged aloe vera at your local health food store or online.  Dip a clean Q-tip into the aloe vera gel. Then, apply it directly to the pimple and let it dry. Rinse the area off with warm water. Repeat applications of 100% aloe twice daily. If you are using an aloe vera leaf, you can store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. Use the leaf until all the gel inside is gone. Do not ingest aloe. Oral intake has been linked with diarrhea, electrolyte imbalances, and kidney dysfunction.
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One-sentence summary -- Apply raw honey to the pimple. Use ice to reduce the swelling and redness. Try cucumber. Apply witch hazel or apple cider vinegar. Use lemon juice on the pimple. Try applying aloe vera.


A sapphire that has a splotchy and uneven color is not considered one of high quality.  Look for sapphires that are saturated with a single vivid color all the way through.  Avoid sapphires that have brown or gray spots within. Tone describes how light or dark a particular sapphire is.  There’s no quantifiable way to measure tone, but on a scale from light to dark, medium and dark sapphires are generally considered higher quality than those that are light. Generally, the more wrinkles and imperfections (inclusions) a sapphire contains, the less prized it will be.  To choose a quality sapphire, find one with few or no inclusions that allows you to see straight through it. The most prized sapphires are blue and come from Sri Lanka.  The second-most prized sapphire is a Padparadscha sapphire, which has a pink-orange color and also comes from Sri Lanka.  The fancy pink sapphire is the third-most sought-after sapphire.  It has a bright pink color and is generally found in Sri Lanka or Burma. Other colors like green, violet, and red are also available, but are less sought-after than the above-listed varieties. Turn the sapphire around in your hand as you hold it up to the light.  This will help you see all the internal and external elements of the gem.  Don’t rush the process.  Take all the time necessary to see all the nooks and crannies of the gem.
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One-sentence summary --
Look for purity of color. Select medium or dark sapphires. Pick a clear sapphire. Choose a blue, pink-orange, or bright pink sapphire. Get a good look at the sapphire.