How To Get Rid of Little Bumps on the Face - Milia Removal at Home

Milia is one of the most common skin conditions to affect people in the world. More commonly known as “milk spots,” these pesky little white raised bumps on the skin affect more than three million people in the U.S. each year. Though these bumps most typically affect new-borns, people of all ages can develop milk spots - and struggle to get rid of them.
But just like with other irritating skin conditions, there are certainly gentle, all-natural remedies that can be used to diminish the appearance of milia.
So What exactly is milia?
Milia - or “milk spots,” as the skin condition is more commonly known - are small, white raised bumps that normally occur on the surface of the nose and cheeks. The bumps occur when keratin, a key protein that makes up the outer layer of human skin, becomes trapped underneath the skin.
If you have milia, you’ll notice little white bumps on your face, eyelids, or cheeks. Milia may appear due to some pre-existing skin condition, or may be a side effect of burns, blistering, long term sun damage and use of steroid creams, and even repeated skincare procedures, like lasers and dermabrasion.
Though usually not itchy, painful, or inflamed, milk spots can cause some people discomfort, and may make people feel self-conscious. Unlike babies, older children and adults need a few months to clear up the spots.
In this video, we’ll go through a few all-natural remedies to help reduce the appearance of milk spots that are less abrasive and less costly compared with the available commercial skin treatments.
1. Don’t Try To Pick Off The Milia
If milia on your face are irritating you, don’t pick at the affected area. Trying to remove milia can cause the bumps to bleed, scab, and scar. Scraping the skin can also introduce germs to the area, which can cause infection. Milia aren’t like acne, so it’s unlikely that picking at the white bumps on your skin will even achieve anything.
2. Sugar Lemon Juice Scrub
Lemons have fantastic antibacterial, antiseptic, bleaching, and antioxidant properties. They’re pretty much always go-tos when it comes to natural skincare remedies. To make a simple lemon scrub, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, which will act as the exfoliant agent, half of one lemon’s juice, and 1 teaspoon. of olive oil. Gently scrub your face with this mixture, leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes, and wash it off. For an even simpler remedy, just plunge a cotton ball into lemon juice and use the juice on your face. Keep it for 15 to 20 minutes, then wash your face with cold water. Do it daily before bed at night.
3. Raw Honey
Honey can absorb moisture from the air. When applied onto the skin, it will help retain this moisture, and prevent dryness. Raw honey helps balance the bacteria on your skin, which makes it a great product to use for acne as well as milia. Manuka honey has been studied as an anti-acne product and found to be significantly more effective than other popular products. Honey speeds up your skin cells' healing processes.
It’s recommended that you use raw honey as an ideal moisturizing facial scrub to help exfoliate the top layer of the skin, and help remove the little bumps. Try combining raw honey with sugar to make the scrub, or with jojoba oil.
4. Castor Oil
The problem with most beauty products is that they strip the oil out of your skin. The essential fatty acids that castor oil contains help in restoring the skin’s natural moisture balance. Castor oil also has natural healing and antibacterial properties, and helps to control oil production of the skin. This makes it an ideal natural ingredient to treat skin conditions like acne and milia.
To use, try mixing equal parts castor and olive oil, and apply the mask on your face. Leave it on until it’s completely absorbed, then wash off. You can even leave it overnight and wash off in the morning. You can also use steam to open your pores and help your skin absorb the oil better.
5. Steam Your Face
On the subject of steam, it might just be evaporated water, but it’s a great way to rid the skin of impurities. Steaming your face can promote better blood circulation, and help unclog pores and remove all the nasty gunk and dead skin cells.
Simply rinse a towel in hot water, and squeeze out the excess water. Gently press the towel on your face for a couple of minutes and remove. You can also lean over a pot of boiling hot water and let the naturally rising steam come into contact with your skin. Just make sure to be careful with this one, and test the air above the pot with your hand before your face to prevent burns.