A milium cyst (plural milia) is a skin disorder which usually affects your skin around your eyes.
They look like small white spots which you may release as a minor case of acne – but don’t be fooled.
If you attempt to eliminate them yourself, you could be left with unsightly scars.
Let us see in details what exactly is Milia?
What Is Milia?
Milia’s are the crowd of small milium cysts which usually form around your cheeks, nose and eyes, as a result of trapped protein called as keratin beneath the skin’s surface.
Milia can occur in newborn babies but usually clear up within a few weeks, but adults get them as well.
In adults, it can take a large amount of time to disappear and may not go away at all without treatment.
These tiny hard whiteheads on face can be especially challenging and are hard to remove, as a thin layer of skin has grown over them and effectively sealed them in between the top layers of the skin.
This makes it almost impracticable to remove them via conventional exfoliation and daily acne extractions.
Where Are Milia Generally Found?
Milia on eyelids are most common, around the eye area, around the forehead, chin or the cheeks of adults. They can also show up on the nose for infants.
Are Milia Harmful?
In general, milia are not considered to be harmful.
However, we would always guide that, if you are worried or anxious about an undiagnosed lesion on your skin, you should seek an instant advice from a medical practitioner.
Prevention Tips
- Avoid excessive exposure to the sun.
- Avoid using thick milia removal creams and oil-based products on your face.
- Exfoliate 2 to 3 times a week.
- Clean the affected area regularly.
- Steam daily to open the skin pores.
- Use a sunscreen regularly.
- Avoid picking, poking, or trying to eliminate the milia with your fingers.
- Follow a healthy diet that consists of foods that are best for milia treatment, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and vitamin A-rich foods.
- Avoid foods that are sugary, fried, spicy, caffeinated, and salty.
What Are The Different Types Of Milia And What Causes Them?
Neonatal Milia
These are milia type that is visible in young babies soon after they are born.
They are very general and are usually found everywhere the nose area but may also happen on the scalp, cheeks, upper body and also inside the mouth.
They are thought to arise from sweat glands that are not fully developed or mature.
Around half of all babies evolve neonatal milia. In fact, because they are so general, they are really viewed as normal in newborn babies.
Primary Milia
These are milia that can happen in both children and adults.
They happen in an area of skin that has otherwise been normal without any previous damage or injury.
Secondary Milia
These are milia that develop in an area of skin, anywhere on the body, that has previously been harm or injured. For example, after a burn or a blistering rash.
The milia develop as the skin heals and it is thought that injury to the sweat glands may be an underlying cause.
Secondary milia also sometimes grow after certain skin creams have been used – for example, few skin creams.
Milia En Plaque
Milia of this type are extremely rare. The milia develop on an inflamed, raised patch of skin known as a plaque which may be several centimetres across.
The cause for milia en plaque is not fully understood.
It usually occurs behind the ears, on an eyelid, or on the cheeks or jaw area.
This type of milia tends to particularly affect middle-aged women.
Multiple Eruptive Milia
The milia appear in crops or patches of milia that develop over a period of weeks or months.
The crops usually appear on the face, the upper arms and the upper trunk. Milia of this type are also extremely rare.
How To Get Rid Of Tiny Bumps On Face Quickly?
1. Sandalwood To Treat Milia On Face
Needed Ingredients
- Sandalwood powder
- Rosewater
Process
- Combine sandalwood powder and rose water together to form a thick paste.
- Apply it on the milia affected area.
- Allow it to completely dry.
- Wet your hands with some amount of rose water and massage in a circular direction for about 2-3 minutes.
- Wash your face with warm water.
- Sandalwood powder aids to dry the milia and over a period of time, these small bumps will go off. Daily usage of sandalwood and rose water is good for the treatment of milia.
- Sandalwood gives you coolness to the skin and soothes the milia. It also aids to burst the tiny bumps and releases the toxic presence in the eruptions, thereby curing milia permanently.
2. Lemon: Effective Milia Home Remedies
Ingredients
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Granulated sugar.
Process
- Extract the fresh juice of the lemon.
- Add powdered sugar to the fresh juice and few drops of olive oil.
- Apply the mix on the white pimples on face called milia and massage slowly for few minutes.
- Wash your face and the affected regions with cold water.
- Follow this natural remedy up to 2-3 times in a whole week.
- This acts as a fantastic scrub and exfoliates the milia gently. Slowly the milia will go off. It acts as a scrubbing agent.
- As you know that lemon is rich in Vitamin C and along with granulated sugar forms a rich exfoliating agent. The regular scrub will help in curing the milia.
3. Potato – These Are Excellent To Treat Milia
Ingredients
- Potato
Method 1
Process
- Grind 1 small sized potato and extract the fresh juice from it.
- Keep this fresh juice in the refrigerator to chill it.
- Dip a cotton pad in the chilled potato juice.
- Apply this soaked cotton on the milia.
- Allow it to dry for some time.
- Follow this method regularly for best results at least 2 times in a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Method 2
Procedure
- Grind 1 potato and put the grated potato on the milia.
- Allow it to dry for 5 minutes.
- Wash thoroughly with cold water.
- Follow this method for 2-3 times in a day.
Potato is an excellent cleansing agent and is an excellent remedy to treat milia. Daily usage of grated potato will help in the treatment of milia.
It contains a high content of starch which can cure these white bumps on face and prevent occurrence too.
4. Pomegranate
Ingredients
- Pomegranate peels
Procedure
- Peel one pomegranate and collect the skin of the pomegranate.
- Dry the peeled skin in the sun or fry the peels until it turns to golden brown.
- Blend the roasted peels to form a powder.
- Dip and soak the roasted powder in water for the whole night.
- In the early morning, add a little quantity of lime juice to the soaked powder.
- Apply the mix on the effected milia and allow it to dry for some time.
- Lightly wet your hands with regular water.
- Rub gently on the milia affected area in small and circular strokes.
- Clean thoroughly with cold water and pat dry.
- Follow this process 1-2 times in a week for best results.
- Pomegranate fruits peels are generally rich in Vitamin C. They act as an excellent scrubbing agent and aid to get rid of milia easily.
- Gentle exfoliation helps to remove the dirt accumulated in these small eruptions, thereby getting rid of the ugly milia.
5. Fenugreek – Excellent Home Remedies for Milia
Method 1
Ingredients
- Fenugreek leaves
- Water
Process
- Boil some amount of water in a vessel and include few leaves to the boiling water.
- Let it be cool down for some time and strain the liquid.
- Spatter the solution on the affected regions and pat dry.
- Blend few fenugreeks leaves to form a fine paste.
- Apply this fine paste on the milia affected area.
- Allow it to remain on the affected milia for 30 minutes.
- Follow this process daily for best results.
Method 2
Needed Ingredients
- Fenugreek seeds
- Water
Process
- Soak fenugreek seed in a clean vessel for the whole night.
- In the early morning, blend the soaked fenugreek seeds with a little quantity of water to form a thick paste.
- Apply the thick paste on the milia affected region.
- Allow it to remain same for some time and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
- Fenugreek paste contains antibacterial and also cleansing properties. It acts as an antiseptic, and it is one of the useful natural home remedies towards milia.
6. Facial Sauna – Treatment Of Milia
Ingredients
- Just some amount of Water
Process
- Take a pressure cooker and boil sufficient amount of water.
- Once the cooker delivers the steam, cover your head with a white towel and take the steam into your face along with Milia affected regions.
- Continue this up to 5-10 minutes.
- Rinse your face thoroughly with warm water.
- Also, scrape some ice cubes all over the face to close the pores.
- Follow the remedy once a week for effectiveness.
- Facial sauna is very important to cure milia as it cleanses the pores and eliminates the dirt and dust accumulated in the same. In other words, it cleans the oil clogs.
7. Castor oil
Method 1
Needed Ingredients
- Castor oil
- Olive oil
Process
- Combine same quantities of castor oil and also olive oil.
- Apply the oil on the affected portions of the face and also your chest.
- Allow it to remain same for some time before wiping the excess oil with a clean cloth.
- Follow this method 1 time in a day to see an outstanding difference in Milia.
Method 2
Needed Ingredients
- Some quantity of Castor oil
- Baking soda.
Process
- In a small bowl, add a minute quantity of baking soda approximately 1-2 teaspoon.
- Mix half of the part castor oil to one part of baking soda.
- Mix completely and apply the mix on the affected segments of milia.
- Let it stay for some time approximately for 15 minutes.
- Wash your face with warm water completely to remove the ingredients.
- Follow this process once or twice a week for visible effects.
This is supposed to be one of the best natural home remedies for milia effectively.
Baking soda and castor oil combination work well on milia prone areas as baking soda is oil absorbent and castor oil nourishes and keeps your skin moisturized.
8. Vinegar
Ingredients
- Vinegar
- Water
Process
- Mix in the quantity of 1:2 both vinegar and also water, that is 1 part of vinegar and 2 parts of water.
- Dip a small cotton pad in this solution and dab the cotton ball on the affected portion of milia.
- Let it stay for some time or till the solution dries off completely.
- Wash your face and the affected portions with warm water.
- Follow the procedure once every day to see a reduction in milia.
Method 2
Ingredients
- Vinegar
- Cornstarch
Process
- Add required amount of vinegar to cornstarch and form a smooth mix.
- Apply the combination on the affected area of the milia.
- Let it dry for some time.
- Boil some quantity of water in a container and let it fall to room temperature.
- Wet a small cloth in the lukewarm water and gently wipe off the ingredients.
- Wash your face with enough amount of cold water and pat dry.
- Keep repeating this process daily until you see a substantial variance in the growth of milia.
- Cornstarch is amazing in absorbing the oil from the milia affected region. Similarly, vinegar behaves as an astringent and both together work well in treating the milia effectively.
- One of the common reasons for milia infection is excess oil secretion in the skin. Cornstarch positively controls the oil secretion and inhibits the formation of milia.
9. Honey – This is very effective to Treat Milia
Method 1
Ingredients
- Pure honey
Process
- Dilute honey with some amount of water to decrease consistency.
- Dip and press a cotton ball in this solution and apply it on the milia infected areas.
- Let it remain for few minutes and splash cold water to remove the ingredients.
- Follow this procedure regularly till you see a visible difference in the milia.
Method 2
Ingredients
- Pure honey
- Some quantity of coconut oil
Process
- Combine an equal amount of honey and also coconut oil.
- Put this greasy liquid on the affected milia portion.
- Let it remain for some time and wash it with warm water.
- Follow this procedure1-2 times in a day for better results.
- Honey behaves as a moisturizing agent and it is very useful to treat milia. It keeps the region nearby the bump area hydrated and prevents milia in no small extent.
- Coconut oil makes the hard milia soft and smooth and continuous usage will result in the eradication of these hard and tiny bumps.
10. Pure Aloe Vera
Ingredients
- Aloe Vera
- Turmeric
- Olive oil
Process
- Collect pure Aloe Vera gel in a glassware.
- Add a pinch of pure turmeric and few drops of olive oil and form a fine paste.
- Apply the pure Aloe gel along with the required ingredients and allow it to sit on the milia for some time.
- Clean the affected areas with warm water and pat dry for some time.
- Follow this normal procedure once or twice in a week for effectiveness.
- Aloe Vera is an excellent solution for the bumps and also turmeric and olive oil both do wonders for the skin. Turmeric acts as an antiseptic agent and prevents milia outgrowth as well as the bumps which have already occurred.
There is always a risk of scarring yourself if you try to get rid of milia by manual means.
So, stick to the above tips to prevent such mishaps. Try out the above natural home remedies and tips for a few weeks and watch your milia disappear quickly and safely.