Natural Acne Remedies
Acne is a very common skin condition and there are a dizzying number of products on the market that claim to get rid of it. Many of these products, however, are expensive and can really dry out your skin. While I’ve found some store-bought products that can help, I wanted to share some natural remedies for acne.
First, here are some ways to prevent acne:
- Eat well and take a multivitamin: Your skin is your largest organ, and it makes sense that nutritional deficiencies (or too much junk food) can cause skin issues.
- Wash your face twice a day: Acne is caused by oil clogging the pores and becoming infected, so it makes sense to remove some of that excess oil. Be very gentle and don’t scrub your face, which can actually worsen acne by stimulating more oil production.
- Avoid wearing makeup: Clogged pores are your enemy, so you might want to keep away from the foundation and blusher.
- Wash your pillowcase often: It collects oils from your skin, so wash it every other day.
- Keep your hair off your face: Your hair contains oils and you don’t want that oil getting on your face and causing more acne.
Once you’ve done what you can to prevent acne from occurring in the first place, here are some natural remedies:
- Tea Tree Oil: This is a fairly popular remedy, as tea tree oil is a natural antibiotic. Dilute the oil in water or aloe very gel and apply to the affected areas. Never use it full-strength, as it can irritate your skin.
- Mint: Peppermint contains menthol, an anti-inflammatory. Crush a handful of mint leaves thoroughly (in a mortar and pestle, if possible). Rub the leaves and juice onto the affected area and leave it on for 5-10 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
- Honey: This tasty stuff can kill bacteria that causes acne. Wash your face, then apply to the problem areas. Leave on for ten minutes, then rinse.
- Aloe Vera: Aloe is a natural antibiotic. Simply apply it to the affected areas.
- Oatmeal: Besides being good for breakfast, oatmeal will absorb excess oil and exfoliate the skin. Cook a single serving of plain oatmeal and stir in ¼ cup of honey. Allow it to cool before applying to the face. Leave it on for 10-20 minutes, then rinse.
- Time: I hate to say this, but some people are just doomed to have acne. Sometimes it’s genetic, so while some are blessed with perfectly clear skin, others will have to battle it, especially during the teenage years. Even if acne runs in your family, you can still mitigate it by following these tips. For complete relief, though, you may just have to wait a while.
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Very interesting post. I don’t wash my face all that often (though I should!). I have made ‘commitments’ to wash my face and do all that stuff a couple of times but never stuck with it… guess I should though.
Wonderful post though. :)
~Miss Rachel
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One treatment that I’ve had great success with is, believe it or not, toothpaste. Dab it on a pimple before going to bed, and in the morning it’s almost always greatly reduced in size and much less red and angry looking. Apparently it absorbs the oil from the area as it dries.
Paste formulations are preferred to gel, because of their different drying properties.
Thanks for the tips!
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THose are some great tips Mrs. Kate! :D Thank you so much for sharing! I used to use the Tea Tree Oil and it’s so nice! Unfortunately for me, it’s a little more pricey than I would like. I use an homemade oatmeal facial scrub 1-2 times a week and that helps me even more than the tree oil did! It rubs dead and dry skin away while leaving my face free from a lot of oils. I only use it a few times a week as needed because otherwise it dries out my skin too much. I never use lotions on my face either unless I REALLY need to, as it makes me break out.
I wash my face with regular soap and water every evening and then just rinse my face each morning. I haven’t had pimples in a long time!
I agree with the time thing too. I used to have pimples and breakouts all the time during my teen years until I was about 21 or so. Eating the right foods and taking care of your skin in that way is very good advice and very important during the teen years to help with these problems. :)
Great post Mrs. Kate! Thank you for sharing your advice and tips!
God Bless!
~Rachel~
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Interesting! I knew about most of the ones you listed but some were new to me. Thanks for sharing this with us, I really enjoyed reading it. :)
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Awesome post! I love these Beautiful You (how to do do it yourself) posts – they’re very helpful! The one for nails was very helpful also – I really enjoyed it. I know many girls that struggle with acne – personally, I have never had a problem with it. (And I am very grateful!) Every once in a while I’ll break out on my chin from propping myself up with my hand – the oils and foreign stuff don’t like my skin. :)
Great job!:)
~Nastya
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I’m surprised you didn’t mention the other source of acne… lack of moisture! I always thought I needed to wash my face more, exfoliate, etc, to clear up my acne, but it never seemed to help any. When I took a skincare quiz I was presented with the possibility that I had dry skin… I wash my face only twice a day, once in the morning using only water and once at night using a moisturizing cleanser designed for sensitive skin and a soft washcloth for gentle exfoliation, and both times I immediately apply facial moisturizer I get from the dollar store (but that has ingredients almost identical to the expensive moisturizers out there… I have even used non-scented lotion or even an anti-frizz hair creme if the ingredients were close). My acne and rosacea immediately clears up within a day or so of this routine. :) Just a thought – if cleansing/exfoliating doesn’t work, try going in the opposite direction!
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Here is a natural facial mask for those with oily, acne prone skin: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/applefacial.html Gonna have to try it.
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Great list, Mrs. Kate!
Having a clear face also attributes to things you eat or drink. For example, when I drink Dr. Pepper, I break out more. It is good to recognize things like that to help keep your skin clear.
I also use Virgin Coconut Oil as a moisturizer since about February and have noticed how clear my skin has become… unless I drink dr. pepper. lol.
Loving all your Beautiful You articles!
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