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After suffering with acne for the past 15 years, I’ve found that many natural remedies for acne work better than over-the-counter things I’ve tried.
There are many options for all natural remedies for acne. So, how do you choose which ones to try?
The ones I have included in my list of the top 10 all natural remedies for acne, are ones that I have found to work the best and are the most powerful! Everyone is different, and it may require some experimentation to find what works best for you! But most importantly, don’t give up!
After having acne for many years, I have tried nearly every possible remedy and treatment. I even, hate to say it, I’ve even tried prescription treatments. The funny thing is, after trying everything, I found the natural remedies for acne have worked the best! Seriously!
My acne started around age 13 and only progressed to get worse! My mother always told me, just wait until after high school, it will get better. But those years came and went with no change. Then, I had hoped by the end of college I would definitely be better, but yep you guessed it, four years later, it was only worse!
All through high school and college, I searched for years trying to find help, but nothing seemed to work. It didn’t seem fair because for some people, they improved with age. This is because acne it seems is sometimes just a temporary occurrence due to changes in hormones, but for me and many others that isn’t the case!
Getting to the Causes of Acne
1. Diet: What you eat matters! Many say that your that diet doesn’t matter. However, for many it came make a big impact. It so important to watch what you’re putting into your body. Avoid all processed foods, eat real foods and make sure to get enough fats into your diet, such as avocados and coconut oil. Dairy can be a problem and this should be avoided, along with refined sugar.
2. Get a blood test! Test your blood for vitamins and nutrients to make sure you aren’t deficient in anything. Also, it may be a good idea to check your thyroid and your hormone levels (progesterone and testosterone).
3. Allergens! Your acne may be a result of an allergy. Determine if there are any possible allergens that may be causing your acne, such as gluten, which may reduce the amount of nutrients absorbed. Other common allergens are dairy, yeast and eggs. Delayed food allergies may affect you especially if you have a leaky gut.
10 Best All Natural Remedies for Acne:
1. Baking Soda– This is my absolute favorite natural remedy for acne! Surprisingly, I only discovered baking soda masks a couple of years ago, and oh boy, is this stuff powerful at clearing skin! Baking soda not only helps eliminate breakouts and reduces inflammation, it is also an exfoliator and helps remove dead skin cells! Because of this, it also works great to reduce any old scars or acne marks. To use it, just take a few teaspoons of baking soda and mix it with warm water until it forms a paste. Apply the paste to your skin. You may want to leave it on for only 10 to 15 minutes the first few times as it may feel powerful. You can gradually increase the time up to an hour. After one use you can see a great difference in your skin.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar– This natural remedy for acne is another powerful one, it has both antibacterial and antifungal properties. To start out, you may want to dilute a few teaspoons with half cup water or 1/4 cup water as it can be quite powerful when applied directly to your skin. Make sure to use apple cider vinegar that’s raw, unfiltered and labeled as “with the mother”, which has the most nutrients.
3. Coconut Oil– Coconut oil is antibacterial and antifungal. Coconut oil is also extremely moisturizing and gentle. It helps fight the bacteria and reduce redness. Apply the coconut oil to your skin and massage it in. You can reapply a couple times per day. With coconut oil, there is no need to ever use a moisturizer again, it works so well. For optimal benefit, use organic coconut oil that is unrefined.
4. Tea Tree Oil– Tea tree oil is an essential oil and can be a very powerful all natural remedy for acne, as it is antibacterial. To apply it, mix a small amount (5 to 10 drops) of tea tree oil with a 1/4 cup water. Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and apply it to your skin. You can reapply throughout the day or leave it on under your makeup.
5. Egg Whites– For this, I’m not talking about eating them, they make a great natural remedy for acne when used as a facial mask! Egg whites reduce the oil and minimize your pores in addition to drawing out impurities. To use it, separate the egg white from the yolk, use a cotton ball or you can use your fingers to apply the egg white to your skin. After a few minutes you’ll start to feel it tighten, you can leave it on anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Afterwards, your skin will have an amazing glow!
6. Lemon Juice– For this one, you can either use lemon juice or a fresh squeezed lemon. Lemons have natural antibacterial and astringent properties to help clear your skin. Apply the lemon juice to your skin and leave on for 15 minutes to an hour.
7. Garlic– Not only is garlic a great natural antibacterial when ingested, it also works great topically. To use it, take a clove of garlic and thinly slice it. Rub the slices on your skin, particularly any problem areas, making sure the juice of the garlic is applied. Leave on for 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
8. Ice Cubes– Rub an ice cube on problem areas to help reduce inflammation. Not only, does the cold close your pores it also forces the bacteria out. You can also splash your face with cold water to achieve similar affects.
9. Cornstarch– Cornstarch is very soothing and gentle. This is a great natural remedy for acne when you have a lot of redness or irritation. You can apply the cornstarch to your individual breakouts or to your whole face. Sometimes I leave it on overnight and find a huge difference in the morning!
10. Aloe– Aloe is very soothing and reduces inflammation and redness. To use it, apply the gel to your skin with your fingers, you can apply it several times a day. If you have an aloe plant, it would be even better as you get the aloe fresh, without any added ingredients. Or you could also just get an organic aloe gel, I use this kind.
I still continue to use these natural remedies for acne. Typically, I use the baking soda mask and coconut oil once a day. My skin is now clearer. However, if I have an unusually stressful week or stop using baking soda for a few weeks, I may get a breakout.
No matter what the cause is, there’s no time like the present to try these natural remedies for acne and try to improve your skin to the best it can be. The good news is there’s a lot to try!
UPDATE:
I haven’t used it, but some people have found that evening primrose oil has helped them treat their acne. It is an anti-inflammatory omega-6 fat and is well known for helping women with menstrual cramps.
Other Important Natural Remedies for Acne!
Foods to add!
The following foods, when added to the diet, have been found to help acne: fish oil, turmeric, green tea, nuts, berries (dark red and purple), green leafy vegetables and omega 3-eggs.
Take a probiotic!
And don’t forget to take your probiotic! This may help your gut by decreasing inflammation.
Watch Blood Sugar, Stay Off the Rollercoaster!
You probably heard of the blood sugar rollercoaster. This is caused by eating sugar and refined (and processed )carbohydrates. So when you avoid sugar, don’t forget to cut down on your carbohydrates too! If you do eat a carbohydrate make sure you eat some healthy fat or protein to speed up the and being on this is not only a cause of many ailments but it affects your skin!
According to WebMD, a 2007 study in teenage boys and young men with acne found that eating foods with a low glycemic load (glycemic load tells you how much the food will raise blood sugar) led to significant improvement in their acne! Here is a good chart on the glycemic index of foods. An example of a high glycemic food is white rice “89” on the chart and an example of a low glycemic food is an apple “39”. Some of the best low-carb fruits include, berries, cherries, apples, pears and grapefruits. This is why one important change you can make is to make sure you keep your blood sugar steady. If your blood sugar is going wildly up and down you cause your insulin production to go in to overdrive . If you keep blood sugar balanced less “pimple producing insulin” will be in your blood and it was found in recent studies that there were less sex hormones in the blood of participants that ate foods with a low-glycemic load.
Final Tip
Get exercise and enough sleep! Not getting enough of these definitely affects my skin.
I am constantly trying to find new natural treatments to resolving acne and I will keep you posted on any new research or promising answers. Hope you will let me know if you have found anything that helps! Good luck on your journey to clear skin!
Have you tried any of these natural remedies for acne? What has worked for you?
Barry
Dermalmd is the best blemish fighter I have ever used. It is great on teen acne as well as hormone-induced blemishes you get later in life. It not only clears them quickly but lightens them, too. I always have it at home and in my travel bag.
Amanda
I have acne prone skin and I want to treat them. So this article is very helpful for me. I am going to try these remedies. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Mumbai PCOS Clinic
I would like to add one more.
Have anyone in here tried the orange peel mask? it really works well if you have too oily skin, nothing much to do.
just take off the orange peel. keep it in sunlight for two days, with the help of a grinder make a powder and make a paste with rose water, apply it on your face and after 5 min resin, you face well with water and towel soak your face instead of rubbing a towel on your face. you will experience good results.
Lori
Sounds like a great face mask!
Jennifer
These are all some very good acne treatments. I would add another remedy here which is Himalayan pink salt, aloe Vera and rose water mixture. I have using it for my acne. This remedy is really effective. Himalayan salt is very good for skin. You can visit the website of ittefaqco to know more about this salt.
kaise kare
I have been suffering from serious acne and blackheads on my face,neck and back for over 7 years now. It was like I had a remission in 2012-about a month or two. Then it continued up till now. I’ve tried so many natural therapies- to no avail. Please could you let me know of some natural trustworthy recipes I can use to treat myself. It has given me a cause for concern. I really wish I can have a smooth face,neck and back without all the blackheads & acne.
Yours sincerely,
Lori
Have you tried any of the above face masks? What is your diet like?
Herman
Honey is also a proven natural acne remedy. You can put it on the face directly or you can mix it with other remedies such as lemon juice or sandal wood. The vegetables and fruits such as tomato, carrot, cucumber, and orange have also used as packs on the skin. Steaming and massaging is recommended as part of the remedy treatment. Now, as a result of the increased popularity of the natural remedies, many beauty centers offer them.
I hope this helps!!!
Lori
Yes! Honey masks are a great natural remedy for acne.
Alyssa
I have started using Dermalmd Blemish Serum only for two weeks, and my acne on my chain cured very well, but i don’t know if i have continue using it or using for a month is enough.
Lori
Glad you found something that works for you.
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Carolyn
Blood pressure is generally written and spoken of as for instance 120/80 which means
a systolic more than diastolic stress measured in millimeters (mm) of mercury (Hg).
tara
I’m 36 with combination skin and large pores. I’ve been using the Grapefruit Glycolic Wash from Made from Earth for about 6 months and love it. Its a gentle glycolic wash (and I have sensitive skin) and this wash has kept my breakouts to a minimum. Over use of any glycolic acid treatment can be drying – but not with this one – Ive been using daily with no problems.
Kandi F
I tried 5-6 products to eliminate acne that had been with me for two years. I tried salicyclic acid, witch hazel, herbal remedies. I only used products that contained those ingredients because I have sensitive skin, and those ingredients are requirements if you have sensitive skin. The products that worked the best where Malin Goetz & Citrus Clear. The Malin products were more expensive, so I only bought their spot treatment, but I bought the Citrus Clear Sensitive Line (With the Wash and moisturizer) – and within two days, the acne was gone! I use the Citrus Clear stuff at the first sign of a breakout, and the Malin product maybe once every two weeks.