The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Vitamin A
Posted by Stephanie (Napa, Ca) on 12/12/2016
★★★★★
Vitamin A is the answer! We tried it all, cut out dairy, cut out wheat, which both helped to a certain extent but nothing came close to Vitamin A. My son had terrible ace and even some very red cystic acne, we started by giving him 50mg day of chelates zinc which helped a little until I read that Accutane mimics Vitamin A in high doses. We then added 40,000iu of Vitamin A per day for a week and now just 20,000iu daily with the zinc, taken with food and his acne is now GONE. It has only been less than a month but we initially started seeing results within the first few days all the cyctic bumps reduced in size almost immediately! Stick with it, I know it's frustrating but you are worth it!
Vitamin A
Posted by Frances A (Jacksonville, Florida) on 11/29/2009
★★★★★
Recurring boils and similar large, painful pimples
After age 21 I had terrible huge pimples. When my pharmacist told me that some derms prescribed Vitamin A, I started on it immediately.. It was like a miracle, a moderate miracle. The huge deep pimples stopped and my skin improved in other ways.
I used to take 50,000 units a day but now I would limit myself to 25,000 units per day. Just be patient and don't stop the treatment.
Vitamin C
Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 01/09/2018
★★★★★
I have/have had 6 teens so far. They have been blessed with pretty clear skin. I wonder if there is a hereditary component as my husband and I had pretty clear skin as teens also and I say we had pretty typical teen diets. (I worked in a fast food restaurant from ages 16-19 and ate lunch there every day that I worked, which was daily in the summer! )
But they do have some mild acne. Never enough for them to be bothered to try and improve it though.
After 6 weeks of very regular use of liposomal vitamin C for whooping cough, however, I have noticed that one teen in particular has notably clearer skin.
If you have a teen with acne, vitamin C would be easy to try. The easiest way to get a higher dose is the store bought lypospheric vitamin C. It costs $32 for 30 packets. One packet of liposomal a day and in a month you would see if it was worth making your own for regular use, which is much cheaper once you invest in the materials.
~Mama to Many~
Vitamin C
Posted by Azg (Toronto, On) on 01/10/2010
★★★★★
I'd been having troubles with my skin lately and for another reason (broken capillaries) I had been taking very large doses of Vitamin C internally (with Lysine)... it's still to early to tell if it's working. But I noticed a MARKED IMPROVEMENT in the condition of my skin in regards to breakouts... they were diminishing dramatically. So I decided to apply it topically. You can Ascorbic Acid powder in a variety of health food store, and if you go to your local large beauty store there is a famous brand that sells a topical vitamin C powder (it's very expensive - sourcing out ascorbic acid powder is definitely cheaper). Mix a tiny tiny scoop (maybe 1/16th of a teaspoon) into your moisturizer every morning and apply it. You may feel a tiny sting from the vitamin C but it shouldn't be uncomfortable and it should disappear almost instantly. If the sting lasts, you've used too much powder! You'll notice an immediate improvement in your skin and I bet you'll be acne free within a week... Do this only in the morning - no need to overload your skin at night. Plus Vitamin C is a very powerful anti-free-radical and anti-aging product.
Vitamin D
Posted by Bobbi (Virginia) on 03/11/2016
My 16 year old son had some rather large, red, hard acne bumps on his face, especially in the middle of his forehead. He went skiing for one day and came back with a sunburn on his face, but the acne was about 80% cleared up after just that one day in the sun. I'm guessing it was the Vitamin D that did it. So we'll keep giving Vitamin D until summer and see if the improvement keeps up.
Vitamin E
Posted by Christy (Collinsville, Tx) on 09/12/2011
★★★★★
I adopted the bad habit of picking scabs when I got acne in my early teens and have bad scars from it. Over the years (I'm 25 now) I've used Vitamin E oil; internally and externally. I think if I were to use it on a regular basis for 2 or 3 months at a time, it would have faded the scars but I was only able to apply the oil once a day for about a week at a time.
I still have trouble fading scars, but from what I've read on this website about fresh Aloe Vera Gel, I am eager to keep at it and see what it does for me.
Wash Only With Water
Posted by Kglaser (Lincoln, Nebraska) on 02/16/2016
★★★★★
I have suffered with acne since I was a teenager. I have tried countless remedies. The one that has helped me finally be rid of this affliction costs nothing and was 100% effective for me. I came across a research article about the antimicrobial lipids at the surface of skin. Natural skin oils can even kill MRSA. I will post the article for you to read.
What I decided to do, after reading this article, was stop washing my face for a few days to see what would happen. I have oily skin so my face looked oily, but my spots started disappearing, too. And my skin became a little flaky. The 3rd day, I took a wet washcloth and lightly scrubbed my face to get the dry flaky skin off. What was revealed underneath was clear, glow-y skin.
After searching on the internet about the benefits of not washing your face, I realized this information is already out there. Some call it the caveman regimen. Basically, you only wash your face with cool to warm water once a day, or every other day, and pat dry.
Don't strip your skin's natural protective layer away with harsh soaps and creams. Let your skin's natural antimicrobial lipids do their job.
Here is the research article: http://www.jlr.org/content/49/1/4.full.pdf+html
Replied by Rw
(Southwest Virginia)
03/11/2016
★★★★★
Water
Posted by Liza (USA)
★★★★★
I started drinking 10 glasses of water/day, for no reason other than I had started exercising regularly and I wanted to be healthy. About 3 weeks into this regime, I noticed my acne had completely disappeared, I had not been using anything topically for my acne at this time nor did I change my diet besides the drastic increase in water intake. Another bonus was, my regularly dry skin is now as soft as a baby's (even my hands!) and I don't have to use lotion at all--even after shaving my legs. When you first start drinking lots of water you are in the bathroom quite often--including in the middle of the night. This subsides after a week or two--your bladder becomes accustomed to the increase and adjusts. I learned the easiest way to drink 10 glasses of water/day is to drink out of two of the 1 liter water bottles or 4 of the smaller size (20 fl. oz.) bottles. For economy, I refill mine. I also try to drink 1 liter by noon and the second liter by 4 p.m. (So I'm not in the bathroom at 1 a.m.) I recently read an article by a doctor in Connecticut that said drinking that amount of water will reduce allergy symptoms, constipation and some other common ailments, (including acne and dry skin). Her article also mentioned that drinking juice takes away water from our bodies because the sugar level in the juice is higher than that of our blood so water is supplied from our body to our gut to dilute the juice. (In other words, it takes away water, rather than adds to it.) I regularly don't drink anything besides water --I'm never thirsty! Her article also said that you can count as one of your 10 glasses of water an herbal tea or a glass of 1/3 juice with 2/3 water.
Water
Posted by Marvin (USA)
★★★★★
STEAM your face by boiling water and putting your face over it carefully, then wash with cold water after. the hot steam opens the pores and the cold water kills the germs.
Water
Posted by Caidah (Los Angeles, CA)
★★★★★
Boil water until its steamy hot, then take it off the burner and take a rag and dip it in the water (not the whole rag, just the end) and place it on the affected area, it may burn, but it works! I did it and so have a lot of my friends, just don't burn yourself!
White Yarrow. Buckhorn Plantain Tea
Posted by Didi (Chicago, IL) on 04/09/2008
★★★★★
A tea of White Yarrow and Buckhorn Plantain cured my acne. I actually bought the White Yarrow for something else, but decided to add Buckhorn Plantain, because I read somewhere that it is helpful for acne. For two weeks of drinking this tea, twice a day my face looks smooth and nice. I have tried a lots of stuff before that, but this is amazing. Hope this helps someone:).
Witch Hazel
Posted by Mike (Kent, Uk) on 08/23/2020 25 posts
★★★★★
Worked great! When I was in my teens I had quite bad acne and tried so many things to get rid of it. The only thing that worked for me back then was witch hazel in a gel form which as I remembered I used to apply quite thickly over the areas with acne and leave it on overnight.
I don't know if it has to be in gel form or if it has to be as long as hours/overnight, but what I do know is it worked very well :)
Yeast
Posted by Leriejane (Seattle, Wa, Usa) on 07/17/2010
★★★★★
Yeast cured my acne
Before sleeping and after washing your face:
Take a package of yeast, and mix 1/4 teaspoon with a couple drops of water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste with a cotton swab to the affected areas of your face. Let it dry on your skin before going to bed. The pimples will be gone or significantly reduced by morning. This will smell unpleasant, so you'll probably want to change out your pillow case everyday (I used t-shirts as substitutes).
Yogurt
Posted by Vanessa (Portland, Or, Usa) on 12/30/2009
★★★★★
I use yogurt for acne, usually when I start to break out, but it's gentle enough to use it everyday. I mix it with honey and lemon (a few drops of both then apply to my face and let it dry. Sometimes I leave it on overnight, but most of the time I dont because it isnt a pleasant feeling to have dried yogurt on your face for hours. Its not harsh and always does the trick. I find it helps all skin problems, its calms the skin and reduces swelling, reduces redness, shrinks pores, cures pimples and seems to do an amazing job at smoothing the face.
There are lots of other recipes for yogurt masks on the net, just do a google search!
Yogurt
Posted by Katie (Seattle, WA, USA) on 03/16/2009
★★★★★
Yogurt cured my acne. I used plain yogurt (about 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp) with live cultures sometimes mixed with a few drops (2-3) of honey. Some people prefer to mix it with honey because it softens the skin, although it isn't necessary. When I applied the yogurt to my face, I just applied enough for there to be a layer about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. But, if the yogurt is spread on too thick, it will slide down the face and becomes a mess. I leave the yogurt on until it dries (about 45 minutes to an hour), but some people suggested to leave it on overnight. Then I simply washed it off with warm water.
After applying the yogurt mask, my face always feels smoother and has a more even complexion. Some suggest the uric acid in the yogurt is what helps with acne, although I cant confirm that to be true, I can say it has worked for me.
Thank you Earth Clinic, I love this website so much!
