12 Proven Natural Remedies for Acne

Acne Tips

Posted by Stella (USA) on 07/01/2008

Here are a few tips to help control acne. Whenever I sway from these I pay the price.

Acne Tips:

Wash face Twice in a row
Rinse face Thirteen splashes
Exfoliate once a week
Have good oral hygiene
Plucking eyebrows invites bacteria-clean the area well after
Don't bite inside your cheeks or lips
Use a water filter on the shower
Change pillowcases every other day (I use aloe soaked pillowcases)
Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets and use only chemical free laundry soap
Use chemical free shamp/Cond and hair products (what you put on your hair ends up on your face)
Clean your phone often (a must)
Use a natural deodorant
Use chemical free hand-soap and moisturizer (what you put on your hands ends up on your face)
Wash your hands after you touch your pets
Wash your hands and chin after you brush your teeth because bacteria from your mouth drips on your face
Never use Old make-up

Do Not leave your face wash and shamp/cond in the shower, store it in a dry place

An Unlit Match

Posted by Daisy (NY, NY) on 06/28/2008
★★★★★

As I was reading this post,

[YEA] 06/26/2008: Donna from Garnerville, NY writes: "I tried this last night and I'm shocked at how well it works!! When you hold the match head on the sore, it HURTS like you want to SCREAM, but when you're done, the pain practically disappears. The next day, the sore is significantly less painful and it has started to heal."

I had a swollen zit near my chin. I know, gross. It is/was the kind with a center that won't come out until IT is ready to. So I found a pack of matches and I applied the tip of one to the zit (yes, it was kind of open because I can't leave them alone!) I could feel a little burning, nothing major. Checked it out the next day and it had shrunk and was not painful to the TOUCH anymore. Thank you for this suggestion!! Now, does anyone know of any acne medicine that contains sulfer so I don't have to walk around with matches stuck to my face? LOL

Oranges

Posted by April (Denver, Colorado) on 06/10/2008
★★★★★

On the subject of acne, my 12 year old is beginning to get the face pimples and we discovered simply by accident that oranges help to clear her skin. First, we found that drinking orange juice helped, then we found that peeling the orange and eating it clears her skin of the pimples that have not progressed to full blown white heads. She eats an orange (with the white part attached) every other day and she has a much improved complexion!

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Stephanie (Salt Lake City, Utah) on 05/26/2008
★★★★★

I am amazed people! I had old depressed acne scars on my face and was very discolored. Four days after doing the first of five Fraxel laser resurfacing treatments, I broke out in new acne and sandpaper type bumps under the surface of my skin. I stopped using the creams the Doctor gave me and went to this routine:

I wash my face in plain baking soda, then I put raw organic honey, cinnamon, sea salt, a splash of lemon juice and a splash of ACV in the palm of my hand-mix it together and spread it on my face.I leave it on ten or so minutes while I drink a Tbls. or so of ACV in water, rinse my mouth in baking soda and brush my teeth. Then I rinse my face off in tepid water and dry.

I have a spritz bottle that I filled half with lemon juice and half with ACV and a little distilled water so it wouldn't sting and I spray my face with that.

Then I have another bottle filled with Lavender, tea tree, grapeseed and helychrisum oils that I spray on and let air dry.

I cannot tell you people what a miracle this is! My face is looking beautiful! It cleared up the acne and surface bumps in less than two days. I wake up to tight, smooth soft skin. My tone and texture are amazing. I never wear makeup anymore. I swear by this stuff!!! I love also what the fraxel is doing for my scars and color. I have only had one treatment so far and the results will take longer to be complete, but I will never use anything on my face again that you can't eat. I go in for my next laser treatment this week, and the first thing I will put on my red swollen face when I get home is honey. Honey, ACV and Lemon juice are fantastic! My teenage daughter is doing this same routine and has gone from a pimply to perfect complexion in under a week. We love it!

Grapeseed Oil

Posted by Stella (C, OH) on 05/20/2008
★★★★★

Hi I would just like to put in a Yea! For Grapeseed oil. I am 37 yrs old and I suffered from a bad skin condition on my face and body for over 2 Loong years. The dermatologist said it was adult acne but I'm not so sure. I had tried many natural & chemical based products to the point of exhaustion until I finally found a brand that worked to where I could have my life back but my skin was still always on that verge of a break out at anytime. Anyway - about a month ago my husband was at the health store and I asked him to buy grapefruit extract but by mistake he bought Grapeseed oil. Well Grapeseed oil was one of the few things that I did not try on my face so I thought since I had it I would try it. UnBelievable Is all I can Say. This stuff is so good it took my skin to the next level. I don't even use my usual face cream anymore. If you have acne or sensitive skin. Try Grapeseed Oil It's awesome! It works! I love it! My skin is rosy and does not break out. I also know you can mix it with other oils for added benefits but I haven't tried that yet. Yea! For Grapeseed Oil.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Sean (Denver, Colorado) on 05/19/2008
★★★★★

Aloe Vera for Acne: it works, I tried it last night got up and voala! smaller pimples.

Essential Oils

Posted by Elisabeth (Sommerset, Colorado) on 05/17/2008
★★★★★

Lavender, tea tree and rosemary essential oils: I had mild cases of acne as a teenager but as an adult nearing 35, I broke out into terrible cystic acne all of the sudden. I tried everything but accutane, nothing would get rid of it and some things made it worse (like retin-a). A friend finally suggested this remedy and I was completely clear within two weeks-no kidding. The recipe is two to three drops each of Lavender, tea tree and rosemary essential oils in a small spray bottle of distilled water(such as a trial size hairspray bottle. Be sure to wash it out well first). Shake it up each time you use it. Spray it on a clean, dry face every morning and night. Let it air dry on your face. Keep the oils and the spray bottle in a cool dark place like a drawer or medicine cabinet, away from light and heat or the oils won't stay "true" for very long. I have been doing this for over ten years- I have added other oils as I have gotten older that are good for aging skin, like frankinsense and geranium-but I look fresh and young still and my skin is like a babie's soft pink bottom. This was my little miracle and there are absolutely no side effects from this. My family all use this remedy, I have given it to our teenage daughters and thier girlfriends who have breakouts and everyone is amazed at how such simplicity works such wonders! This is also great for anyone at any age who just wants to have softer and much more radiant skin.

Cayenne

Posted by Vinny (Atlanta, GA) on 05/16/2008
★★★★★

Not only does Cayenne Pepper & Aloe Vera prevent hair loss and help in it's growth, it also SUBSTANTIALLY diminishes and/or gets rid of acne where ever it is applied. I would suggest not to use the household cooking spice (if you can help it) only because I believe the Cayenne Pepper tablets are much stronger. I mix Cayenne with Aloe Vera and put it on my face and after application, I get more Cayenne Pepper to mix it in just to make sure there is enough C.P Be cautious that it does not go in your eyes as it will burn! In fact, after application, it will burn but you have to be strong! I usually keep it on my face for about 20mins so I try to leave it on there. It will burn but after you rinse your face with COLD water (carefully making sure it does not go in your eyes), you will be glad you did. After an hour or so, you should see a huge difference, if not right after your rinse.

Aspirin Mask

Posted by Sophie (D) on 05/14/2008
★★★★★

Acne Remedy: While removing the aspirin & honey face mask if you rub in circular motions & use it as a scrub, works great! xx

Hydrogen Peroxide, Aloe

Posted by Raquelle (Auckland, NZ) on 05/11/2008

I've read a lot of feedback on here, just like to say your feedback was really good and clear.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Molly (Berlin, Germany) on 04/25/2008
★★★★★

Hi everyone! first I wanted to say that I love this site and have found it very helpful for minor skin ailments. I am 24 and have always had fairly decent skin, al ittle on the dry side, easily scars, and prone to pimples and have tended to over due it in the product department. In the past couple of months I have developed mild acne probably due to hormonal changes..so i checked with this website and have put together my own skin regime I have found very successful and would love to share with all of you! First I use an all natural but basic bar of soap with as few additives as possible (I happen to use a brand handmade in california called Beesworks as I have found the products to be really gentle and effective, plus they smell great and are all natural and organic! but on that note im sure any natural organic soap would work) About every other day I mix in about one table spoon of baking soda into the soap lather and gentle massage into my face, especially focusing on the problematic areas. The key word here is GENTLY as i have found the if I over scrub or use the baking soda on my skin too often it can be harsh and drying, otherwise it works great in healing my acne. Then i rinse with cold water and after patting my skin dry I splash apple cider vinegar on my skin as a toner, then finish with pure vitamin E as a moisturizer and to heal my acne scars. the ACV is not the nicest smelling toner and the Vitamin E can be a little sticky so I usually save this regime for nighttime before bed and in the morning just stick to the bar of soap and a natural moisturizer. An alternative to the ACV is just plain lemon juice and i have found this more pleasant smelling, but not as effective as the ACV. A couple of times a week I do a homemade mask of yogurt and honey. This makes my skin so soft and dewey and also helps with the acne. The best part about this regime besides how effective it is, is its cost! It happens to be really affordable so stop buying those fancy expensive skin care products ESPECIALLY if they have ANY chemicals in it and experiment with natural ingredient instead until you find a regime that works for your particular skin type.

Selenium

Posted by Vinny (Atlanta, GA) on 04/25/2008
★★★★★

Hi, Besides taking Triple Fish Oils, Vitamin E, & Vitamin C to cure and prevent acne, I have now started taking Selenium, which is a very powerful antioxidant, and my acne is nearly cleared in just one day!!! I take more than it states on the bottle only because I know my body is in need of lots of anti-oxidants (but just don't over do it) Just as Ted stated, anti- oxidants will help tremendously with acne. I usually get all my products from GNC.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Simone (Portland, OR) on 04/20/2008
★★★★★

I've had fairly bad acne for about 20 years. Nothing worked - not even accutane. Finally, a friend trained in Eastern medicine made some recommendations that have worked wonders. The cure for my acne has been the following regimen:

Wash face with water. Don't use soap b/c it changes the pH balance, making it easier for bacteria to thrive & cause acne.

Sanitize face with grain alcohol. I think you can use other sanitizers, as long as they are acidic & not basic.

Apply coconut oil to face morning & night.

Ingest either a tablespoon of coconut oil (tastes great in hot chocolate!) or flax seed oil each day.

Ingest a tablespoon of liquid multivitamins each day.

Eat one apple every day.

Acupuncture

The root cause of my acne was digestive & immune system problems, not the skin per se. Where you break out on your face is a clue as to where your health problem lies. For me, I was breaking out around my mouth, which indicates a stomach problem, & on my neck, which indicates an immune system problem.

Once you get your health back on track, your skin should clear up.

Fungus Remedies

Posted by FT (Ridgewood, NJ) on 04/17/2008

Comment to Robert: THANK YOU for posting about your "adult acne!" Beginning at 11 years old I got pilonidal cysts at the base of my spine (tailbone) which I suffered with all through my school years. The inflammation, swelling and pain was excruciating. I rode a schoolbus to school and it was pure torture. I didn't want to tell anyone I was suffering with this condition as I was embarrassed as a child. When I went off to college I finally was seen by a doctor who operated and removed the cyst. I haven't had another since in that location but beginning shortly thereafter, I started getting cysts in my armpits. These cysts, which I still get, sound exactly like your "adult acne" condition. One doctor wanted to remove all of my sweat glands under my arms. Another just used to cut them open and let them drain, only to return again after healing. In the past 10 years I have developed Lichen Simplex Chronicus in my groin area which also "flares up" frequently and is accompanied by a painful cyst in the area. And last year I developed athlete's foot accompanied by toenail fungus of my right big toe. I AM FALLING APART! I have never, ever had athlete's foot until last year. At the same time I developed a weird scale on the side of my head that I at first thought was dandruff, but is something much worse than normal dandruff. It's oily and crusty and builds up very quickly! I tell you all of this to show you how I believe all of these conditions are connected/related to fungus. Oh, I also suffer with severe sinusitis during allergy season (now) and through the summer and fall. I really think this is all related. I am otherwise a healthy person (ha!) or at least I thought I was! Now I see that this is all the doing of one culprit - FUNGUS! I am going to try your formula and will let you know how it works. I'm very glad I found this site!

Acne Tips

Posted by Bradley (Corpus Christi, Texas) on 04/12/2008
★★★★★

STOP USING DEODORANT IF YOU HAVE ACNE!

Why? I have no idea but I have tried every remedy in the book for acne and it would not cure it. From benzaclyn, proactiv, retina micro, hydrogen peroxide, acv, etc. You name it, I prolly tried it. So one day I decided to get away from regular deodorant and go to a natural deodorant because of the Aluminum in deodorant. Little did I know days later my face was clear and has been clear for 2 months now. It has been the clearest it has ever been since I was a kid. I went to my local supermarket and found this deodorant called Toms Natural Deodorant and it is Aluminum free. Maybe the ingredients in my deodorant I had always used was the cause for my acne. I wish I knew this in high school! Try it, It's amazing!

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:).

Aloe Vera

Posted by Aseel Moughnieh (Tyre, Lebanon) on 04/07/2008
★★★★★

I was suffering from acne scars , and severe red cheeks , now I've been only drnking Aloe vera juice, and it did wonders , my face has a clear , compelxion , the scars are there but the redness minimized , I can't wait till it gets better!!