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.
Neem
Posted by Imbordagin (San Dimas, Ca) on 09/26/2010
★★★★★
I've tried various remedies throughout the years for acne; benzoyl peroxide worked ok, hp worked okay and helped them go away faster but I felt those were just treating the symptoms, not the problem. Accutaine works great but it's tough to get and we all know about Big Pharma and its evils. I went to the health food store last month, and the guy took one look at me and reccomended Neem leaf and a colon cleanse. I followed his instructions - a colon cleanse pill at night and 3,440 mg Neem leaf pills in the morning. Gosh, I wish I'd found this sooner. Within a week my skin was clearing up, and now I take 2 pills a day and no colon cleanse anymore - I just eat healthy (ish). My skin is completely clear now - I get one or two blemishes around that time of the month and they are minor and easy to take care of. Magic! Yay! Neem is also suppossed to be good for treating other skin conditions too, I'm not sure what but I'm sure it's on the Internet.
Zinc
Posted by Piper (Toronto, On) on 09/18/2010
Zinc ointment or commonly known as diaper rash cream is very healing. It is good for bringing up whitehead as well as for getting spots to heal faster. Apply at night as you don't want to walk around with white stuff on your face. As you sleep the zinc cream will help spots heal. Diaper rash cream or zinc ointment can vary in zinc content from 15-37%. I use the brand with the highest content I could find and it is worth the price difference.
Hemp Seed
Posted by Emily (New York, Ny) on 09/12/2010
★★★★★
3 - 4 Tablespoons of organic Hemp seed everyday had made a WORLD of difference in my acne. I can't believe it! I don't think you have to but I take the hemp seeds with meals so the dosage is spread out throughout the day. You can sprinkle them on salads, fruit, soups, yogurt, and they taste great in almond milk, which I eat every day. As long as I eat 3-4 Tablespoons of the Hemp Seeds and stay away from dairy (yogurt is the only dairy product I don't break out from), and sugary foods and take my hemp seeds, I am in the clear! Please try this simple remedy if you are suffering from acne- it also helped my asthma so I will post about it in that section, too!
Nutmeg and Olive Oil
Posted by Reyna (Va Beach, Va) on 09/09/2010
★★★★★
WOW AMAZING!!! Last nite for the first time I tried something new, n to my amazement, IT WORKED! I've been reading all about these home remedies for scaring, black/white heads, volcanic pimples, & large pores. I at 1st fell in love with applying a thick layer of nutmeg and milk. I especially liked this cuz the nutmeg is an awesome exfoliator. I left on for 2hr n wen I rinsed off, I seen my pores were reduced & pimple size too, but I still wasn't satisfied. That's wen I started trying the raw garlic which burned like he'll and made I believe inflamed my pimples more (Ive had horribly bad acne since I can remember) ime 26yr old female & am soo tired of these huge holes and lrge pimples and my nose has ALWAYS been covered in blackheads NO MATTER WUT IVE TRIED IN THE PAST:( ok enough blah blah here's wut use came for, lastnite I had some leftover ground nutmeg & milk paste I took outta my fridge, to which I added more nutmeg get this, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL!!! Yes I know, oil? What? To treat acne? YES! Oh YES! Like I said, I've been reading up on these things & came across my awesome n I wana say life changing info about E. V. O. O. Sooo I decided to put two and 2 together and it work, like a miracle! I took turns massaging this mixture one cheek at a time then my nose chin n forehead. I left this on overnite and now in the morning my results are soo unbelievable I came straight to my iPad to tell ALL. I had a huge swollen red pimple on my chin, a nose covered in blackheads, my cheeks wer red and full of small pimples. I rubbed it in a circular motion and let as much nutmeg fall off as possible then rinsed with cold water. My huge volcano on my chin is GREATLY REDUCED in redness & size, my red cheeks Gone! Little pimples, Gone! Blackhead covered nose soo lite and BEARLY noticeable, & I also have a deep hole in my cheek that just appeared one day, it is reduced in size and my pores look amazing! I mean I gotta dust off my bed and am definitely gonna have to dedicate a couple pillow cases cuz this is a messy ass treatment, but TOTALY TRULEY WORTH IT!!! This is the first thing EVER that has actualy worked wonders on a first time use. Well I hope this helps people cuz I knw how acne can damage ones self-confidence.
Ok quick review, here's what u need; it has to be
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Ground nutmeg
Dedicated pillow cases
Mix oil and nutmeg to create a paste and massage into face, I love the tingly fresh feeling it leaves. Leave on overnite
In the morn use circular motion to rub off wuts left of the nutmeg then rinse with cool water & be amazed.
P. S. I had a splash of milk in my mixture the 1st time which I will probaly do again tonite. N like I sd, it's gonna look like u murdered ur poor pillow case (unless u sleep face-up) and u prolly gonna have to dust your cover of a little nutmeg, but it's a VERY small price to pay to get these miraculous instant overnite results.
Acne Tips
Posted by Nancy7711 (County Cork, Ireland) on 08/03/2010
I'm a Registered Nurse and had an Anti-Aging Center. I agree with the esthetician who states that proper method of cleansing the skin. The reason you should use a 100% cotton wash cloth is because the cotton fibers pick up the dead skin cells (which baby wipes do not do). It's these dead skin cells that help contribute to clogging the pores. You will definitely start seeing a difference with this method. It also stimulates a small bit of collagen (desperately wanted as we age)
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).
Castor and Olive Oils
Posted by Lisa (Marathon, Fl) on 06/30/2010
★★★★★
I have been using 20% Castor oil with 80% All Natural Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil for acne. That is the mixture for normal skin. Oily skin: use 30% Castor and 70% Olive oil. Dry skin: 10% Castor and 90% Olive oil. Before I take a shower, (no soap at all and a dry face) I put less than a .25 cent size on the palm of my hand rub together to warm and massage into face (or even on an incoming pimple anywhere on the body). Warm a facecloth with very warm water and place over (opens pores) do this a couple of times. Use hot (don't burn yourself, silly) water on the same cloth and wipe away. My skin has never looked so clear and clean. I have been doing this for about a month. Pimples/blemishes disappear quickly. Your skin will lose it's dryness/oiliness naturally and return to normal. The oils DO NOT clog pores, they clean naturally and will remove makeup also. ENJOY!
Pantothenic Acid
Posted by Lita209 (Sanford, Fl, Usa) on 06/25/2010
★★★★★
Pantothenic Acid - B-5 is also great for acne. This is the only thing that worked for me; megadosage of Panthotenic Acid.
Acne Tips
Posted by Regulator555 (Grand Rapids, Mi, Usa) on 06/02/2010
I suffered from acne for years. As I got older, it got worse. After trying numerous OTC remedies, at great expense, I started doing research on what the problem could be. Chemicals! SLS/ALS's trigger acne. Propylene glycol triggers acne. Parabens trigger acne. Mineral oil triggers acne. The list goes on and on. All these chemicals were linked to my bad skin. So, I stopped using everything - shampoo, face/body wash, toothpaste, deodorant, lotions, creams, etc. I started over. K.I.S.S. - keep it super simple. Natural is the key with the fewest ingredients possible. There are cosmetics out there that are natural and pigmented with fruit. There are soaps out there that are just made with castille soap. Baking soda for deodorant. Read the labels - you'd be surprised. The stuff is even in our food. Moisturize with an organic oil (yes, you can put natural oil on your face if you have acne). Look into essential oils and adding a few drops. Eliminate everything and then start adding in a few natural things. After I eliminated all the chemicals, my skin cleared. I get a zit here and there (PMS related), but rarely. Read your labels! Note: the cosmetic industry is self-regulated. Even if it says "natural" it may not be. Don't be fooled - read the ingredients.
Iodine
Posted by Jane (Warren, Michigan) on 04/26/2010
You write that iodine can be a cure or assist in clearing up acne. I find it just the opposite. It makes my skin break out terribly. I take it for my thyroid currently. I also had to take it as a teen for thyroid problems. Although years and years apart, I find it still very much causes me to break out.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Wyevon (Midland, Ontario Canada) on 04/23/2010
★★★★★
Hi! Over the last few years I've found my "cure" for pimples. First, remove the sources. I found that products (pomades, mouse, gels ect..even conditioner)on the part of my hair that touched my face/shoulders was garanteed to give me pimples. Hand creams and even some hand soaps would give me pimples if I touched my face! Use a hand soap that rinses clean.
Here's my regimen: I wash with pure (saponified) oil soaps, scented with natural oils. Then, as a toner, you can use 3% h2o2 (carefull not to touch brows or eye lashes, it will bleach it, trust me).
Moisturiser? A big culprit in causing pimples. For over 15 years now my favorite has been jojoba oil. It's the only one that actually will keep the sebum flowing instead of clogging pores. Sebum (aka oily skin) will harden, clog pores, cause painful pimples.
What I use when I get the ocasional pimple (or should I say the start of one, deep/painfull or otherwise)? The best that I've found was simply mixing a bit of unpasturized honey with plain witch hazel (any pharmacy carries it). The ratio is about 1 to 8. If it's too sticky, where makeup won't go on properly, dilute some more. It's quite watery. Keep in a small bottle. Will last a long time. Rub on pimples 2-3 times a day to stop them from even coming to the surface. Honey is antibacterial and moisturizing. You don't get the awefull red/drying flaking effect of most acne creams. Keeps it from getting infected.
I also always had a problem with pimples on my back, chest and arms. Solution? A good old fashion body brush. Go figure!! As long as I regularly brush my skin (when it's dry) with a plant fiber body brush, I have clear skin! The brushing removes the dead skin cells that (you guessed it) BLOCK YOUR SKIN PORES!!! Shower AFTER brushing to wash away the dead skin.
What have I learned? Pimples occur when your skin is trying to remove toxins from you body and it can't find an exit because of CLOGGED PORES!!!
PS: I'm curious to see if this works for anyone else...
Dandelion and Burdock
Posted by Linde (St. Paul, Minnesota) on 04/23/2010
★★★★★
I had an acne issue when I was in my 30's. The zits would be a collection of 3-5 small zits in one big bump!!!
A local herbalist gave me two tinctures to take - dandelion and burdock. (5 drops per day of each for the first week, then 3 drops a day of each for 3 months).
He told me that it would be a slow process. As I remember, he said it was candida that had gotten its tentacles into the bones of my face and it would take a while to get them 'weeded' out.
I didn't change my diet at all, I just took the drops in a glass of water the first thing in the morning. Sure enough, after 3 months I never had one of those big zits again. And that was almost 20 years ago.
Pantothenic Acid
Posted by Amanda (Hot Springs, Ar, Usa) on 03/27/2010
i am not sure if this is the reason for your experience, but i have always heard that you should take all the b vitamins instead of one by itself because if you just take one, you could cause an imbalance in the others.
Pantothenic Acid
Posted by Bridget (Citrus Heights, Ca 95610, Ca) on 03/26/2010
panothenic acid (vitamin B5) caused my hair to turn dry and brittle and some fall out.
i tried panothenic acid, 3 grams a day, to cure my acne and within 5 days my hair became very dry and very frizzy with some fall out. i researched this on acne forums and found a lot of the same feedback. it did make my skin a little less oily but the hair problems are not worth it to me. this is the only change i made so i believe it was the B5.
Honey
Posted by Capirussa (Orlando, Florida, Us) on 03/17/2010
★★★★★
Honey has also been a successful treatment of acne for me. I bought a jar of organic RAW honey and it made all the difference from the regular, processed market brands. I suggest it to anyone because not only is the organic honey full of enzymes and good things that have not been filtered out and help kill the acne bacteria, it is also non-drying for your skin or harsh in any way and I've had some degree of success with it in removing the old acne scars. Since the honey comes in a rather solid form, you can just take a spoon to it and carve some out and it'll more or less melt between your fingers once you start to rub it onto your face. I would leave it on as a mask for an hour or so, then just rinse off with warm water. Don't use soap. In fact, that's another thing that helped my skin improve, I stopped using soap and any harsh chemicals on it. The PH balance of the skin returned to normal and along with the honey, helped destroy any bacteria that was lingering where it wasn't meant to be. Good luck everyone, I LOVE THIS SITE! Thank you earth clinic and all who contribute. It has been an amazing help.
Zinc
Posted by Bill (Prescott Valley, Arizona) on 03/13/2010
★★★★★
Am an Alternative researcher. My 12 year old son was developing acne back in the 70's. Gave him some Zinc
tablets, 10 mg I. think, and it cleared up. It worked so well, he started selling them on the school bus and got in trouble. To stress the importance of Zinc in the body; he was told young boys deficient in zinc would have small sex organs and zinc was important for their growth. Needless to say, all of his friends took zinc religously.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kat (Pdx, Or) on 02/28/2010
★★★★★
I've had acne on my cheeks and jaw line for over a year tried multiple things. I'm a vegetarian and I read that zinc deficiency can cause acne. So I started taking Zinc 50 mg 2x daily and I also stopped drinking milk because I read that milk is indigestable by the body and causes toxicity. I take two showers a day so I started washing my face with about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, while in the shower and would allow it to sit on my face for a couple minutes then I would rinse it off. Once out of the shower I would a splash organic apple cider vinegar on my face and let it air dry. My acne is now completely gone my skin is glowing and clear. I hope this remedy helps someone like it did me.
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.
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!
