Natural Acne Remedies

If you’re in the midst of a major event, don’t be surprised if you get an acne breakout due to stress. Many people consider acne to be a rite of passage, something every teenager must go through and deal with. But if you’re a teen or adult with severe or even moderate acne, you probably don’t see it that way.

You’ve probably tried different creams, pills, and lotions, only to find they do little or nothing to help you. While many people simply tell you to wait and grow out of it, acne is not something you have to simply live with. There are many remedies for acne, and some of them are just sitting around your house.

The first thing you’ll want to try is different facial applications. Here are some home washes and masks to try:

• Apply lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar daily with a cotton ball. Leave on for 30 minutes. These are great at killing bacteria and are used in many other home cures.
• Try an aromatherapy facial mask. Most essential oils have antibacterial properties and clay is known to soak up excess oil and toxins.
• Apply cucumber juice directly to pimples. Cucumber juice is known to be great for swelling.
• Apply toothpaste directly on pimples to kill bacteria and seal off the area. Don’t apply to your whole face because it can cause over-drying.

Another way to treat acne is by altering your diet. While eating chocolate probably isn’t going to immediately cause you to have an outbreak, certain diet changes may reduce your chances of having a breakout.

Try to eat foods lower in oil and fats. Also switch to more whole grains and less processed sugars. Some other foods people swear by for curing acne are: cucumbers (and cucumber juice), carrots, wheat grass juice, radishes, and foods rich in vitamins C and E.

Often the best home remedy for acne isn’t really a remedy at all. Many cases of acne are really an allergic reaction to something, possibly a food or a chemical you apply to your skin. If this is the case, it is much better to get rid of the cause rather than treating the problem.

The biggest problem with allergies is figuring out what is causing your reaction. Try keeping a journal of how bad your breakouts are, along with factors that might affect your skin — like what you eat, what you use on your skin, and other factors like environment and daily activities. Look for patterns to what may be causing your breakouts and limit your exposure.

The key to getting rid of acne is to never give up. There is no miracle cure that works overnight. Getting rid of acne takes time, patience, and persistence. There is also no cure that works for everyone. If you’ve stuck with one treatment for a while and it’s not helping, don’t give up. Try something new and see if you find any improvement. If not, move on and try something else.