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Using natural remedies will be less likely to harm your skin, are less expensive and will leave your skin feeling healthy, instead of stripped.
Lemon Juice: It contains citric acid (obviously) which is a form of alpha hydroxy acid. This means that when applied topically, it will help act like an acid peel. It will slough off dead skin cells and help regenerate new ones. It also helps fade acne scars after time and even out skintone. It will also help dry excess oil because it is a natural astringent as well as disinfectant-meaning it helps to kill the p. acnes bacteria.
Caution: Using any AHA can cause increased sensitivity to sun, so using a sunscreen is needed if you're going outside. It may cause a mild stinging sensation at first. May cause allergic reaction
How to Use: 1. Cut a fresh lemon and rub it over your face. 2. Cut a fresh lemon, squeeze it into a small bowl and apply it using a cotton pad or clean fingers. 3. (for sensitive skin) Cut a fresh lemon, mix it with water and apply. If used during the day, it's best to rinse off after about 10 minutes unless you will not be leaving your house. You can leave it on your face overnight if you wish, however, if you opt to use it without adding water, it will be sticky. You can also add it to other natural remedies to make a mask or face wash.
Natural Honey:Natural Honey is a humectant. In other words, it helps to keep the skin naturally moisturized and helps balance the skins PH levels. It's also an antioxidant which helps prevent sun damage and helps skin to regenerate. It's also an anti-bacterial, meaning it'll help kill p. acnes bacteria. The other benefit is that it's an anti-inflammatory so it will also help relax the skin and reduce inflammation of acne.
Caution: May cause allergic reaction. Using honey that is not pure or raw may not help or could make acne worse because of added chemicals and the reduction of natural properties.
How to Use:1. Straight from the jar! Just use it as a facial wash. 2. Use it as a mask. Put it on and leave it on for 10-30 minutes. 3. Mix it with other natural remedies.
Oatmeal: Oatmeal has terpinen-4-ol which is an anti-microbial. It draws out excess oil and impurities in the skin-including acne causing bacteria. It can also soothe redness or irritation.
Caution: May cause allergic reaction. Can be messy
How to Use:1. Mix it with water or milk to make an exfoliating wash. You can use it ground up or whole, however, ground up may work best. 2. Use cooked oatmeal as a mask and leave on for 15 minutes. 3. As always, you can mix it with other natural ingredients to make a wash or mask.
Egg Whites: Egg whites contain lots of protein and vitamins such as vitamin A and pantothenic acid (vitamin b5). These help reduce redness and swelling while removing excess oil that can clog pores and cause acne.
Caution: May cause dryness-not best suited for people with extremely dry skin. It's probably best to use this a couple or few times a week instead of everyday. It can be messy and feel a bit gross. May cause allergic reactions.
How to Use: (make sure to remove yolk) 1. Beat egg whites and apply directly to face. Leave on for about 15 minutes and rinse off. 2. To use it as a spot treatment, apply directly to the pimple and leave on overnight. 3. Mix with other remedies
Apple Cider Vinegar:Apple cider vinegar is a pretty popular method that contains alpha hydroxy acids. The acids can help to kill acne causing bacteria as well as slough off dead skin cells and prevent them from sticking together and clogging pores. It also contains enzymes and such that may be beneficial for killing bacteria and aiding in regeneration.
Cautions: To most people, this stuff wreaks. It can burn skin. Can cause mild dryness. Can cause allergic reaction. It's best to use organic with the 'mother' in it. Causes temporary redness.
How to Use: 1. Apply topically using a cotton pad. 2. (for sensitive skin) Mix with water. There is no set ratio for everyone. Just play around until you find something that won't burn your skin. (I use 1 part ACV, 8 parts water). Apply using a cotton pad. 3. Mix with other remedies.
Tea Tree Oil:Tea tree oil contains terpenes which is a bacteria fighting ingredient. This helps to kill acne bacteria without over drying or causing too many side effects. It's also an anti-fungal, anti-septic and anti-viral.
Caution:May cause irritation or itching. Can cause allergic reaction. Using on broken skin can cause irritation. It's best to use a small amount at first.
How to Use: 1. Use directly onto the skin with cotton pad. 2. (for sensitive skin) Dilute with water and apply to skin. 3. May be mixed with other remedies.
Tomato Juice: Tomato Juice is a natural antioxidant which prevents free radicals from harming your skin. Some acids in the tomato juice may also help unclog pores and help regenerate skin.
Caution: May cause allergic reaction. May cause slight dryness.
How to Use: 1. Slice a tomato and rub it on your skin. 2. Squeeze out the juice and apply it to your skin. 3. Puree the tomato into a paste and apply it to skin as a mask. 4. Mix with other remedies-you can also add cucumber juice for a cooling effect.
Milk:Milk contains lactic acid-another alpha hydroxy acid, which will help slough off dead skin cells and promotes skin regeneration. It does contains fats and such which help to moisturize.
Caution:Probably best used in combination with other remedies. May cause allergic reaction.
How to Use: You can either apply it direct as a rinse or mix a small portion with other remedies (will probably offer best results)
Plain Yogurt:Like milk, yogurt has the same lactic acid benefits. It also has vitamins and minerals that can help protect your skin and moisturize it. It has a natural bacteria in it and offers some antibiotic properties that help balance PH levels and reduce the p. acnes bacteria.
Caution: May cause allergic reaction
How to use: 1. Apply to face as a mask, rinse off after about 15 minutes. 2. Mix with other remedies.
Baking Soda:Baking Soda is a natural cleanser for many things-including skin. It is actually a compound called sodium bicarbonate. It works best as an exfoliating scrub because of the small particles that make it up. Therefore, it helps remove dead skin cells to prevent clogged pores. It can also help to neutralize excess acidity in the skin.
Caution:This stuff can really sting if left on too long. May cause excessive drying for sensitive or dry skin types. May cause allergic reaction.
How to Use: 1. Mix with water until it turns into a paste and rub it on your skin. 2. Mix it with facial wash or other natural remedies (if mixed with items containing certain acids, it will produce carbon dioxide which is kind of an oxygenated type of compound. Don't worry, you breathe carbon dioxide everyday. It won't kill you and may even help with acne if it occurs-but it usually only occurs in cooking)
Aloe Vera:Aloe Vera is a plant that has been used for centuries and known to treat burns, rashes and other skin conditions. It does this by helping the skin renew itself through it's polysaccharides. Because of this, it also helps reduce swelling and redness. Therefore, when using aloe vera, it will help your skin renew itself and heal acne quicker.
Caution:May cause allergic reaction. May not be incredibly potent for some people.
How To Use:There really is no special way to use this stuff. Just buy PURE aloe vera gel or juice and apply it to your skin!
Sea Salt:Sea salt can be used in fighting mild acne because it is an exfoliating scrub that can remove dead skin cells. It also contains sulfur, potassium, Calcium and Magnesium. Sulfur helps the skin to breathe by creating oxygen within the cells. Potassium helps skin cells to absorb nutrients, purge pollutants, and balances water for metabolism. Calcium will help to strengthen cell membranes and Magnesium will clean your skin of impurities-including acne causing bacteria and oils that clog pores.
Caution:May cause irritation. Not recommended for people with moderate to severe acne as it will most likely increase irritation instead of healing acne. This is recommended for those with mild acne.
How to Use: 1. Mix with water to form a paste. Apply it to skin and rub GENTLY in a circular motions. Keep in mind that if you scrub too hard, it may damage the skin! 2. Mix it with another remedy to add extra potency or to create a scrub!
Please keep in mind that as with any remedy, acne may worsen before it gets better. Persistence is key, especially with natural remedies as they may help draw out toxins in the skin for the first couple of weeks-which will appear to give you some breakouts. This may or may not happen. Each remedy may not work for everybody either. You just have to see what works. There are several different masks and variation of ways to use these remedies-you just have to play around making your own, or googling some ideas. I have personally found that after using some of these remedies, my skin feels healthier, less dry and any breakouts tend to last for shorter periods of time and are less severe.
If anybody has any questions or any other remedies that they want added or researched, I'd be glad to do such!
Hope this helps for anybody looking for some home made remedies.
