Teenagers are not the only people plagued with acne. Many adults deal with blackheads and whiteheads on their face, back, and chest as well. Fortunately, you can treat acne at home with these natural remedies, some of which you may not have even heard of before. Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting up to 50 million Americans annually (1).
Stop Drinking Diet Sodas
To help reduce the redness of acne, stop drinking diet sodas, especially those containing sucralose. Diet sodas raise the pH levels in the intestines, making a hostile environment for good bacteria in the gut. The good probiotic bacteria can train the gut not to attack it with inflammation.
By allowing the good bacteria to reduce inflammation, the skin stays clearer as well. Also, the liver must detoxify the body of the chemicals in sugar-free sodas using the enzymes meant to activate some acne medications. So, if you want less noticeable acne, can the diet sodas (2).
Create a Bentonite Clay Mask
While acne sufferers can buy facial masks to help reduce the appearance of acne, they can be very expensive. However, you can make a mask at home that is just as effective, but easier on the skin for much less. It works by absorbing the excess oil on the skin and not drying it.
Bentonite powder, which comes from volcanic ash, can become a mask by adding water to it until it becomes smooth and slippery like clay. Then, apply it to your face and allow it dry. Afterward, take a warm shower and remove the mask with a soft cloth.
Since it doesn’t have additional ingredients like commercial masks, it won’t irritate or dry the skin. There is a nominal amount of lead in Bentonite (3), but it is a natural ingredient because Bentonite only contains trace amounts which come from the Earth.
Boil Some Basil
While basil is a wonderful herb to use in Italian cooking, it can also help clear up acne. It has several properties like antioxidants, and it is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory so that it can reduce the swelling and redness of blemishes.
Make an acne cleanser by muddling about a handful of fresh basil leaves and then adding them to a pot with a cup of water. Allow them to boil, then shut the heat off and let the liquid cool. Afterward, strain the leaves and apply the liquid to the blemishes.
Steam it Away
Although it isn’t a cure for acne because it won’t clear it away on its own, using steam to open pores can help you extract blemishes from your face. If the blemishes are inflamed, then don’t try to extract them because it can be painful, and you can damage your skin.
However, using a facial steaming device (4) can open pores and soften pimples and blackheads, so they are easier to remove. Estheticians use steam when giving clients acne facials before extracting blemishes. Steaming also increases circulation, making the skin healthier.
Banish Blemishes with Banana Peels
If you’re like most people, you probably toss the banana peel in the garbage once the fruit is gone. However, if acne is a problem for you, consider saving that peel to use as an acne treatment. The peel contains several vitamins, minerals, and lutein.
These nutrients can reduce the appearance of blemishes on the face, or anywhere else you have breakouts. Use the inside of the peel to rub it against the pimples on your face to reduce their inflammation and appearance, so that your skin looks healthier.
Moisturize Your Skin
While some people may think that applying moisturizer to their skin will further clog their pores and lead to more acne, having dry skin is worse. When skin is too dry, it will try to compensate by producing more natural oils to help hydrate it, which clogs pores.
By using an oil-free, light, non-comedogenic (this means it won’t clog pores) moisturizer, you can hydrate your skin (5) and reduce the production of sebum. As a bonus, your skin will also maintain its youthful appearance and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Relax the Skin
The body reacts to stress in many ways, many of which can cause inflammation. As a result, your skin can experience breakouts because your grades are bad, a major project is due at work, or the kids are working your last nerve.
To help your skin to relax, you can either drink chamomile tea or use chamomile essential oils to steam your skin. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties that can soothe and relax the skin, which can prevent breakouts.
Slice a Lemon
Lemons not only taste great in tea, but they can reduce the appearance of acne with their natural astringent and exfoliating properties. You can slice a lemon in half and rub it on the problems areas on your face or squeeze out some of the juice to use directly on blemishes.
Apply the juice with a cotton swab to prevent it from drying the clear areas of your skin. If you have acne scars or dark spots, the lemon juice can also fade the scars or spots to even out your skin tone, so you won’t need to cover them with as much makeup.
Make a Potato Rub
Potatoes have several nutrients that help to reduce the appearance of acne. They contain sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, and chloride that may clear breakouts. To use it, grate a raw potato and use the pulp of the root vegetable on your face.
After covering it, let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse it off your face with cool water. If you don’t remove it, the juice from the potato will dry into a gritty powder due to the starch it contains. Along with clearing blemishes, the potato will encourage healthy cell growth.
Instead of using commercial face cleansers or prescription medications that can contain chemicals that dry out skin, use these natural remedies to get rid of pimples and blackheads. You probably have most of these treatments in your pantry or at least in your house.
Use them per the directions and hydrate your skin by drinking plenty of water and using a light moisturizer immediately after bathing to give your skin a healthy glow.
(1) Skin Conditions by The Numbers
(2) Daily Intake of Soft Drinks and Moderate-to-Severe Acne Vulgaris in Chinese Adolescents
(3) Is There Lead In Bentonite Clay?
(4) Best Facial Steamers For At-Home Use Reviews Of 2022
(5) Moisturizer: Why You May Need It If You Have Acne
by Cara Lucas
