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5 Potent All Natural Acne Remedies That Soothe And Heal
Natural Home Remedies For Acne
Complete Guide To Home Remedies For Acne
Natural home remedies for acne
Acne bacteria (pesky little micro-organisms) thrive in specific environments on and in your skin. Making your skin an inhospitable place for them to be is key to keeping acne away.
It's often oily congested skin with black heads and open pores that is often the most prone to acne. Congested pores become blocked with hardened sebum and external contaminants, these blocked pores are called comedones. The hard serum in pores oxidises when it comes into contact with the air resulting in the appearance of blackheads. The comedones block serum allowing acne bacteria to become trapped and grow.
How to prevent acne breakouts with natural home remedies for acne.
Natural home remedies work in the same way chemical acne treatments do to target problem skin in several ways.
1. Loosening and lubricating sebum in your skin
Consuming safflower oil in salad dressings and in baking helps to lubricate your skin making it more viscous or runny so it is less likely to harden and clog inside your pores. You can also use homemade cleansers for your skin made from almond oil, apricot or safflower oil and honey to loosen and break down congested material within your pores.
2. Removing dead skin and contaminants that block pores
By using natural ingredients like strawberries tomatoes and willow bark powder which are natural sources of salicylic acid.
Salycylic acid helps to prevent acne bacteria making it a common ingredient used in commercial acne products. By using masks rich in salicylic acid you can loosen and lift away dead skin cells and prevent them becoming stuck in your pores.
3. Antibacterial ingredients
Antibacterial and antimicrobial properties ingredients like tea tree oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil and neem oil are naturally antibacterial. This applies especially to tea tree oil. Honey has also been used for centuries for its powerful antimicrobial properties. Honey has even been found in Egyptian tombs fully preserved since the day it was placed there. UMF active honey is especially high and antibacterial and moisturizing properties for skin making it perfect for acne masks and cleansers.
Bananas are high in potassium and natural acne bacteria retardants. Yogurt contains good bacteria which combats acne microorganisms. Spices including basil, parsley and turmeric are also known for fighting acne bacteria and can also be added to masks or cleansers.
4. Soothing ingredients
You can use natural acne ingredients like lavender oil and chamomile tea to reduce inflammation and redness associated with acne. Use aloe vera or oatmeal to stop itching and irritation.
Another excellent natural acne ingredient is neem oil or neem powder. Neem is naturally antibacterial but also helps with skin conditions like acne psoriasis and eczema by soothing skin irritation and combating any offending bacteria.
5. Acne scar prevention and reduction
Many oils have healing and regenerative properties like rose hip oil, carrot seed oil , calophyllum oil and several others. You can learn more about the properties of specific carrier and essential oils in Natural Homemade Skin Care Recipes or more specific acne remedies in The complete Acne book.
Check out the chart below this article to see which natural skin remedies ingredients are good for different skin types.
Five easy homemade recipes for acne to make at home
1. Acne cleanser scrub
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of grape seed oil (don't be concerned or worry if you have oily skin, this absorbs fast and won't leave it feeling greasy)
1/2 a teaspoon of lemon juice
A good pinch or 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 tablespoon of organic honey
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Optional (but preferred) 4 drops of tea tree oil (or neem oil, both are antibacterial)
Directions
Mix well and use as a daily scrub for acne by applying in a gentle circular motion then washing off. This scrub is moisturizing and antibacterial lifting away dead skin cells and blackheads without leaving skin feeling greasy.
2. Yoghurt Honey cleanser
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of plain unsweetened yogurt
1 tablespoon of honey
One squeeze of lemon juice, lime juice or 1/2 a teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder or willow bark powder
Lavender or tea tree oils just a few drops of each
Directions
Mia well and apply to the skin gently massing around your skin then washing off. This is an excellent cleanser for sensitive skin.
3. Exfoliating acne mask
Ingredients
1/4 cup of puréed strawberries or tomato juice
1/4 cup of mashed banana or avocado
Pinch of baking soda or turmeric powder or crushed aspirin (or willow bark powder)
1/4 cup of rice flour, arrowroot powder or green clay (can also used crushed kitty litter)
Few drops each of essential oils of lavender, neem or teatree oil
1 teaspoon of finely chopped basil parsley herbs
Directions
Purée together well to remove all lumps. Apply to skin in a thick layer. Leave on for 10 to 20 minutes then rub off gently. This mask reduces oil and targets acne bacteria at the same time.
4. Acne facial serum moisturizer
Ingredients
1/4 cup of grapeseed or jojoba oil
2 drops of lavender oil
2 drops of tea tree oil
Optional 4 drops of calendula oil (healing and soothing)
Directions
Blend oils together well and apply to affected areas, you can also make this into a moisturizing lotion with the addition of:
3/4 oz beeswax pellets
1 cup of water or aloe vera juice/gel
1/4 cup coconut oil
Directions
To make the serum blend together and apply to skin after washing.
To make the lotion melt the grape seed oil, coconut oil and beeswax together in a double boiler. Stir until well blended. Take off the heat and add aloe vera juice whisking vigorously. When cooled to room temperature stir in essential oils. Allow to cool. Apply as you would any normal moisturizer.
These recipes moisturize and help to deter acne bacteria from establishing.
Recipe adapted from The Complete Acne Book
5. Scar serum
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of jojoba oil
1 teaspoon of rosehip oil
Optional 1 teaspoon of tamanu will calophyllum oil (regenerative)
10 drops of seabuckthorn oil (also regenerative and optional)
6 drops carrot seed oil (healing and encourages repair of cells and stimulates collagen production)
Directions
Blend together well and apply twice a day to skin sparingly.
The serum is extremely good for healing scars you can also add a couple of drops of tea tree and lavender or neem oil (neem is very good for healing skin) as an acne preventative.
Store all oils in a glass bottle out of direct sunlight.
6. Papaya pineapple turmeric acne mask (ok this ones a bonus one)
Ingredients
1/4 cup mashed papaya
1/4 cup mashed or puréed pineapple
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder or crushed aspirin
1 teaspoon of honey
Directions
Blend together until smooth. Apply to skin and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes then wash off.
You can freeze the leftover masks recipe in the freezer in ice cube trays and reuse within six months.
This recipe contains enzymes that help lift away dead skin cells and renew skin from a cellular level. Great for sensitive skin or dull flaky uneven skin.
Conclusion
These are just a few of my favourite home remedies for acne. These remedies have potent bacteria fighting properties that also heal and nourish skin.
Most acne treatments strip away oil and dead skin. Many acne products contain harsh "active" ingredients that can cause skin irritation. There are a whole range of natural remedies for acne that are a lot gentler on skin, rebalance the skins PH and even help to clear up acne scars.
Using natural remedies for acne can be very effective, there are many options and combinations that boost their individual effectiveness ten fold if you know how to combine them correctly.
I have taken many of these recipes from the books below which use proven ingredients for effective acne treatments.
Have fun trying the recipes above to get you started :)
Acne Mask
Your Total Guide To Natural (And Other) Acne Treatments From Homemade Face Masks For Acne To Pimple Cleansers & Steams
Natural Home Made Skin Care Recipes: Rejuvenating Renewing Masks & Treatments For Beautiful Skin
Now Foods ORGANIC JOJOBA OIL
Essential oils Tamanu
Ingredients for acne remedies and other skin conditions
Ingredients & Benefits
| Acne
| Age Spots
| Anti-Aging
| Anti-Fungal
| Anti-Inflammatory
| Anti-Oxidant
| Anti-Septi/Anti-Bacterial
| Balancing
| Cellulite
| Cleansing
| Insect Repellant
| Cooling (Sunburnt Skin)
| Dark Circles/Puffiness
| Discoloration
| Exfoliation (Fruit Acids)
| Exfoliation (Granule)
| Healing/Scarring/Damage
| Itchy Skin
| Inflamed Skin (Calming)
| Lightening/Brightening
| Make Up Removal
| Mature Skins
| Moisturizing
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Almond Meal
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Almond Oil
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Aloe Vera
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Anise Seed Oil
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Apple
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Apple Cider Vinegar
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Apricot Kernel Oil
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Apricots Raw
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Argan Oil
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Arrowroot
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Aubergine
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Avocado
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B Vitamins
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Baking Soda
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Alpha-Hydroxy Acid
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Banana
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Basil
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Bergamot
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Blackberry
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Brown Sugar
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Calendula
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Calophyllum Oil
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Carrot Seed
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Castor Oil
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Cedarwood
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Chamomile
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Chocolate
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Cinnamon
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Clary Sage
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Cocoa Butter
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Coconut
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Cream
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Cucumber
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Egg Whites
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Elder Flower
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Epson Salts
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Eucalyptus
| *
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Evening Primrose Oil
| *
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Fennel
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Figs
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Frankincense
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Geranium
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Ginger
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Gotu Kola
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Grape Seed Oil
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Clays
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Guava
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Hazelnuts
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Honey
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Jojoba Oil
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Juniper
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Karanja Oil
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Kiwi Fruit
| *
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Cream
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Lanolin
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Lavender
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Macadamias
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Manuka Oil
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Melons
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Milk
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Myrhh
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Neem Oil
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Neroli
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Oatmeal
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Olive Oil
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Orange
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Parsley
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Safflower oil
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Sunflower Meal
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Sunflower Oil
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Vitamin A.
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Yoghurt
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