Home Remedies For Acne – You must have tried many ways to cure acne and prevent the outbreak of pimples. However, the nature of acne is such that you need effective and long lasting acne treatments instead of temporary solutions.
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In such situation, you can never go wrong with home remedies for acne to treat pimples and zits. Home remedies are tried and tested acne treatments which people have been using for centuries to treat this age-old problem.
The best advantage of using natural remedies for acne is that you do not have to worry about the potential side effects of chemical based treatments. Moreover, you can easily find most of these home remedies either in your kitchen or nearby store.
Today we bring to you 11 such highly effective home remedies for acne which are guaranteed to give you an acne free look and promote healthy and radiant facial skin:
Contents
1. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is a highly effective remedy for acne.You may be surprised to read tea tree oil as one of the natural remedies for acne. After all, extra oil on the skin is the fundamental cause of acne and using an oil on face sounds counter intuitive.
However, tea tree oil is different as it helps to absorb extra facial oil by acting as a solvent. It further contributes to getting rid of pimples due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties. These features help to cure acne by effective action against the acne-causing bacteria.
Remember that tea tree oil is quite potent and you should only use its diluted version on skin. You should also not leave it on your skin for an extended period. Just leave it for 15 minutes after gently applying it through a cotton swab or Q-tip.
2. Honey with cinnamon or strawberries
Honey can work wonders on your pimples provided you not have any adverse reaction to it. You can also use honey as a standalone application on your pimples as its antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties can heal your pimples. The sticky nature of honey also helps to remove dirt and dead skin cells clogged in the skin.
When honey is used as a paste with cinnamon or strawberries, it becomes even more powerful natural remedy for acne. Cinnamon is a spice widely known for its antiseptic and anti fungus properties.
Strawberry is an even more potent remedy for acne as it is high in salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a common ingredient in major acne treatments and helps in opening clogged pores by speeding the rate of dead skin cell shedding. Like honey, it can also work against bacteria by neutralizing its action.
To use strawberry with honey, add 2-3 teaspoons of honey to 3 mashed strawberry fruits. Mix them well to make a paste. Apply this paste on your face and leave it for 20-30 minutes. Wash your face with lukewarm water and gently dry it without rubbing excessively.
3. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice works especially well in the treatment of acne if you have oily skin. This is because it is a natural astringent which can dry your skin as well as pimples. So, while that works for oily skin, if you have dry skin or sensitive skin, you should not apply lemon juice as it may further aggravate your condition.
Lemon also contains citric acid which helps in effective cleansing through exfoliation of the skin. It will also reduce the redness of affected areas and promotes natural skin whiteness.
However, always remember to use lemon juice from a freshly squeezed lemon instead of canned or bottled juice containing preservatives.
4. Turmeric
Turmeric, popularly known as yellow spice is a widely used ingredient in Indian cooking. It has excellent antibacterial properties due to which people also use it for medicinal purposes. In the case of pimples, applying a paste of turmeric with the base of coconut oil can be employed as an excellent acne treatment method. A combination of sandalwood and rosewater with turmeric also helps to get rid of pimples.
However, do not leave any turmeric based paste for a period more than 15 minutes. This is because turmeric can leave yellow stains on the skin as well which are tough to remove if you leave it overnight.
5. Egg white
Face masks made of egg whites are one of the favorite traditional remedies to treat pimples. Like lemon juice, egg whites also act as astringent agent although a mild one. They aid in drying skin by soaking extra oil. In addition to it, it can also serve as exfoliating agent cleanse the facial skin and open the clogged pores by attracting clogged particles. It tightens the skin by closing down the pores after cleaning them.
Moreover, the range of nutrients present in eggs is not hidden to anybody. The protein called Albumin in egg white contains anti-viral properties which attack cell structure of bacteria and kills it. Similarly, an enzyme called Lysozyme in eggs can also destroy the acne causing bacteria.
6. Neem oil
Neem is a powerful antiseptic, antibacterial herb commonly used in Indian households for various purposes. Just like tea tree oil, neem oil can also be used against acne bacteria and clean your skin. In fact, you can also use a paste of neem leaves and apply it on your face.
Moreover, unlike tea tree oil, neem oil is gentle on your skin and hydrates it instead of leaving it too dry.That is many people, who have dry skin, prefer neem oil to tea tree oil. Moreover, neem oil works wonders against that nasty cystic acne. You can use neem oil by dipping it into a cotton swab and gently applying to the problematic spots of acne.
7. Papaya
You must have read papaya extract written on many beauty care products especially those facial masks. You can also use raw papaya at your home as a natural face mask. Papaya is indeed an unusual home remedy to treat acne.
It can remove dead cells and extra fat on the skin surface in addition to reducing inflammation. Through an enzyme present in papaya called papain, it can even help to stop the formation of pus in acne which worsens the look on the face with pimples.
The ease of using a papaya mask at home also makes it one of the most readily available natural remedies to treat acne. You just need to remove the seeds from papaya fruit and mash the inside flash portion of it properly.
Now, apply this paste on your face and leave it untouched for 20-30 minutes. It is better if you wash your face with lukewarm water before and after applying the paste to allow an efficient cleaning of clogged pores.
8. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a magical plant whose craze has been unprecedented all over the world for past few years. In cases of acne which are a result of bacterial infection inside skin pores, aloe vera gel is a killer remedy. The antibacterial property fights acne infection while soothing the skin at the same time. However, the benefits of aloe vera juice are undeniable.
It also reduces inflammation, redness, and swelling around the acne affected region. You can easily grow Aloe Vera plant inside your home in a pot. However, in case you are buying aloe vera gel from a store, ensure that it is without any preservatives and in the purest form possible.
9. Green tea
Green tea, immensely rich in antioxidants does not only have health benefits. It can also work against acne and pimples with its antimicrobial properties. Most importantly, it is also found to work when applied externally in addition to consuming it as a beverage.
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This is because the key component of green tea- Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) not only is a potent catechin but also controls sebum production and bacterial growth on the skin. It can also reduce the existing inflammation due to acne. However the green tea have side effects also, but excess of anything is not good for health.
10. Yogurt
Yogurt is an excellent home remedy to cure acne and pimples. The cool nature of yogurt coupled with its good bacteria constituents helps to soothe your acne skin as well as fight acne bacteria. The action of yogurt for acne is similar to its effect on dandruff in hair with probiotics present in it. You can also use yogurt in combination with lemon and honey for a more powerful effect.
11. Aspirin
Aspirin is a surprise entry into this list but is equally effective in treating acne. This is because it is rich in salicylic acid– the king of all ingredients present in most acne treatments. You just need to take two or three tablets of aspirin and crush them to form their powder.
Add two or three drops of water to it to make a paste. Apply this paste on the acne affected areas on the face and see the magic. It will also reduce the swelling and inflammation of the skin due to pimples.
The above home remedies for acne are some of the best and proven ways to cure acne. You must try a few of these natural remedies to get rid of pimples. Is there any other home remedy you know which has proved useful to treat acne? Do tell us about it and your experience in acne treatment in the comment section below.
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