How to Get Rid of Acne ? are you already stress with this skin problems ? Pimples will not danger your health, but it will automatically ruin your confidence. No one is happy for having pimples and that is why most people want to get them removed right away once they pop out. One of the causes of pimples is bacterial infection in the oil glands due to the excess sebum. While there are many products on the counter to help you getting rid of your pimples easily, natural remedies are still better since they are safer and cheaper.
Remedies for Curing Acne
- Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is known for its soothing and antibacterial properties. Both of them are helpful in getting rid of acne simply by dipping cotton in it and apply it to the infected area. Don’t overuse the oil, just dab gently and leave it for around 20 minutes. If you want a better remedy, combine a tablespoon of aloe vera gel with a few drops of your tea tree oil and apply to your acne with the same amount of time for letting it sit, 20 minutes. However, people with sensitive skin shouldn’t use tea tree oil for pimples, so check your skin first before using.
- Ice
This is one of the easiest and simples remedies for removing acne since you just need ice crushed or cubes. Get one piece of ice cube and a piece of cloth to wrap it. After that put the wrapped ice on the acne areas for a few seconds to reduce the inflammation and the oil. You can do this a few times by repeating the same process to make your skin feel better.
- Honey
Not only it is sweet naturally, honey is also containing antibiotics that are helpful in healing the inflammation of acne. Surely you can eat the honey for maintaining your health, but to cure your acne you need to apply it on the infection and let the honey sit for about half an hour. Don’t use your finger, but cotton swab instead to make it more hygienic. After waiting, use lukewarm water to wash the honey and you can repeat the same process in the same day. Another honey remedy for acne is by combining it with cinnamon to create a paste. Apply the honey cinnamon paste on your infected skin at night before sleeping and wash it in the morning using cold water. You will feel your acne looks better after letting the mixture on your skin overnight.
- Lemon
Its richness in vitamin C makes lemon a great remedy for acne as it is able drying acne. However, the best lemon to use is the fresh one without any preservatives. The easiest method to use lemon for removing acne is by applying lemon juice on the acne using a cotton swab before sleeping at night. If you want a paste consistency, combine a teaspoon of ground or powdered cinnamon with your lemon juice in just one tablespoon to be applied on the infected area. When you wake up in the morning use lukewarm water to wash it and you can see how the remedy affects the acne. People with sensitive skin shouldn’t use this remedy as it might not be appropriate.
- Orange Peels
Still talking about how vitamin C can cure acne, orange peels are also useful in doing the job. To use the peels, you still need a little of orange juice for dabbing the skin after rubbing. First use the peels to rub the acne and then the juice can be dabbed on the infected area. Since you are using your fingers, ensure that your hand is clean. Bacteria in the hand can be transferred to your acne skin and it will just make the infection worse. If you are worried that you can’t make your hand perfectly hygienic, then consider using cotton buds instead for applying the juice. For a better result, open your pores by washing the skin with warm water first before rubbing the orange peels. Different areas need to use different peels to keep them hygienic. Leave the orange juice for an hour to sit and wash your skin afterward.
- Toothpaste
If you think that getting rid of acne is expensive and complicated, even when you have tried using natural remedy, this one might change your mind. Now you can find your acne remedy right in your bathroom. Your toothpaste can have double function not only for brushing your teeth, but also for curing acne. The type of toothpaste used should be the white one, not the gel. Simply apply it on your acne and leave it overnight before sleeping. You can wash it of in the morning to see the result. The best result can be achieved if you also do the treatment using ice cube or crushed like has been mentioned above before applying the toothpaste.
- Baking Soda
Baking soda is a multifunction remedy for your acne as it is not only clearing your skin, but also reducing inflammation, exfoliating, eliminating oil and destroying bacteria. This is may be best ways to get rid of acne. While curing your acne, baking soda is also able to help your skin grow the new cells so you can find it better. Using baking soda for curing acne is also very easy. Just turn it into a paste by mixing it with warm water and keep it thick. This baking soda mask can be simply applied to the infected skin and leave it for half an hour before rinsing. If you don’t have sensitive skin, replace the water with lemon juice to get double powerful ingredients for fighting the acne. This remedy can be used up to twice daily until your acne gets away. One thing to note is that baking soda can dry your skin. The more you leave it sit, the dryer your skin will be. Pay attention to this so that you don’t need to leave the paste too long. Just a couple of minutes are actually enough if you are worried of dryness.
- Egg Whites
Containing amino acids, egg whites can help removing pimples while building new skin cells. There are two different ways in using this remedy. First you can simply apply it using a cotton swab to the acne and leave it for about an hour. Wash it off and see the result. The second way is more complicated as you need to whisk the egg white first and apply it to your infected area. This process must be repeated four times and each time you apply the egg white to the acne, you need to let every application dry before adding another one. Once you reach the fourth mask, let it all sit for around 20 minutes before rinsing.
- Green Tea
Green tea contains antioxidant that can reduce the growth of bacterial and inflammation of acne. However, using green tea as acne remedy takes your time since you should boil water first and put the green tea leaves on it. The combination should be half a cup of water with two teaspoon of leaves. Leave it for around five minutes before straining and wait until it cools down. Once it is cool enough, use a cotton pad to dip in and apply the green tea water on your acne. If you want an easier application, pour the water in a bottle spray so that you can simply spray your skin with it before going to bed and leave overnight. Go with the organic leaves for the result.
- papaya
When you look for some skincare products, you might find many products containing papaya as one of the ingredients. This fruit is indeed great for skin since it contains papain and vitamin A. papain is the reason why papaya is excellent for acne as this enzyme can stop the acne push while reducing inflammation. Just mash fresh papaya until it is smooth enough to apply and leave it on the skin for half an hour before rinsing with warm water is what you need to do. You can also use raw papaya by crushing and extracting it to get the juice and apply to your acne for 15 minutes.
- Garlic
Cooking with garlic is fun and even for some people, it is important. The good news for garlic lovers is that it can be used not only for improving the taste of your meals and purifying your blood, but it can also remove your acne. Garlic has sulfur that can do the job. It also contains antifungal, antiseptic and antiviral agents for reducing inflammation. You just need to cut a garlic clove and rub the acne with it. Let the garlic sit for around five minutes and wash your skin. It is safe and natural, so you can repeat the process again and again. You can actually get more benefits of garlic by eating it so that both your health and skin are well promoted. Sensitive skin shouldn’t be treated with rubbed garlic, but it must be crushed and mixed with water first before application. Keep in mind that too much garlic is not good for your stomach, so you should pay attention the amount of garlic consumed if you want to treat your acne by eating instead of rubbing.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
If you are tired of your pimples and are trying to use a more powerful remedy, go with apple cider vinegar. Its ability in killing microorganisms that promote acne make it very appropriate for quickly curing your acne. However, since this is powerful, it shouldn’t be used too much otherwise you might experience dryness in your skin. Mix it with water to make it less powerful and use a cotton ball to apply the mixture to your pimples. The combination should be three sections of water mixed with one section of vinegar. You can do this treatment before going to bed at night and repeat the process on the daylight by leaving it for ten minutes. When applying the vinegar, just take a small amount only and use the pure one.
- Cornstarch
The next ways how to get rid of acne is with cornstarch. Some remedies are not good for sensitive skin, so what you should use if you have such skin condition? Cornstarch can be the answer. Turn it into paste by mixing water and apply to your pimples. You can actually use it as a mask for your face to make it soft. Red pimples are more appropriate for using this remedy and you can just let the cornstarch paste set in your desired amount of time.
- Cucumber
You might be familiar with using cucumber for your eyes to reduce the puffiness. It can work the same way to your pimples by reducing their redness. There are many ways in using cucumber for treating your acne. If you want it act as a mask, grind and apply it to your infected skin. Let it for 15 minutes before washing. If you just need a facial wash, then you can soak a slice of cucumber in water to sit for an hour, strain and wash your face with this cucumber water. You can also drink it and this will be also useful for your health as cucumber contains potassium, vitamin A and chlorophyll. To make it more powerful, grate your cucumber and mix with two teaspoons of lemon juice as a mask.
- Water
While you are using natural remedies above, support the treatment by drinking plenty of water daily. Whether you have pimples or not, water is very important, but with pimples on your skin you have more reason to drink more water. Water works by flushing the impurities and it can make your skin better as well. This is very simple, quick, and easy. Water can be also used for steaming using a pot of boiled water and a towel. Steaming can open up the pores so the dirt trapped can be removed easily.
- Tomato
One of the causes of acne is the condition of excess oil, so one of the best ways for treating it is by eliminating the oil. Tomato helps reducing the excessive oil on your skin while fighting the redness due to its content of lycopene. Not only it has lycopene as an antioxidant, it also contains antibacterial properties. Use tomato juice as a mask for your skin by leaving it for about an hour before washing will help you smooth your skin as well as removing the pimples.
- Aloe Vera
Aloe vera gel is a full package of natural acne treatment. It heals your pimples by reducing the redness and inflammation since it has great antibacterial agents. When applied your skin, aloe vera is soothing and cooling. Whether you want to mix it with other ingredients or use it alone, both of them are excellent for treating acne.
- Basil
Many acne remedies can be found in your kitchen, one of them is basil. Aside its use for cooking, basil contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidant. It can fight bacteria-causing pimples through its leaves’ extract. Just take some basil leaves and put them on a flat surface to be pressed with a spoon. Choose a clean surface like a plate or saucepan. After that boil the pressed leaves for around five minutes, cool and strain. This boiled basil can be stored so that you can use it for several days. Put it in your refrigerator and dip a cotton ball to the basil water whenever you want to treat your pimples. Don’t store the water more than five days, so it is better to not boil the basil too much, just one cup of water mixed with ten leaves.
- Dried Hibiscus
Dried hibiscus is delicious when made into tea, but it is effective when used to treat acne. If you want to enjoy its taste, you can simply drink it as tea and get the benefits for your skin. Using it directly on the pimples is another option and it might be more effective. Just make hibiscus tea as usual, mix with boiling water, strain, cool. The difference is that you need to add honey for about two teaspoons once it is cooled down. Apply this mixture by dipping a paper towel and pat gently on the infected skin to leave for around ten minutes before washing. You can actually make a full cup of tea and divide it into two so that you can drink the rest of your hibiscus tea after treating. This will help you get both inside and outside treatment.
- Strawberries
One of the ingredients contained in acne treatment products is salicylic acid and you can find it in strawberries. This is a kind of active ingredient, so it can work effectively in reducing pimples by opening the clogged pores while stimulating new skin cells to grow. You should clean your face first before treating the acne with strawberry. Ensure that you wash the strawberries as well since they might get dirt on the surface. Mash some strawberries gently to prevent it releasing water. Mix it with honey and apply it to your acne for half an hour before rinsing. The combination of the mixture should be three strawberries with two teaspoons of honey.
- Neem
Neem oil is a natural acne treatment you can find on store. This is quite effective as it contains antibacterial agents to fight bacteria. Before using this oil, open your pores first by washing the skin with lukewarm water. Apply neem oil using a clean cotton bud before going to bed and wash in the morning. You can also use the powder version by mixing it with a little water to create a paste.
- Milk
While many people assume that consuming dairy products can make acne worse, applying them is actually fine. Milk when applied to acne can make the inflammation better as it is soothing. It needs to be mixed with honey to make the treatment work well with a combination is one tablespoon of each ingredient. Avoid using skim milk and go with the plain one. If you don’t have milk, yogurt is a good replacement as well. Just mix both ingredients together, milk and honey, and use a cotton pad to apply it on your acne. Add several layers by letting each of the layers dry before adding another one. The thickness of the layer is up to you. If you are satisfied with the added layers, leave it for around 15 minutes before washing. Scrub your skin after washing using a clean washcloth so the dead skin cells after masking can be removed.
- Banana Peel
Don’t throw away the peel after eating your banana. Save it for your acne as it is cheap and easy. The peel has a great antioxidant called lutein that can help acne swelling. Just rub it on your infected skin and leave for half an hour before washing.
- Oatmeal
Oatmeal is not only effective for filling up your stomach in the morning, but this is also a good remedy for acne. You can use it alone or mix it with honey to create a mask. It might look tasty, but hold yourself to not eating it. Using oatmeal alone can help reducing your acne, but it might not be possible for curing. So you must consider combining it with honey for a maximum result. Just mix one serving oatmeal, two tablespoons of honey and water. Cool it down and use it as a mask by leaving it sit on your skin for half an hour before rinsing. The way you make the oatmeal should follow the direction of the package. It commonly uses hot water and the honey must be added while the water is still hot.
- Avocado
Although there are rumors that the fat contained in avocado can make breakout worse, this delicious fruit is actually useful in treating acne especially when combined with honey. Yes, again you need honey for strengthen this natural remedy. The vitamin content in avocado is even excellent for sensitive skin. So why not using it for a natural acne treatment? Take one avocado and mash it. Add one tablespoon of honey to create a paste and apply this mask to your skin. Let the mask sit for 20 minutes and rinse your skin with warm water. This is easy, fun and you can even make another mixture of honey and avocado to eat.
- Sugar
You may be familiar with sugar scrub, whether the homemade or the store-bought version. The main function of sugar for skin is to exfoliate the dead skin cells. Acne can be caused by the dead skin cells clogging your pores, so removing them can be a good idea. To make the sugar gentler, mix it with olive oil or honey. You can use white or brown sugar and you can even combine both of them. There are many recipes of sugar scrub that you can make, so just choose the one that you think is the simplest. Sugar scrub can be stored in a container or jar to use several times in several days depending on the ingredients used. Remember that acne skin can’t be exfoliated. Pay attention to not exfoliate, just apply gently.
- Potato
It might sound strange, but potato is also a good natural remedy for acne. It has phosphorus, sulfur and potassium that can fight acne while helping the new skin cells to grow. Grate one potato and simply rub it on your infected skin. Leave for around half an hour before rinsing. The best result can be achieved by damping your skin first before applying the grated potato.
- Mint
Can you imagine how fresh it is when mint is applied to your skin? It is surely soothing and calming. Mint has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reducing acne swelling and make you feel more comfortable. Just blender some mint leaves to get the juice and rub it on your face. Let it sit for 15 minutes and wash. You can also crush the leaves without blender if you want. Mixing it with plain yogurt is another recipe, but you need to just chop the mint, not crushing.
- Chamomile
Creating a paste of chamomile and apply to your skin can be helpful for easing the inflammation. You can simply mix water and a tea bag of chamomile to blend together as a mask. Steeping the tea bag in boiled water is another option and it may be the easiest since it is the same as you are making the tea. The difference is that you should cool it down before dipping a cotton ball for application.
- Echinacea
Containing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents, Echinacea is not only appropriate for helping wounds healed faster, but also for treating acne. Wash your face with Echinacea tea daily or just dab your acne with the tea using a cotton ball. However, if you choose to wash your face, don’t simply wash it like what you do with water. Get a cloth to help washing your skin with the tea is what you have to do.
- Coconut Oil
This amazing oil will not only help treating your acne, but also moisturizing your skin at the same time. Now you don’t need to apply moisturizer after treatment. Its antibacterial properties can help reducing the redness and you don’t need to worry about the pores getting clogged. With coconut oil, your skin will be safe even if you repeat the process several times.
Acne Causes
- Preservative Ingredients
Many skincare products are containing preservative ingredients and you don’t even realize it. When buying some skincare products, check the ingredients to ensure your skin won’t get irritated after usage. It might be complicated if you have to memorize all the preservative ingredients, so the solution is to go with products labeled oil-free. When oil-free is labeled, at least your oily skin can be well controlled.
- Too Much Scrubbing
Scrubbing is necessary to get rid of the dead skin cells leaving your skin smoother. However, scrubbing too much will just make your skin worse. You don’t have to scrub your skin so hard with cleansing brushes if you want to end up with clean skin. Just use cleansers containing lactic acids or glycolic or other ingredients that work by clearing the pores since it won’t hurt your skin too much.
- Wrong Laundry Detergent
How it has something to do with acne? When washing your clothes or pillowcase with wrong laundry detergent, your skin will get in touch with the fabrics containing some acne-causing ingredients and it can lead to breakout. To avoid such thing happen, pick the right detergent without dye and fragrance.
- Prolonged Sun Exposure
Surely you don’t have to avoid the sun exposure, but you need to limit the amount since prolonged exposure can cause pimples popping out. Sun exposure increase the oil production of your skin that might cause your pores clogged. Also, the dead skin cells shedding is increasing and it can lead to the popping of pimples, blackheads and whiteheads.
- Wrong Hair Product
Pay attention to the products you use for treating your hair including shampoo and conditioner because they may contain acne-triggering ingredients such as silicones and sulfate. They can clog the pores and cause some pimples popping on your hairline or back. If you can’t avoid using such hair products, then try to wash your hair carefully by putting it aside to not let the shampoo residue left on your skin. Wash your face when you are sure that your hair is completely clean so that your face will not get any residue clogging the pores.
How to Prevent Acne
- Changing Pillowcase Regularly
It might be strange, but your pillowcase is one of the acne causes as it gets dirt accumulated as you lay your head on it every day for many hours. It can be weekly or bi-weekly, but changing your pillowcase regularly is very important to ensure that your pores will not get clogged by the dirt on the fabric.
- Keeping the Hands Away
You might not realize it, but the more you touch your skin, the more it is prone to acne. Your hands are full of dirt and oil that can easily move to your face once you touch it. Many times people don’t realize they are touching their faces in certain conditions. Try to not touch your face with your hands to avoid transferring bacteria to the skin.
- Washing Daily
The dirt accumulation on your face can lead to breakout when it clogs the pores. So the solution to prevent such condition is by washing your face daily. When washing your face don’t overdo it. Just twice daily is enough. Some people might think that washing more frequently will result in cleaner skin, but the truth is it might be harmful to your skin. Choose mild facial wash and dry your skin after washing. Use a dry clean towel without rubbing too hard. Rinsing your face properly to ensure that any residue of the facial wash is cleaned up is also important.
- Cleaning Makeup Brushes
How many times do you use your makeup brush and how many times are they cleaned? The last might be hard to answer since some people don’t even remember to do that. Makeup brushes accumulate dirt as you use it and they can easily transfer the bacteria to your face. Whatever you are using for applying makeup or powder, brushes, sponges or puffs, ensure to wash them every two weeks. Sponges must be cleaned more often maybe weekly. It is better to just replace it when the white space has been all used.
- Choosing Oil-Free Products
Noncomedogenic products are more popular as they are claimed to prevent your pores from clogging. However, it is said that the FDA never even release the popular noncomedogenic term. So the safer way to prevent your skin from acne is to go with the oil-free products without preservatives and fragrance.
How to Care Acne Skin
- Keep Your Skin Moisturized
Many acne skincare products can lead to dryness when used due to the ingredients, so keep your skin moisturized by regularly applying oil-free moisturizer. Gel moisturizer is actually the best option for acne skin as it is light, easy to absorb and not making your pores clogged. When drying your face after washing, let it damp and apply your moisturizer right away to prevent your skin from dryness.
- Don’t exfoliate
Exfoliation will make acne inflammation worse as you scrub and scrub. Scrubbing is indeed necessary since the dead skin cells should be removed, but don’t exfoliate. Just scrub your face gently with your fingertips. Scrub it only once a week is enough. Too much scrubbing is also a bad idea. Just dry your face by patting, not rubbing with a towel after washing.
- Treat the Pimples
When the pimples popping out, go treat them directly to prevent the breakout. Use over-the-counter acne products to spot treat them by washing your skin first. Ensure your hand is clean when applying the product or use a cotton dab instead.
- Avoid Heavy Makeup
Keep your makeup light if you have some pimples. Makeup might clog your pores when heavily used. Choose oil-free makeup that won’t make your skin produce excessive oil. It is better to for a while not using makeup while pimples are still popping out.
- Visit the Professional
If you think your acne is hard to handle and you are frustrated with the homemade treatment, visit the professional to get a better solution. It might be expensive, but it can be satisfying as you will be given advice, products and treatment that are appropriate for your skin and you can consult your problems clearly.
Foods to Avoid for Preventing Breakout
While acne is caused by several different factors, food is one of them. So pay attention to what you eat to ensure you can completely avoid the breakout.
- Coffee
Drinking coffee in the morning might boost your mood, but it can trigger your acne at the same time. When drinking coffee your body increases its cortisol levels. They are the kinds of hormone stress that can cause inflammation. So to keep your skin safe, try to skip your coffee and replace it with water or tea.
- Peanut
Eating peanut can increase the oil production of your skin. The oilier it is, the more prone it is to acne. Peanut triggers oil production due to its androgen content, so if you don’t want your skin getting affected, replace peanuts with almonds or cashews as a better option.
- Sugar
Sugary foods are delicious and many people can’t event stop craving for them. However, those with acne prone skin should limit the intake as sugar can trigger inflammation while acne is an inflammatory condition. You can still eat something sweet by choosing the natural ones such as fruit or honey.
- Dairy
This is quite popular that dairy can trigger acne, but the worst is said to be milk and cheese. Milk can influence the hormone that causes acne while cheese can stimulate the gland fat to be more active as it contains steroids. If you want to drink milk, go with vegetable one such as almond milk or coconut milk, but avoid soy milk. Why not soy milk? Find the answer below. Cow milk is healthy, but those with acne prone skin should limit the consumption.
- Soy
Although soy has many benefits, it has some drawbacks as well; one of them is causing acne due to its natural estrogens. The problem is you might find it difficult to avoid soy as it is found in many kinds of foods. So check the label before buying to ensure you are not eating too much soy.
Living with pimples is not easy if they start blocking your confidence and comfort. So if you have it, treat it. If you don’t, then prevent it. it is fun when you find some ingredients are forbidden to eat, but they can be used for treatment, so you must know the trick. Keep your skin clean and healthy by using natural remedies instead of the over-the-counter versions.