Easy Home Remedies For Acne

A lot of people get acne and a lot have an ongoing battle with acne. Acne affects about 85% of the population between ages 12 and 25 years old, with many experiencing some degree of acne scarring as a result.

Acne vulgaris, or acne, is a common skin disease that occurs when sebum and dead skin cells clog up your pores and become infected.

It is a common problem for teenagers and adults. Without proper treatment, dark spots and permanent scars can appear on the skin.

 But don't worry, common acne treatments are already available specifically, in your kitchen, plus there are natural acne treatments available too- yay!

You can also try some common over the counter acne treatments along with the natural too! Many times, acne requires an attack from several angles instead of just a single treatment. 

 

Which At Home Remedies For Acne Are Effective?

Here are some or a few recommendations of at home remedies for treating acne:

• Honey
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Zinc Supplement
• Aloe Vera Gel
• Rosehip Oil
• Reduce Dairy Intake
• a Low GI Diet
• Use products that contain benzoyl peroxide
• Use products that exfoliate and contain AHA

 Honey

Curious to know how honey can treat your skin conditions such as acne? Honey contains many antioxidants that clear off debris from clogged pores. This at home remedy for acne is loaded with vitamins and minerals and speeds healing. 

Honey contains anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and healing properties which make it a perfect solution for treating both acne and scars and help skin to heal faster as well as prevent scars from forming on your face.

Honey isn’t the magical end-all, be-all of curing acne, but it is known to have natural antibacterial and calming qualities.

These qualities may help soothe inflamed acne blemishes. You can apply raw honey as a mask for 10-15 minutes and throughly cleanse skin afterwards. 

 Apple Cider Vinegar

 This fermented vinegar has a lot of useful functions, including fading your acne scars, naturally exfoliating and shedding away dead skin cells and fading acne scars as well in the process. It contains Vitamins A, B2, B6, C and E along with the natural lactic and malic acids which are responsible for gently exfoliating the skin for an even toned complexion.  Dilute it with water so it doesn't cause too much stinging and to help lower the acidity. 

Much of the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar relies on the fruit acids it contains, such as acetic acid and malic acid.

It takes a lot of patience and consistency to see positive results, no matter what products or options you choose in treating acne.

Don’t be afraid to try different options should the first one fail. Keep the healing going with some emotional treatment as well. Acne does not only leave us with deep physical scarring but emotional scarring too.

Zinc Supplement

 Studies show that people with severe acne tend to have lower zinc levels.  The findings suggest that zinc is involved in the inflammatory process of acne, and maybe those who are in a high state of inflammation may have lower zinc since the body is using it up. 

Supplementing more zinc may help reduce acne by reducing the inflammatory markers. 

How Much Zinc Should I Take For Acne?

Try to get extra zinc in through your diet to avoid taking too much and reduce side effects like nausea.

Here's what the National Institute of Health advises as Recommended Daily Allowance for each age and gender.

For women:

• ages 9 to 13: 8 milligrams (mg)
• ages 14 to 18: 9 mg
• ages 14 to 18 and pregnant: 12 mg
• ages 14 to 18 and breastfeeding: 13 mg
• ages 18 and up: 8 mg
• ages 18 and up and pregnant: 11 mg
• ages 18 and up and breastfeeding: 12 mg

For men:

• ages 9 to 13: 8 mg
• ages 14 to 18: 11 mg
• ages 18 and up: 11 mg

If you want to supplement with zinc, let your doctor know before taking extra supplements and always start off with the smallest dosage to avoid negative side effects.

If it works for you, you should notice a decrease in acne after 4 weeks. If you truly have a zinc deficiency, it may take 3 months for the deficit to balance out. 

Aloe Vera Gel

 Referred to as “plant of immortality”, the Aloe Vera plant works well on its own as an anti-inflammatory to reduce the size of acne, redness and it helps fade acne scars too. It also has antibacterial properties to combat bacteria!

Aloe Vera is a plant that’s been used for thousands of years to treat a number of conditions, namely, to soothe skin irritation and wounds. Some people may also recommend it to treat a specific wound type — acne scars.

Aloe is one of the best household products anyone can use to treat their acne as it is antibacterial and antiinflammatory. It can also speed up the healing process of wounds and reduce acne scar formation. It can get rid of the red marks left over from acne and works better for hyperpigmentation rather than pitted acne scars.

Aloe Vera also contains salicylic acid and sulfur naturally, which are both used extensively in the treatment of acne.

Rosehip Oil

 Rosehip oil is ideal for treating hyperpigmentation but it is promising for treatment of acne as well. Rosehip oil can treat acne because it contains a high amount of natural Vitamin A to promote skin cell turnover,  which helps with reducing the likelihood of pores clogging and forming acne. Rosehip oil also has a high concentration on linoleic acid versus oleic acid.  This is important because people with acneic skin are usually deficit in linoleic acid so applying this topically can help reduce pore blockage.  

Reduce Dairy Intake 

Cutting out dairy could treat acne. Dairy has been linked to acne based on the IFG-1 hormone that it causes your body to produce. 

All Dairy will cause this hormone to be created since it is created during the process of breaking down whey and casien proteins found in dairy.

 If you don't use consume much diary but use a lot of whey protein, the whey protein could have an affect on acne and reducing that may eliminate acne. 

Dairy is also a common allergy and many people are lactose intolerant as they grow older.  If you have one of these allergies or food intolerances and continue to consume dairy, it may lead to damage to the digestive system resulting in inflammation and acne. 

Benzoyl Peroxide For Acne

Benzoyl Peroxide is best for treating acne that is inflammatory and mild to moderate, but not the best for blackheads, cysts, or whiteheads.

It works to treat acne by eliminating the bacteria underneath skin and reducing sebum.  The concentration used should be between 3-10% and it works better when applied topically and left on such as in a gel or cream formula. 

Choose the formula the works best for your skin type and if it's your first time using it, start with a lower concentration to avoid further irritating and drying out skin. 

If you notice a lot of skin sensitivity, redness, and itching when using benzoyl peroxide, you may have a sensitivity or allergy to this over the counter acne treatment. 

AHA or Glycolic Acid

 

Glycolic acid is an AHA which stands for alpha hydroxy acid.  This AHA is one of the most effective AHA and the most popular ingredient for treating acne. Glycolic Acid can also reduce hyperpigmentation,  and discoloration.

Research has found that glycolic acid has antibacterial and antioxidant activity, which can also help treat acne. Glycolic acid can also thicken skin by stimulating collagen growth.

This type of acid is mostly found in chemical peels and can be used in daily skin care products without causing much irritation with the right PH and concentration. This ingredient is also included in the BANISH Pumpkin Enzyme Masque.

Acne can be really a frustrating and long lasting skin condition to treat, but don’t lose hope as there are many acne treatments that may work for your skin. You are still beautiful with or without acne.