7 HOME REMEDIES FOR ACNE & PESKY PIMPLES
1. Mix strawberries and honey
Honey and strawberries make a home remedy for acne that sounds pretty sweet (pun intended) and it combines two things that are used commonly in pricey, often time’s harsh, facial scrubs and cleansers. Strawberries may seem random, but consider the fact that they’re high in salicylic acid. Salicylic acid-a primary ingredient in many commercial acne treatments- encourages the epidermis to shed its cells more readily, opening up clogged pores, and neutralizing bacteria. It also shrinks up the pores a little bit, which prevents them from clogging up as much in the future, and encourages new cell growth. Honey also works against bacteria that may be behind your acne, and is an anti-inflammatory.
You will need…
-3 fresh strawberries, washed well -2 teaspoons of good honey-raw is best
Directions
Wash your face with water and pat dry. Rinse 3 strawberries and mash them up well, taking care that they don’t get over-mashed and runny. Add the strawberries to two teaspoons of honey, and thoroughly blend them together. Apply to your face and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off completely with warm water, pat dry, and moisturize if your skin has a tendency to dry out. Use twice a week for at least a month.
2. Use banana peel
Bananas are full of all sorts of goodness-even the part we don’t eat. Their peels contain something called lutein, an extremely powerful antioxidant that reduces swelling and inflammation, and encourages healthy cell growth. So…rubbing a banana peel on your face can reduce the redness, obviousness, and discomfort of acne. It’s (debatably) a better use than using it to trip your friend.
You will need…
-1 banana peel
Directions
Peel your banana and eat it- it’s not cool to waste, and they’re good for you. Take the peel, and rub in a circular motion all over your face. When you feel as though you’ve covered all of your face, let it sit for at least 30 minutes before rinsing it off.
3. Aloe for acne
Aloe vera gel can be used with other things to fight acne, but it’s a good thing on its own as well. If it’s going to be used on its own, the best is to have a little aloe plant floating around in your house, otherwise a good gel that’s sold in stores may work as well-just do some research on which ones have the least amount of additives. Not only is the aloe soothing, it works as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing redness and swelling. It also has antibacterial properties.
You will need…
-Enough aloe vera gel to spot treat or cover your problem areas
Directions
Wash your face with water and pat dry. Using your fingertips or a Q-tip, apply the aloe directly to your problem areas.
4. The wonders of sodium bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate, glorious sodium bicarbonate, swoops in and makes itself useful in too many ways to count. In the case of acne remedies, this fabulous substance (also known as baking soda) is useful thanks to its mild antiseptic properties, as well as its uncanny ability to fight off fungus and bacteria and dry up excess oil, all while exfoliating your skin via microdermabrasion and making it soft and beautiful. I know-I get star struck too now whenever I see a box of baking soda.
You will need…
-a box of baking soda -fresh water
Directions There are two ways to go about this-making a facial mask, or a straightforward scrub. For a facial mask, mix equal parts baking soda to water to form a thick paste. Massage the paste on in slow circular motions for a 2 minutes. Leave the mask on for around 15-20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water, pat dry, and moisturize.
For a scrub, mix a half a cup of baking soda with one eighth a cup of water. Apply the paste to your face, massaging it in well. After 5-6 minutes of this, rinse your face thoroughly with warm water, pat dry, and moisturize.
5. Dab some lemon juice on it
Lemon juice can help get rid of breakouts for a number of reasons. It is rich in vitamin C, which is good for all types of skin, and it’s a citric acid, so it helps ‘exfoliate’ the skin as well. Most importantly though, it is an astringent. An astringent will cause a contraction of body tissues, and will therefore dry out the blemish itself. It is also a natural skin whitener, which helps reduce redness. If you misplace a dab you may get a little white spot, but don’t panic- it will go away on its own accord. Rinse off any lemon juice before going out in the sun, as it may make you more sensitive to it.
You will need…
-1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately) -Q-tips or cotton balls (optional) -Yogurt (optional)
Directions Rinse face gently with water and pat dry. Dab fingers, a cotton ball, or a Q-tip in lemon juice and apply to pimple. If it stings, try mixing it first with a bit of yogurt.
6. Make it steamy
Steam can help soothe a number of minor maladies, acne being one of them. It helps reduce acne, and its glaring appearance, by opening up the pores and flushing out impurities lurking deep within your skin. You can choose to only steam, or you can use something afterwards. If you use it with something else, you’ve cleared a sort of path for whatever you’re using to really do its job.
You will need…
-1 pot of boiling water -1 towel -A large bowl
Directions Boil a pot of water, pour into a large bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes. After its temperature has lowered slightly, place your face above the bowl, and drape the towel over your head to trap the steam. After 10-15 minutes, remove the towel and pat your face dry. Do this once a day or as needed.
7. The wonders of garlic
Garlic is thought to be a good natural remedy for acne because of its supposed antibacterial properties. You can either ingest it, or apply it topically to help reduce the severity of your breakouts and prevent them in the future. If you can get the juice from the garlic, great, if you can’t, mashing it up and putting it in some water is fine. Never, ever, ever, apply garlic to your skin without diluting it first. If you’re hesitant about the garlic smell, look at the silver lining-others may be a bit taken aback, but you won’t have to worry about Dracula creeping around either.
You will need…
-2-3 cloves of garlic -water OR aloe vera gel
Directions Either extract the garlic juice and mix it with 1 teaspoons or so of water, or mash up 2-3 cloves and let sit in water for about 10 minutes. Using a cotton pad, soak up the juice or garlic water and cover problem spots. If you don’t have a cotton pad or something similar to apply it with, the mixture can be a bit runny and hard to work with. In this case, substitute aloe vera gel for water. If you choose to ingest garlic, a clove or two a day should be enough. Prepare it however you like.
