Home remedies for Acne

Acne is an extremely common skin problem, occurring quite frequently amongst older teenagers and young adults. If ignored, acne can cause serious skin problems immediately or later in life. With all the different products out there to treat acne, you may be tempted to try some. But before you go out and purchase some of these often expensive products, try out some of these acne home remedies.

Toothpaste - For Minty Fresh Skin

Believe it or not, toothpaste can sometimes help clear up acne. While there have been no formal studies to date, many people swear by toothpaste as one of the most effective home remedies for acne. Simply apply directly to your problems spots before bedtime. Common wisdom holds that this will help control the swelling and redness. Just make certain you use actual toothpaste, not the gel stuff.

Salt and Vinegar - Pickle Those Zits

A solution of salt water, with or without vinegar, can help clear up your acne both by drying your skin (removing excess oils) and by helping disinfect. Wash your face twice a day with a salt water (and vinegar if you like) solution. Just don't make this acne remedy too strong, mildly salty is best. For stubborn spots, make a stronger solution, apply to the swollen area, and leave on for 15-20 minutes.

Fruits - Healthy Inside and Out

Fruits are also held to be an effective natural acne remedy. Try applying strawberry leaves directly to the zit and leave the on for a while. Fresh lemon juice (not concentrated) or lime mixed with rose water is another acne home remedy you can try. Apply to your face and leave for 15 minutes. Try this one for 15 days and you just might be amazed at the results! Ground orange peel, mixed with water into a paste, can be effective in treating an outbreak. Apply and leave for 15-20 minutes, then rinse the paste off with warm water. Papaya juice is also widely held to be effective. Fresh tomato paste can be used much like the orange peel paste as well.

The one thing all these fruit-based homemade remedies for acne have in common is their astringent properties. Removal of excess oil and dirt is the key to fighting acne.

More Plant-Based Acne Home Remedies

In the same vein as the fruits discussed above, there are many herbs and plants that have also proven to be effective acne treatment home remedies. A mixture of the oil extract of witch hazel, sweet fennel, and tea in water applied 2-3 times per day has been shown to be effective in fighting acne. Methi (fenugreek) leaves, crushed into a paste, can be useful when applied for 10-15 minutes before rinsing. Crushed garlic works as an effective acne home remedy as well, although most people forego this one simply because of the smell. Aloe Vera has well-documented skin healing properties, and acts as an astringent as well. Aloe vera can also help for those looking for acne scars home remedies.

Cucumber, of course, has been a favorite to reduce all kinds of swellings for years. It can be more effective if you apply the cucumber in paste form. But I'll bet you didn't know that ground radish or ground sesame seeds are one other at home acne remedies.

Support From the Inside

All these mixtures, concoctions, and pastes are nice to apply to the outside, but boosting your body from the inside makes any of these acne home remedies work that much better. Nettle tea has long been recommended as a cure-all for skin problems of all sorts, including acne. Taking a vitamin supplement with vitamin B5 and zinc promote a healthy immune system, helping your body fight off acne-causing bacteria. Give some of these natural home remedies for acne a shot, and you just might be surprised at the results you can achieve without spending a ton of money on specialized skin care products. Whatever type of acne you are treating, baby acne, back acne, or facial acne these remedies are proven to work.