When pores get clogged or inflamed with germs, acne occurs. Acne is the most common skin disorder in the United States, affecting around 80% of adults at some point during their lives.
People can apply specific home remedies to help balance oil levels on their skin, reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and prevent acne breakouts in the future.
There is currently little scientific evidence to support the efficacy of most home treatments. However, the present evidence for some of the home remedies that people may find effective is discussed in this article.
Acne, pimples and sores can be treated with a variety of home treatments. Gentle herbal lotions and gels, essential oils, natural supplements, and some straightforward lifestyle adjustments are all effective acne home treatments.
Acne Treatment at Home
Natural herbal extracts, many of which have been utilized by traditional medicine practitioners for hundreds of years, are employed in some of the most popular home remedies for acne. The most excellent home cures for acne and lifestyle adjustments that can assist are discussed below.
1. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, which means it can destroy the acne-causing bacteria P. acnes. Because of its anti-inflammatory characteristics, tea tree oil can help to minimize pimple swelling and redness.
How to Use:
Tea tree extract is available in lotions, gels, and essential oils that can be used to treat acne. If essential oils are used, they should always be diluted in a carrier oil first.
2. Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is a waxy, natural product made from the seeds of the jojoba shrub. The waxy elements in jojoba oil may aid in repairing injured skin, which means it may also aid in the speedy healing of wounds, such as acne blemishes.
Some of the components in jojoba oil may aid in reducing skin inflammation, which means redness and swelling surrounding pimples, whiteheads, and other inflamed lesions may be reduced.
How to Use:
Apply jojoba essential oil on acne by mixing it with a gel, cream, or clay face mask. Alternatively, apply a few drops of jojoba oil to a cotton pad and gently rub over acne outbreaks.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, which means it can help prevent acne breakouts and lessen the look of acne. Aloe vera is an excellent moisturizer and contains a lot of water, so it's perfect for people who have dry skin from other anti-acne creams.
How to Use:
Cleaning the acne lesions and then putting a thin layer of cream or gel with at least 10% aloe vera is a good idea. You can also use aloe vera gels or creams to keep their skin moisturized.
4. Honey
For thousands of years, honey has been used to heal skin disorders, including acne. It is high in antioxidants, which can aid in the removal of waste and dirt from congested pores. Honey has antimicrobial and wound-healing properties; thus, doctors use it in wound dressings.
How to Use:
Apply a small amount of honey on pimples with a clean finger or cotton pad. Honey can also be used as a face or body mask.
5. Garlic
Many traditional medicine practitioners use garlic to treat illnesses and strengthen the body's defenses against germs and infections.
Organosulfur chemicals found in garlic have inherent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, organosulfur compounds may also help to strengthen the immune system, which aids in the body's ability to fight illnesses.
How to Use:
Garlic can be added to one's diet to help battle the inflammation and infections produced by acne. Garlic cloves can be chewed whole, rubbed over bread, or made into a hot beverage.
Garlic powders or capsules are also available in most grocery stores and natural health stores.
Although many online sources advise users to apply garlic directly on pimples, this can irritate the skin much more. Garlic can cause skin irritation, so use it with caution.
6. Green Tea
Green tea includes a high concentration of catechins, a type of polyphenol antioxidant.
Most acne sufferers have an excess of sebum, or natural body oils, in their pores and a deficiency of antioxidants.
Antioxidants aid in the breakdown of toxins and waste products in the body that might harm healthy cells. Green tea may aid in the removal of debris and waste that has accumulated in open acne lesions.
Green tea includes chemicals that may aid in the following:
- Minimize sebum production in the skin
- Acnes and inflammation is reduced.
How to Use:
According to researchers, green tea may assist when patients drink it or apply green tea extract to their skin; however, the existing evidence is limited.
After 8 weeks of utilizing polyphenol green tea extract, one study reported a 79 and 89 percent reduction in whiteheads and blackheads, respectively.
7. Echinacea
The purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) may contain chemicals that aid in the destruction of viruses and bacteria, including P. acnes. Many people believe that Echinacea helps strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation, and Echinacea can be used to combat or prevent diseases such as colds and flu.
How to Use:
Echinacea lotions or Echinacea supplements can be applied to acne lesions or taken as supplements.
8. Rosemary
Rosemary extract, or Rosmarinus officinalis, includes antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory chemicals and compounds.
Although there has been little research on the effects of rosemary extract on acne, it has been shown to diminish inflammation caused by the acne-causing bacteria P. acnes.
9. Purified Bee-Venom
Antibacterial activities have been discovered in purified bee venom.
Purified bee venom can kill P. acnes bacteria, according to a study published in 2013. In addition, the number of acne lesions decreased after two weeks of using cosmetics containing purified bee venom.
People who applied a gel containing purified bee venom to their faces for six weeks reported a reduction in mild to severe acne lesions, according to a study published in 2016.
Purified bee venom could be a valuable element in acne treatments in the future, but further research is needed.
10. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, just like other natural medicines.
Because of these qualities, coconut oil can kill acne-causing bacteria while also reducing pimple redness and swelling. In addition, coconut oil can also help open acne lesions heal faster.
How to Use:
Apply pure, virgin coconut oil directly to the acne-prone region. Coconut oil can be found in the natural foods section of supermarkets or online.
11. Never Touch Your Pimples
Touching acne sores can be enticing, irritate the skin, making the pimple worse, and spreading pimples to other face areas.
Touching, rubbing, squeezing, or bursting acne lesions can introduce more germs into the lesion, leading to infection.
Squeezing a pimple can push bacteria and debris deeper into the skin and can make the acne worse.
Large, deep, or under the skin sores should be discussed with a doctor to remove them safely.
12. Selecting of Right Cleanser
Many conventional soaps have excessively high acidity or pH, which can irritate the skin and exacerbate acne.
To lessen the chance of acne flare-ups and allow lesions to heal, use cleansers, rinses, and washes with a pH closer to the skin's natural pH of around 5.5.
13. Using Oil-Free Cosmetics
Oil-based or greasy products can clog pores, increasing the likelihood of acne breakouts.
Look for oil-free or non-comedogenic skincare and cosmetics, which contain elements that allow pores to breathe.
14. Maintaining Hydration
Staying hydrated is critical since it aids in the healing of acne lesions and lowers the overall risk of outbreaks.
When the skin is dry, it is more readily irritated or damaged, which leads to pimples. As wounds heal, staying hydrated ensures that new skin cells form correctly.
Because each person's water needs vary depending on age, activity level, temperature, and any medical issues, there is no standard daily recommended water intake.
Many health experts advocate consuming six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
15. Stress Reduction
The American Academy of Dermatology lists stress as a probable cause of acne flare-ups.
The hormone androgen rises in response to stress. As a result, androgen increases the risk of acne by stimulating hair follicles and oil glands in pores.
The following are some stress-reduction suggestions:
- Speaking with family, friends, a doctor, or other persons who can help
- Getting enough sleep, eating a healthy, balanced diet, and not missing meals are all important.
- Practicing deep breathing, yoga, mindfulness, or meditation daily minimizing alcohol and caffeine consumption