You might not expect milk products to be the cause of your acne, but there are hormones in dairy that contribute to it. Milk contains lactose which is an ingredient many adults cannot process, a condition known as lactose intolerance.
Even if you aren't lactose intolerant, dairy leads to oil production and clogged pores in your skin. Skim milk can be even worse than whole milk. Cutting down on all dairy is a good way to clear up acne without buying anything or adding a new step to your skincare routine.
Fresh mint is great for mixing up your own face mask that's designed to remove the oil clogging your pores and prevent future breakouts. The mint leaves contain salicylic acid, a classic ingredient in acne products for treating and preventing acne.
In addition to treating acne and keeping your skin clear, it helps fade acne scars by shedding dead skin cells and promoting healing.
Echinacea is a popular home remedy for colds. It can be used to speed up healing processes and improve the immune system. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of echinacea make it perfect for treating acne, too.
Echinacea helps keep your body clean and infection free from the inside out by removing toxins from your organs and skin. You can use cooled echinacea tea as a face wash or use the oils on a cotton ball for a spot treatment.
Rosemary extract is another great treatment for acne because it reduces inflammation, kills bacteria, and protects the skin from damage. It also stops the over-production of oils on the skin, making it an excellent cleanser.
Rosemary clears bacteria and oil while reducing the swelling caused by acne, giving your face a fresh glow. Add a few drops of rosemary oil to a cotton ball for an all-natural cleanser and toner.
Chamomile has been used as a home remedy in healing for hundreds of years and makes an excellent acne treatment because of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial benefits. It will also give your skin a radiant glow while clearing your pores.
You can lay leftover tea bags on your skin or crush the tea leaves with water, form a paste, and apply it directly to the skin to treat acne.
Witch hazel has tannins in it, which has astringent properties for cleansing your skin. It reduces oil production without over-drying your skin, shrinks pore size, and prevents dirt, dead skin cells, and acne-causing bacteria from clogging your pores.
Apply witch hazel to your face with a cotton ball as a natural cleanser and toner that won’t dry out your skin.
Aloe vera gel is great for many skin conditions and is helpful with adult acne because of its antibacterial properties. You can scrape the gel from an aloe vera leaf and rub it on your skin to reduce redness, prevent bacteria from clogging pores, and accelerate healing.
Aloe vera is even helpful for treating cystic acne because of its antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.
Lemons and other citrus fruits have high levels of antioxidants and citric acid, which help fight free radical damage and boost collagen levels. It also reduces oil production, kills bacteria, reduces redness, and inflammation from acne scars.
You just have to be careful with the citric acid in lemons. Dilute the juice by adding just a few drops to a cup of water, wipe it over your face with a cotton ball, and rinse your face immediately. Lemon juice also makes you more sensitive to sunlight so be sure to wear sunscreen when you go outside.
Apple cider vinegar has acetic, citric, lactic, and succinic acid, all of which kill acne-causing bacteria. This ancient home remedy can be used to cleanse the skin and prevent future breakouts by killing the acne-causing bacteria directly, calming irritation, and shrinking pores.
It can also reduce scarring and discoloration from acne. Dilute the apple cider vinegar with equal parts water for an all-natural toner and apply to the face with a cotton ball daily.
Honey is a simple but powerful solution for adult acne. The antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties in honey can help improve acne by cleansing your pores to prevent future breakouts. It can also reduce the size of blemishes that are already there.
In addition to being a sweet cleanser, honey is also a natural humectant, which locks in the skin’s moisture to prevents peeling and dryness. Just apply honey directly to the skin for a simple homemade mask.
Tea tree oil is a common ingredient in many acne products that you can use at home. Tea tree oil is less harsh than peroxide and has natural inflammation-fighting properties. Tea tree oil works its way down into your pores where it cleans out dirt and bacteria to prevents future breakouts.
You can use a few drops of tea tree oil on a cotton ball or mix it with witch hazel for an even stronger acne-fighting cleanser.
These fatty acids are essential to the body’s health, from the inside out. Omega-3 fatty acids can help improve your skin by evening the complexion and controlling acne size. These healthy fats have powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Adding more omega-3s to your diet is an easy way to clear up acne and prevent future breakouts. You can take supplements, eat more fish, flaxseeds, or walnuts to get your daily dose of omega-3s.
Dirt, overproduction of oil, and bacteria are just a few causes of acne that happen because your skin isn’t clean, but it’s also important to clean the things that touch your skin. Cleaning surfaces that touch your face is an easy and essential part of keeping acne under control.
Wipe down your phone, clean your makeup brushes and glasses, and keep fresh pillowcases on your bed to help keep your skin clean.
Aspirin contains salicylic acid, the most popular ingredient in anti-acne treatments, but you don’t swallow it if you want it to treat your acne. Salicylic acid is helpful for getting rid of excess oil and dead skin cells while clearing up acne and preventing future breakouts.
You just need to crush the aspirin and mix in a little water to make a paste. This paste is an excellent homemade acne spot treatment that dries up acne and reduces inflammation.
Treating the underlying causes of acne is just as important as cleansing your skin every day. Antioxidants help fight free radical damage that causes acne. Free radicals are byproducts that cause damage to cells and tissues in your body.
Eating a diet rich in antioxidants like berries, green tea, and spinach can help control free radical damage that can lead to adult acne.
Harsh skin cleansers and exfoliants damage the skin and disrupt the microbiome that protects you. Probiotics support the function of healthy bacteria while normalizing the levels of bacteria present in your body.
Probiotics also slow the release of inflammatory proteins and decrease sebum production, preventing clogged pores. You can get your daily dose of probiotics from foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
Exfoliating is vital to improving the appearance of clogged pores because it removes dead skin. You can make a chemical-free scrub at home with brown sugar and coconut oil to treat your acne.
This scrub fights bacteria, fungi, and candida while clearing pores and exfoliating. Just mix two tablespoons of sugar with one or two tablespoons of coconut oil.
Green tea has many uses such as treating sunburns, fighting the common cold, and clearing up acne. With antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds, green tea cleanses and repairs your skin to get rid of acne and give you a healthy glow.
Use green tea as a face wash or put a used tea bag on the problem area. You can also drink green tea if you want to get the extra health benefits of green tea for your whole body.
Jojoba oil is a natural extract that helps reduce inflammation and prevent whiteheads while repairing damaged skin. It also helps control oil production and moisturize the skin, which prevents clogged pores and an oily appearance.
Use jojoba oil for an all-natural cleanser, moisturizer, and to promote healing. Just add a few drops to a cotton ball for a quick and easy toner.
Garlic has been used as a home remedy for centuries to treat everything from infections, high blood pressure, and improving the immune system. The natural organosulfur compounds in garlic have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.
You can add more garlic to your diet or take supplements to get the wonderful benefits of this home remedy.
