Acne is quite an unavoidable skin malady that everyone experiences at one time or another.
Mild acne occurrence is natural, and need not be so much bothered about it. But acne can become a serious issue for some as the pimples appear endlessly and scars become deep and unerasable.
It is a disease of the hair follicles of the face, chest, and back. Most teenagers will have some acne issues during the puberty period. A few individuals will have acne attacks for several years,…. up to the late twenties and thirties.
Many factors could be the culprit behind rosacea (aka whiteheads or blackheads).
Four major factors that lead to the incidents of acne are:
- Oil production (sebaceous)
- Dead skin cells
- Clogged pores
- Bacteria
Typically, acne happens when sebaceous (oil) glands attached to the hair follicles are stimulated at the time of puberty. Acne occurs when hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. The plugged hair follicle gradually enlarges (skin bacteria accelerate the process), producing a bump.
The best time to start acne treatment is when you find the acne is becoming severe and sporadic. If you find the scars are getting deeper with high pigmentation, then don’t delay in remedying the issue.
The occurrence of acne is proven to have a close connection to heredity; if parents had it, then children too will have it.
Acne syndrome could be triggered and aggravated by some external factors as well. Some of the most common ones are the application of chemical-rich cosmetics, some medications like steroids, lithium, and phenytoin, and wearables like headbands, helmets, backpacks, etc. Smoking, dehydration, chronic constipation, and insomnia could lead to the development of acne.
Some women may encounter rosacea issues during menstrual periods, pregnancy, and polycystic ovary syndrome.
How to Get Rid of Acne?
There are several natural remedies and prescription medicines available to treat acne.
The important concern for you is to make a proper choice of remedies according to your convenience and feasibility.
Natural remedies require a bit more effort and persistence than prescription medicines. However, natural solutions are always better for the skin as well to avoid side effects.
I have carefully chosen seven popular natural methods of getting rid of acne and acne scars. I have chosen the ones that are found to be more effective and other skin enhancement benefits as well.
Any or two of the remedies you can try (the list is not prepared in the order of importance). All of them are good and worthy of a trial.
It is important to remember that natural remedies will require a bit of patience. The results may not always be identical and vary from person to person. Choose the right remedy according to your skin type and convenience. Here are seven acne home remedies:
1. Aloe Solution for Acne
Aloe has powerful medicinal properties, especially in soothing and reducing inflammation on the skin.
Aloe contains saponin, a compound with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties that are excellently suitable for acne treatment.
Aloe gel could be applied daily a few times on the acne-affected areas.
Fresh aloe pulp is more effective than readymade gel. If fresh aloe is not immediately available, you could probably purchase pure and organic aloe gel from your favorite cosmetic store.
2. Egg Whites with Lemon Juice
An egg white facial mask is proven to be an excellent natural remedy for acne. It acts as a natural cleanser and skin purifier. It absorbs the skin oil and cleanses and minimizes the pores.
The ideal way to use it is to separate the whites from the yolk and, with the help of a cotton ball, apply it to the acne-affected area in an upward motion. Leave this mask for about 10 minutes – till it totally dries and becomes tight on the skin.
To remove the acne scars, you could add a few drops of pure lemon juice to the egg whites.
Then, you can gently wash it away with a few drops of good natural face wash. You may need to wash it a couple of times to remove the egg-white totally from your skin.
Repeat this procedure twice a day, (ideally in the morning and evening) for a few days or as long as the acne is visibly disappeared.
 3. Oil Cleansing
Using oil cleansing to get rid of acne may sound very strange to you. Everyone likes to have no oil on their facial skin.
It is a proven fact that oil cleansing is a good solution to reduce the attack of acne.
At first, you may be very hesitant to try out an oil-cleansing acne remedy, as so far, we have been using face washes and deep pore cleansers to get rid of the oil and dirt from the skin. It sounds so strange and contrary to conventional beauty care practices.
Let us see how this helps in reducing the number of blackheads.
Two of the best natural oils to use for ‘oil cleansing’ are coconut oil and tea tree oil.
Coconut oil contains antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is also very effective in naturally and gently moisturizing your skin. It has medicinal properties that gently cure the redness and pores inflammation over the skin.
Take a few drops of pure and organic coconut oil into your left palm, and then you can gently apply the oil with the help of your right-hand fingers.
Gently massage the oil in an upward motion for two to three minutes. Make sure to apply only a thin layer of oil so as not to make the oil spread and flow all over.
Applying the oil before going to bed and leaving it overnight on the face is good if your skin is dry or normal. But if you already have very oily skin, you should wash it away after 20 minutes.
Within a couple of days, you will begin to notice that the acne attack is becoming mild or gone.
Tea tree oil is a natural oil that you can use, just like coconut oil. Both of them have a similar effect. With tea tree oil it is required to add a few drops of water to make it thinner.
Unlike coconut oil is not necessary to wash away the tea tree oil. You could also apply a few times a day to get quick results.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Acne.
There has been a lot of positive feedback on the effectiveness of Apple Cider Vinegar as an effective remedy for reducing acne attacks. It has very powerful natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.
This solution also has exfoliating acids to calm acne, and it balances the skin’s pH.
The right procedure to use this solution is to take two teaspoons, dilute it with a teaspoon of water, and apply it directly to the acne-affected areas with the help of a cotton ball.
Use apple cider vinegar that is fresh and unfiltered for the best results.
5. Acne Facial Made of Jojoba and Carrot Seed Oils
Jojoba oil can absorb and dissolve the sebum that clogs the skin pores, which results in relief from acne.
The wild carrot seed oil has medicinal properties that can heal skin inflammations, especially popped pimple wounds. This oil also has several other health benefits, especially in curing a wide array of illnesses.
This oil also has excellent antioxidants that rejuvenate the skin. When amply applied, wild carrot seed oil can cure infections on the skin and in open wounds.
About one ounce of Jojoba oil could be mixed with a few drops of carrot seed oil. The well-blended mixture of these two oils could be applied gently to the facial skin.
You may wash off the oil after 20 minutes, and this process can be repeated twice a day.
The Jojoba oil gently removes the sebum clogging the skin pores, and wild carrot seed oils heal the wounds and skin blemishes caused by acne.
This oil mixture formula treatment also gives you a soothing sensation on the skin, similar to aromatherapy.
6. Enessa Clove Acne Control
I am sure that you have heard about Enessa’s organic skin and beauty care products.
A few years back, Enessa introduced a cystic acne remedy that has a mixture of oils as the ingredients. Three major ingredients in this solution are Clove oil, jojoba oil, and essential oils.
Clove essential oil has a strong antibacterial effect on the skin; it also warms up the skin, reduces inflammation, and reduces pimple bumps.
This blend of oils has a good effect on curing acne. It kills bacteria, reduces redness, cleanses skin pores, heals wounds, and reduces swelling.
This oil mixture can be directly applied to the acne-affected areas. This smooth oil application should be left on your skin for the entire night and could be washed off in the morning.
This oil solution works rather fast, and you will experience within a day or two the cystic acne is entirely controlled, and the wound fades off quickly.
Here, I must warn you one thing. It would help if you never thought of applying clove oil directly onto your skin. This oil has some properties that can burn and create rash marks on your skin. It needs to be diluted with Jojoba oil and other essential oils to make it mild and gentle.
7. Baking Soda Exfoliates
Baking soda solution is one of the most traditional methods of natural treatment for acne issues.
Several dermatologists still root for baking soda remedies. Still, I don’t recommend it as a safe acne solution because it is not as good as the others I have already mentioned above.
I agree with the several medicinal effects baking soda does have, but its side effects should also be considered.
Baking soda helps eliminate pimple bursts and drastically reduces inflammation. It is also very effective in removing dead skin cells from the skin. It also cleanses the pores and eliminates clogging.
About the correct usage, take two teaspoons of baking soda and make it into a paste by adding warm water. Then, gently apply the paste onto your skin to form a thin layer of mask. After 15 to 30 minutes, wash it off with clean water or with any suitable organic cleanser.
If you are skin is over-sensitive you should not keep the baking soda paste on your skin for more than 15 minutes.
The effect of baking soda paste is almost instant.
It exfoliates the dead skin tissues, dries up the pimples, and gradually eliminates the blackheads.
It is also inexpensive in comparison to other treatment methods because every home will already have baking soda for cooking purposes.
Side Effects Of baking soda treatment for acne: The alkaline, the key chemical found in baking soda, can be too harsh for facial skin.
There is a possibility that people with very delicate skin may face some mild skin irritation and burning sensation after the use of baking soda facial.
I would not personally recommend baking soda treatment for acne in spite of this method being inexpensive and convenient. It should be used only if it’s hard to attempt other means of treatment.
Other Useful Acne Solutions for You
One of the most commonly used medical solutions for acne is Isotretinoin, which is mostly used for severe acne that cannot be remedied by natural means.
As far as possible, Isotretinoin should be used only in extreme conditions.
Vitamin A is a source of the drug. This medication directly tries to arrest the production of oil and decrease inflammation.
Isotretinoin is strictly a prescription medicine; usually, the patient needs to take this drug for 15 weeks or more.
It is normally not advisable to have this drug. Recent studies and research do not give encouraging reasons to use this pill.
There are a few potential side effects associated with this pill.
Women need to be very cautious, especially women thinking of bearing children soon. FDA warns the woman not to opt for pregnancy in the immediate period of 1 to 2 months after this treatment. There are a few reported cases of congenital disabilities in children born from a woman who took Isotretinoin.
FDA has also warned about the possible occurrence of depression and psychosis issues when a person is under the effect of this treatment.
However, Isotretinoin is the most effective treatment for acne; 8 out of 10 people attain success. But recurring occurrences of acne cannot be prevented by this drug; at least a few of them can again develop acne some months later.
Doctors normally recommend this drug only in severe cases of acne. It would help if you tried all other possible natural means before opting for this drug.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, treating acne effectively involves choosing between natural remedies and prescription medicines based on personal convenience and skin type.
Natural methods, like aloe solutions, egg whites with lemon juice, oil cleansing, apple cider vinegar, jojoba, and carrot seed oils, Enessa clove acne control, and baking soda exfoliates, can be effective but require patience and persistence. However, for severe acne, medical solutions like Isotretinoin may be necessary, though they come with potential side effects and should be considered carefully.