Natural Remedies for Cystic Acne

I am 51 years old and fought cystic acne for years. I was on accutane four seperate times over 20 years. Each time it worked for about 5 years and then the acne would return. My face is now acne free but for the first time in my life I am getting cysts on my chest.

Here's the double whammy... I think I am getting these cyst on my chest because of my nightly hot flashes. My chest is covered with sweat and the acne flourishes despite prescription topical treatments. The only way I get rid of most of these bumps is to go to the dermatologist and have them injected with steroids.

So, after looking at this website, I see that ACV is mentioned to stop hotflashes and cure cystic acne. I am running to the store now to get some. I will report back in a few weeks. Perhaps, I can kill two problems with one remedy!!!

I just went to the vitamin store and bought Turmeric caps and a gallon of ACV. I am 51 years old and NEVER had to deal with acne much less this painful cystic acne until I started menopause about 3 years ago! I have been put on birth control pills, numerous topical prescription creams, lotions and oral pills all with no resolution to the problem! I have had it! I work with the public as a Medical Assiatant by day and group exercise instructor by night! I am so self conscious of this and SICK and tired of gobbing on makeup to cover the cysts and redness caused by them! I hope the turmeric and ACV works!

Have you tried moisturing with coconut oil (anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial) and cutting out milk (dairy may cause acne cycts)? Best Wishes!

I had severe painful nodulo-cystic acne on my nose since 1998. Doctors put me on antibiotics for a long term and when that had no permanent effect, they put me on roaccutane for a year during which the acne did go away but the roaccutane left me with severe depression for which I still need to take antidepressents.

The acne came back after roaccutane and I turned to homeopathic treatment which took a long time but the acne is finally under control.

But the most amazing thing has happened in the last eight months - there has not been a recurrence of the acne - ever since I started having a high fibre diet which includes large amounts of steamed okra for lunch and dinner.

The homeopathic doctor gave me the medicines calcarea sulph and hepar sulph in various potencies which always helped to clear away the acne and gradually decreased the recurrence.

Hello, my 16 years old son has really bad cystic acne. We spent so much money taking him to dermatologists and nothing except Acutane helped. Since he plays Tennis every day for 4 hours a day after school, after the first round of Acutane which worked wonderful on him, his cystic acne came back. His dermatologist would not want to put him on Acutane again because his exposure to the sun. So he is only taking an antibiotic right now and use Cetaphil as his cleanser. The antibiotic does not help. He is still breaking out like crazy. I tried the apple cider vinegar toner on him (twice a day) for a week now and I have not noticed any improvement. How long does it take to see the result? He would not want to take apple cider vinegar diluted with any thing. He tried one and spitted it out because he couldn't take the taste of it, even with fruit juice. Does anyone has any tip that can help him to combat his cyst acne problem? Thanks so much for all your help.

Get occasional acne cysts and decided to try pure lavender oil, dabbing several times a day rather than leaving on the skin for an hour as per previous post. Have found this has really reduced its size over the last 24 hrs. Will continue until gone. Great tip, thanks!

You can dab it on but the way to really get rid of the cyst is to do the compress method I described. I've tried both ways - I discovered this by accident several years ago and also tried dabbing lavender on which helps some, but the tried and true way to really get rid of them or completely prevent them from growing, is the compress method as I originally posted.

I tried ES's compress with Lavander oil since I felt a sore bump in between my eyes 3 days ago. Wow! I was so surprised when the zit never came up and the soreness went away after a day and a half! I've never had anything work this fast! That's one less pimple I have to nurse for a month. No ugly redness and no bump ever surfaced. Thanks for this post! I will be sharing it with everyone I know!

I believe that at least in my case, my cystic acne is related to diet. I almost always get a cyst after an over-indulgence in chocolate, ice cream or some other sweet. Basically I can keep it under control by limiting my diet in these areas. Chocolate, particularly. I have given up ice cream almost altogether.

Once when living in California I went with a friend to Solveng, a small Danish town in the Inland Empire that specializes in (you guessed it) baked goods. Of course I had a bunch of cookies....and the next day, a HUGE cyst in the middle of my cheek! Coincidence? I think not!

I now keep sugar to an absolute minimum. Honey is a safe sweetener because it is antibacterial (i.e. the bacteria that cause infections can feast on sugar but cannot digest honey as the molecules in honey are too big.)

I find that with an existing cyst I do better to leave it be than to try to bring it to a head, since doing that almost always leaves a scar. For me, prevention is better than cures.

Good luck with yours! J

YEA for Turmeric!

I suffered for years with cystic acne/boils due to monthly hormonal changes, and was placed on oral contraception, antibiotics and topical retinoids to mitigate the problem, with little success. Now that I am trying to conceive, I'm unable to take these prescribed medications (and I'm also tired of the cost).

I came across this website looking for natural cures for many ailments yesterday. I ran to the store to buy Turmeric as soon as I read these testimonials, because I HAD two huge, throbbing cysts on my face, and another one that was in the beginning stages (red bump, itchy). After ONE DOSE, I am already noticing a huge difference. I took the following last night around 8pm:

1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Honey (to taste)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 c Hot Water
2-3 tbsp milk (to taste)

The taste reminds me of Chai so it doesn't bother me at all.

I also applied a hot compress for about 10 minutes to the worst one before I went to bed, and applied antibiotic cream.

I woke up this morning, took a shower and the worst two boils had come to heads. Once the pus drained, they were still somewhat red, but completely flat and no more pain and throbbing. The other one that was forming is reduced in size and redness completely gone!

Thanks to EarthClinic.com and all readers for their suggestions and feedback. I look forward to trying other remedies including those using ACV.

i have had adult cystic acne for years and have tried everything the doctors have thrown at me. Well I don't know if it was all the ACV or what. I have a drawer ful of prescription and over the counter topicals and also antibiotics that i've tried over the years along with birth control pills. of course none worked completely and all had their drawbacks or side effects. about a week ago i had the biggest, baddest, most painful cyst i've ever had on my chin. i usually get one at a time but not this time - another popped up just under my lip line and another on my jaw line. i was so embarassed and in so much pain. my face was swollen all over the place. so i gave up all my prescription stuff and decided to go all natural.
i started with the all natural organic ACV cocktail three times daily for three days with 2 teaspoons ACV mixed with local dark honey to sweeten to taste and about 8-10 ounces of water and a couple ice cubes. i also took straight acv and soaked a cotton ball in it and held it to each cyst for about 30 seconds to a minute. i did this for three days, twice a day. then i used a ACV toner of 50/50 pure water and ACV and wiped it on my face twice a day for three days. i also cut some fresh aloe vera and would wipe it all over my face at night after all the cleansing. i used my regular cleansers - either pevonia or origins. its taken a week but only the biggest chin cyst is still there a bit but all the redness is totally gone. my face did get a bit dry but i put it into shock mode i am sure - that's why i only did the shocking part for three days and then moved to a maintenance. the skin around the cysts dried up and flaked off and i did have a scab where i was stupid and HAD to pick because i was in so much pain. but there are no scars and no more redness at all. my face looks great already. i am now on a maintenance of the cocktail twice a day, and toner only in the evenings with the aloe as my night time moisturizer. i am using aveeno for a daily moisturizer/sun block which is supposed to help with redness and calm your skin.

i am also taking a good B complex vitamin as that is good for stress and also i take tumeric capsules as they are good for acne and cleansing from the inside also. i haven't changed my diet but that was my next step if this didn't work.

i do hope this helps someone else out there - i really was too uncomfortable and embarassed to even go out and had to pile on the makeup.

Beware of minocycline... Its is linked to drug induced lupus which can attack the skin. We had three miserable years with my teenage daughter. We are still have outbreaks but nothing like we had.

When I was a teenager, I had terrible cystic acne. No medications helped me, but eventually I "outgrew" it. Now that I am perimenopausal (age 51) I seem to be getting it again. In desperation, I tried birth control pills. It helped with the acne, but the side effects were miserable. I quit the Pill a month ago. Last week I could feel the beginnings of a deep pimple on my chin (it wasn't terribly visible yet, but I could certainly feel it). I applied ACV with a cotton swab for two days mornings and evenings. It's gone! Before, there'd been nothing to do but wait for a deep lesion to surface and evetually go away (a long, painful and unattractive process!) Never has anything worked as well or as quickly as the humble ACV!

Hello, Ann in NY. All I did was saturate the end of a cotton swab with ACV and apply it to the lesion in the morning and again in the evening (after washing my face). In the morning, I just allowed the ACV to dry before applying moisturizer and makeup. That's it! I hope it works for you, too!

I think some dietary changes can positively affect for most acne sufferers, and if you have acne and consider it a problem I highly recommend you examine your diet as the likely culprit.

I had virtually all types of acne that I didn't seem to be growing out of. Was put on that awful Accutane with the requisite monthly blood tests to make sure I wasn't slowing poising myself. Long story short, the drug didn't work. At least not permanently, because I simply was not addressing the root of the problem. Found out that some of the most common allergens can cause acne. I realized that soy, gluten and eggs, through a process of elimination, were the cause of my acne. Once these we eliminated literally in a couple of days my acne disappeared. Skin was no longer oily, and I felt great. Not only was my skin clear but by eliminating the foods that my body for whatever reason cannot tolerate I was running more 'efficiently' and thus felt better!

I had a big problem with cystic acne. I tried every remedy on this site and nothing worked. I changed makeup, used prescription and otc products. I prayed and prayed and kept trying different products and foods, cleanses etc. Then someone in my office got sick with a cold so I started taking those grapefruit effervescent cold immunity tablets. I noticed I didnt get any new cysts on my face. So I increased the dosage and used selson blue as a facial wash to dry up the lesions already there. My answer to prayer had finally come. I just wanted to share this in case there is someone else out there who has tried everything it wont hurt to try one more thing. This could be the answer for you as well. The box dosage is 3 tablets a day but Im taking 4-6 a day. I hope this helps.

Cystic Acne: I gave modern western medicine a try and it seemed to me that for radical and extremism type of intervention, they are great. I prefer the gentle and natural road to recovery that aligns itself with your specific constitution.

I had cystic acne on my chin . I read it was hormonal so I set up an appointment with a bioidentical hormone replacement specialist, but meanwhile. I tried turmeric, but it stopped working after the second week. I tried ACV and it did not work . So, I did tons of research. Which resulted in me taking daily does of 1000 IU of Vitamin E ( which I believe began to erase my brown age spots)1250 IU's of Vitamin A and 500 IU's of Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, niacinamide and zinc. I have since decreased the IU's since my acne began to subside. Please be careful when taking high doses of IU's..do your research or talk to your ND/MD. My acne began to decrease rapidly.

I began having weekly acupuncture and gave them a brief on my history. Prior to my cystic outbreaks I had been on antibiotics for about for 50 days. So they assumed my flora in my intestines had been destroyed. I was put on some great probiotics (that are kept in the fridge) I also started eating a couple tablespoons of natural yogurt in the am and pm. They also recommended vitamin C to rebuid the matrix of the foundation of the skin .

So now it the acne decreased by it 95%. Now when one appears I use tea tree oil on it with a cotton ball, which decrease the size by 90% within a couple hours and my the next day with reapplication every 5 hours it disappears in two days. I also began taking Udo's oil and it helped repair my skin ( Udo's oil 3-6-9 blend) I believe it is the fountain of youth. I realize everyone is not the same, but this method has been highly successful for me.

Robert's Fungus Saga - Vicks Update

Part One: Feet

Q. Do the ingredients (camphor, eucalyptus, thymol, menthol) work?

A. I've applied the solution on my nails as well as to my entire foot to get rid of all the fungus that might eventually cause a reoccurrence. The results were obvious after 4-5 days: first, the athlete's foot symptoms between my toes rapidly got better and were healed in about a week. Then, at the seven-day point lots of skin started sloughing off all over my feet where the fungus was obviously in hiding -- including the heal callus. I was surprised to see so much sloughing of the skin around the base, sides and top of the toe nails -- this area apparently had been deeply affected by the fungus, but just looked like tough skin that I had become accustomed to expect. Within 2-3 weeks the unaffected new toe nails could be seen at the cuticle. Now, several months later, there is a clear line of demarcation between the old fungal nail, and the new clear nail. I expect that it will be 3-4 more months before all the old nail has grown out and gone.

Q. Is the formulation the right one?

A. After much research and playing kitchen chemist, I learned that coconut oil is a good anti-fungal as well as a great emollient. DMSO doesn't need to be at 25% concentration. 10-15% is sufficient. Oregano Oil is composed of Thymol and University of Western Australia research proved tea tree oil's anti-fungal capability, so I added it as well. The essential oil amounts are at least or a little more than what bio-chemists call the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The formulation I like and use now is:

Revised Formula
1 part Menthol oil
1 part Thymol oil or Oregano oil
1 part Camphor oil
1 part Lemon Eucalyptus oil
2 parts Tea Tree Oil
2 parts DMSO
12 parts Virgin Coconut Oil

There is probably a synergistic (i.e. harmonious working together) effect of anti-fungal herbs, which has been demonstrated in several studies. In one test of ten plant species whose oils were anti-fungal, researchers noted that "combinations of the anti-fungal essential oils increased their activity remarkably." In a similar study, researchers stated that "in all the oil combinations, the anti-fungal potency was found to increase over individual oils."

Part Two: Adult "Acne"

This is where the "saga" starts to get interesting. After my adolescent acne should have cleared up 35 years ago, it got slowly worse. All over the bearded part of my face, what appeared to be sacs of hardened oil under the surface of the skin had been forming nodules. These didn't get infected,'each just grew larger. Over the years I've seen dermatologists who said, because of my otherwise great health, "you're just a middle aged adolescent," blaming it on high testosterone, etc. The apparent acne problem continued and worsened.

I've seen doctors, dermatologists, pharmacists, herbalists, laser specialists, and spiritual healers. I've bought every acne ointment known to man. I took pills, vitamins, and herbs. I changed diet. I get plenty of exercise. Nothing worked. I had extensive surgery to correct the problem three years ago, and within 18 months it looked just as bad as before. As a public speaker and author in my profession, the skin condition was emotionally upsetting and stressful.
Having conquered toe nails, I started researching down the path that maybe the acne was caused by a fungus (although the symptoms didn't look like my feet). Was I surprised when I found:

" Tinea barbae is a superficial dermatophyte infection that is limited to the bearded areas of the face and neck and occurs almost exclusively in older adolescent and adult males. Symptoms include inflammatory, deep, kerion-like plaques and noninflammatory superficial patches and lumps resembling bacterial folliculitis. The hair breaks off below the skin surface. It is caused by several dermatophytes. Trichophyton species are most common. Infection of bearded skin may be the result of autoinoculation from tinea pedis or onychomycosis."

In other words, the mess on my face that had caused me so much grief and been misdiagnosed for decades was caused by the same fungus that gave my feet a problem. Apparently the dermatophytes enter the hair follicle (nails and hair are similar biological structures), then attack the sebaceous gland, feeding off the body oil; then the body's immune system reacts with scaring and hardening the facial oil, leaving an oil nodule. The dermatophytes then migrate to the next follicle, and eventually dozens of affected follicles link as a nodule the size of a pea.

Now it became obvious what had happened: The athlete's foot I got as a teenager went to my toe nails, and, because I was ignorant of the relationship of using a towel on my face that might have been used on my feet or crotch, the fungus got transferred.

Not a single dermatologist who examined my face ever bothered to ask the question: "Do you have toe nail fungus or athlete's foot!"

Using the same solution on my facial outbreaks as on my toe nails (the revised formula with coconut oil), the facial condition is clearing up. Just like with my feet, skin is sloughing off and the nodules are beginning to eject. This is the best result I've seen in years. I expect it will take a few months for the problem to be cured, as the fungus is down below the level of the base of the hair follicle in the sebaceous gland.

Part Three: Chronic Sinusitis

For the last 15 years I've had chronic sinusitis, post nasal drip, clogged nose, etc. I was constantly clearing my throat, and sometimes coughing. I snored a lot, which my wife didn't appreciate, and the snoring actually would wake me up in the middle of the night, leaving me tired in the morning. I seemed to catch colds more easily than before, but I attributed this to my very frequent plane travel.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics, but I they did not fully cure the problem and when I stopped the treatment, every symptom returned. (And I just don't like unnatural treatments.) Others said it was allergies.

I wondered: Could my sinusitis be a fungal problem? More exploring on the internet found the answer:

In 1999 Mayo Clinic researchers found the cause of most chronic sinus infections to be an immune system response to fungus, and that this may kick off a secondary bacteriological infection. It is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.
Again, I felt betrayed by the medical profession. Why hadn't anyone told me this?

I went to the health and vitamin store to look for an anti-fungal nasal spray, and nothing met my requirements or budget ($10-15 for a one ounce bottle of ingredients seemed way out of line.) Here's the formula I "invented:"

1. Rinse out a 1 ounce nasal spray bottle
2. Add one eye-dropper (approximately 1 ML) of Oregano Juice (NOT Oregano Oil -it's too strong and will not dissolve in water)
3. Add a pinch of salt (approximately - ML) (Iodized salt is OK - iodine is a good anti-fungal)
4. Fill the rest of the sprayer with distilled water, and shake well until the salt is dissolved.

Spray as frequently as once an hour until symptoms subside. For me, this solution began working within an hour; most symptoms were gone in three days. And the price of the ingredients per bottle is just a few pennies.

If the oregano/saline solution is too strong for you, dilute in half with water. If you want, you can add a drop of eucalyptus oil with - ML of glycerin, (which will bond the oil to water). I now spray once or twice a day, just to prevent any recurrence.

A very dear friend, who is 75, has had awful sinusitis for years. He heavily cleared his throat every minute or two. I told him of this simple formula, and two days later he called me to say it was working. He then said with amazement: "I don't believe it, we've been talking for over 15 minutes and I haven't had to clear my throat once!"

There are articles and books that claim that some cancers are caused by fungus. If this is true, taking action on fungus early may be very beneficial in the long run. It's time we gave fungus a deeper analysis.

to respond to the woman with the terrible boils. I suffer from horrific cystic acne. I discovered that if I eliminate all forms of hidden MSG [do an internet search to find all that it is in] that my skin is perfectly clear. I am so sensitive that I cannot even touch anything with citric acid or natural flavor which is a form of hidden MSG and is in most shampoos, liquid hand soap, prepared foods, pop etc. I convinced my husband to eliminate all hidden MSG and his headaches, ezcema and skin rash went away. Now when he has any exposure the itchy, weepy skin rash comes back and today it is back with a vengence. He had mustard on Sunday and it flared. By Monday evening it was drying up and he licked the spoon of the ice cream he served our children and during the night it erupted so bad he could hardly sleep.

A good rememdy for all these skin things is a 125 watt clear infrared bulb. Not only will this clear up the skin but is great for any aches and it healed my son of acute asthma. Asthma requires a one hour treatment 1-2 times daily or more. The more you use it the quicker it heals. The only draw back is having to stay stationary so long. My husband hasn't had time to sit under it the past two days so he is still in bad shape. He started on the vinegar and honey last night to see if a change in body pH will help

I have been suffering from cystic breakouts and chronic constipation most of my adult life. These issues seem to only have intensified with age. Mind you, I eat an organic, almost-vegetarian diet and am always sure to get my minimum fiber intake. Before ACV, I was lucky if I had a bowel movement every other day and always felt "backed up" and suffered from terrible gas! My face would suddenly erupt in cystic acne lesions that took weeks to heal. After spending literally thousands of dollars on products in an attempt to rid myself of both conditions, I am now able to throw out more than half of the things in my medicine cabinet. I take 2 tbs. ACV morning and night, straight-- I don't even mind the taste. I also apply it topically to my face every morn-- seems to brighten my complexion and tone my pores. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to consider dilluting it, as it is pretty strong. My skin has never been better and I am completely "regular" now-I only wish I had tried this sooner and imagine the years of suffering I could have saved myself. If something ails you, try it-- it certainly can't hurt!

I am 62 and always had acne. Just had a bad flair up after returning from Colorado. Researched and found out traveling was the cause and because of the change in humidity. Also, it is the middle of the night and I am so grateful to find out that I can get up in the morning and use ACV especially for my first huge chin cyst. Thanks to all of you!