12 Proven Natural Remedies for Acne

I battled with acne pretty much my entire adult life. It wasn't too bad when I was on birth control, but as soon as I went off in my mid-20s, I began to develop much worse acne. I would get regular pimples but also cystic acne that would hurt. I was in my early 30s with acne...wondering will this ever go away??! I'd always have 5-10 painful pimples on my face. When one would finally go away, another would pop up. That is, UNTIL I WENT ON PANTOTHENIC ACID (vitamin b5).

Oh my gosh. This was literally the answer to my prayers. I had been praying to God to either help me find a cure for my acne or help me to accept it (it made me so insecure). And He lead me to b5. I started with a mega-dose of it - taking 8 500mg capsules per day (in smaller doses throughout the day).

I would say most of my acne was totally gone within the first month. I was shocked. I maintained the high dose "just in case" for a while after. I have since reduced it down and now take 2-4 500mg most days. I haven't had a cystic pimple since I started this over a year ago. Once in a great while I will get a very small pimple and I notice if I take a high dose of b5 it's gone within a day or two.

This was my miracle cure. I tried almost everything to cure it and nothing worked until I found this. I went on a mostly raw vegan diet for 6 months, drank the celery juice, cut our dairy, coffee, cut out sugar...nothing worked or seemed to touch it. I also put ACV on my face and it didn't do much either. The one thing I did not try was internal ACV... but all I know is b5 was finally the answer after a 10+ year fight with acne.

Hope this helps someone!

I have/have had 6 teens so far. They have been blessed with pretty clear skin. I wonder if there is a hereditary component as my husband and I had pretty clear skin as teens also and I say we had pretty typical teen diets. (I worked in a fast food restaurant from ages 16-19 and ate lunch there every day that I worked, which was daily in the summer! )

But they do have some mild acne. Never enough for them to be bothered to try and improve it though.

After 6 weeks of very regular use of liposomal vitamin C for whooping cough, however, I have noticed that one teen in particular has notably clearer skin.

If you have a teen with acne, vitamin C would be easy to try. The easiest way to get a higher dose is the store bought lypospheric vitamin C. It costs $32 for 30 packets. One packet of liposomal a day and in a month you would see if it was worth making your own for regular use, which is much cheaper once you invest in the materials.

~Mama to Many~

I discovered Earth Clinic last week when I looked up remedies for removing a splinter. I was floored at how well it worked! So I perused the site and looked up remedies for adult chin acne that I seem to get once a year. This year, though, the rash of acne has lasted about 6 months on the right side of my chin.

Per various posts, I diluted Apple Cider Vinegar, unfiltered and organic, maybe about 1 part ACV and 3-4 parts tap water. I keep it in a little jar in the bathroom and dip a cotton square in it and rub all over my face like a tonic. (Make sure to shake the solution before using.) Unbelievably the rash decreased overnight. This is after using a prescription for months and months which only helped a little. The ACV makes a dramatic decrease in the rash everyday and it is practically gone now. However, the redness remained. So I used Castor Oil, per some other posts. Amazingly, two days later the redness is gone and the rash is just there, but barely.

The first night I just dabbed the Castor Oil onto the rash with a q-tip, letting it stay thick. (I put a towel over my pillow and let it permeate my skin overnight.) Then last night I spread it over my entire face and let it permeate all night. In the morning I put it on, too, but wipe it off before leaving the house because it's REALLY thick. I am absolutely amazed. I am going to keep using the ACV and Castor Oil every single day. I've also started gently scrubbing my face with Epsom Salts, and my face is as soft as a baby's bottom. I'm getting rid of all my traditional cleansers, etc. The only thing I'm keeping is my daily face cream because it has SPF in it.

Good luck! I hope this post will help someone else as much as I've been helped by others I've read.

Don't ever take Accutane. The side effects are too dire and not worth it!! Any decent, informed doctor will tell you this. There are natural remedies out there that are incredibly effective for keeping acne at bay. Apple Cider Vinegar 2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of purified water 3 X a day. B vitamins are also incredible for helping to clear acne, particularly in Coenzymated forms (if you get an initial breakout don't worry - that's a good sign it's clearing things out). Ground Flaxseeds and Hemp seeds are also great for skin. Tea Tree Oil works amazingly well as a spot treatment, it's more powerful than Benzamycin and without the toxic effects. Just know there are natural remedies out there that clear skin! You don't have to rely on medication that will damage your body.

Also, it is crucial to stay away from all dairy from a cow (goat is ok). It is the most acne producing food and best to stay clear of if you want clear skin!

My Grandson is 14 and has had acne for a long time but as a grand parent there is not much control sometimes but, after years of his mom taking him to doctors and putting chemicals on his face I was able to teach him there are natural things out there and now. He is washing his face 3 or more times a day then alternating aloe then coconut oil every day. I myself had some kind of skin problem that caused blotches and then dry skin after I used coconut oil 2 times every day and in 2 weeks it was all gone. Now I still apply it once a day and not a spot.

Also I want to say that my skin now is younger looking and smooth also tighter and I feel more confident againA

Thoes harsh chemicals are horrible for skin and hair, not only that but our health as well. I've been using African black soap to cleanse my face and body, it's free of all harsh SLS's, parabens, is high in natural glycerin and has been used traditionaly by African women to wash lol babies! The smell is very earthy and it lathers like a body wash. I wet my face and hands with Luke warm water rub the bar untill it lathers slightly and lightly massage my face in little circles for about 1 min, rinse well with a cloth. I also like to use a toner I made out of boiled( and cooled) water, organic apple cider vinegar with mother, peppermint tea and lavender oil. To make:

Boil 3 cups of water
Throw in 1 peppermint tea bag
3 drops of lavender EO

Let stand untill cool

Add 1/4 cup ACV

The smell of the ACV dissipates once it's dried, if you have very sensitive skin you can use less ACV. I also moisturize with extra virgin organic coconut oil, use VERY VERY sparingly, focusing on your dry areas and under the eyes!! That's my daily skin care and I finally don't have to wear any of that foundation anymore without being embarassed of red patches and zit everywhere!

Here are a few tips to help control acne. Whenever I sway from these I pay the price.

Acne Tips:

• Wash face Twice in a row
• Rinse face Thirteen splashes
• Exfoliate once a week
• Have good oral hygiene
• Plucking eyebrows invites bacteria-clean the area well after
• Don't bite inside your cheeks or lips
• Use a water filter on the shower
• Change pillowcases every other day (I use aloe soaked pillowcases)
• Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets and use only chemical free laundry soap
• Use chemical free shamp/Cond and hair products (what you put on your hair ends up on your face)
• Clean your phone often (a must)
• Use a natural deodorant
• Use chemical free hand-soap and moisturizer (what you put on your hands ends up on your face)
• Wash your hands after you touch your pets
• Wash your hands and chin after you brush your teeth because bacteria from your mouth drips on your face
• Never use Old make-up

Do Not leave your face wash and shamp/cond in the shower, store it in a dry place

STOP USING DEODORANT IF YOU HAVE ACNE!

Why? I have no idea but I have tried every remedy in the book for acne and it would not cure it. From benzaclyn, proactiv, retina micro, hydrogen peroxide, acv, etc. You name it, I prolly tried it. So one day I decided to get away from regular deodorant and go to a natural deodorant because of the Aluminum in deodorant. Little did I know days later my face was clear and has been clear for 2 months now. It has been the clearest it has ever been since I was a kid. I went to my local supermarket and found this deodorant called Toms Natural Deodorant and it is Aluminum free. Maybe the ingredients in my deodorant I had always used was the cause for my acne. I wish I knew this in high school! Try it, It's amazing!

Suffering with acne and getting no help with western medicine - try Goldenseal. This is the secret remedy no Dermatologist wants us to know about. It's working wonders for us. My son is 18 and has had a bad experience with acne since he was 14. We have seen a Dermatologist for four years and everything he tried did nothing to make a difference. I came across an article for Goldenseal uses and pulled it from my arsenal and he started taking it as instructed. 1 capsule 3 x daily. Include a daily facial wash or two made of Goldenseal. If using a capsule to make the facial wash, boil it for a couple minutes while stirring.

It's been a week now and the Goldenseal has reversed the bacteria that was causing the acne scarring that will now heal. The Goldenseal appears to be healing his face.

Lots of great acne tips here. If you drink 1 tbs baking soda in a glass of water and 1 or 2 tbs apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, it will make your body alkaline (rather than acidic - the US diet is almost 100% acidic which promotes... Cancer and disease). An alkaline body actually makes your body a very poor host for disease and bad bacteria. Having an acidic body is like posting your houseparty on Facebook... They ALL show up. Incluing acne.

I would also suggest a wakeup and before going to bed rinse of your face with a cottonball or cottonpad dampened with witch hazel. It gently removes a lot of the oil from your skin without drying you out. Keep a small bottle of it with you during the day and it is great for a midday removal of any oil that may accumulate on your face.

Research the skin vitality vitamins, minerals and supplements also. A base vitamin regime of a multi vit/min, vit C, vit E, vit D will help keep that healthy glow to your visage and prevent you from getting sick with all the colds and flu that come around. The US diet is very deficient in vitamins and minerals, one of the reasons that hypo/hyper thyroidism is so prevalent. 90% of Americans checked have low levels of vit D (get more Sun... But choose short exposures), magnesium and vit B12. In the past 30 years the soil has been depleted, so you cannot trust the produce to provide vits/mins anymore. Some vits/mins are as much as 90% less than 3 decades ago. Take your vitamins.

Also be aware of the 3 stooges that appear in virtually all processed food and drink. Aspartame, MSG and high fructose corn syrup. They are excitotoxins which play havoc on your digestive, neuro and endocrine systems... Which could manifest as acne breakouts. If you switch to an organic diet you will find you eat less (because your body is geting nutrition and doesn't need to signal you to gorge so that it gets the proper amount of nutrients).

Sleep much? 8 hours or more per night to ensure that your face gets the restorative and healing rest it needs. Research good sleepijng methods and be sure that you have a comfortable, dark (wear a face mask if necessary) and peaceful place to rest.

Good luck!

I've struggled with adult acne for years but finally got it under control by not using commercial soaps/moisturizers, only handmade soap and a moisturizing mix of grapeseed oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, lavender & tea tree & lemongrass essential oils. However, sometimes even though I haven't changed any of my skin treatments, I've experienced breakouts.

Recently I connected the breakouts to starting a new vitamin supplement. I stopped the supplement and the breakouts stopped. A similar thing had happened about a year ago and I compared the ingredients of the two supplements (one was Vitamin C and the other was a multi). The only thing they seemed to have in common was silicon dioxide. I checked the supplements I take that don't seem to bother me (flax oil, magnesium, Vit D, and another brand of Vit C) and none of them have silicon dioxide in them. It's hard to be sure what exactly it is, but I just wanted people to consider that perhaps their supplements are causing breakouts!

Worked great! When I was in my teens I had quite bad acne and tried so many things to get rid of it. The only thing that worked for me back then was witch hazel in a gel form which as I remembered I used to apply quite thickly over the areas with acne and leave it on overnight.

I don't know if it has to be in gel form or if it has to be as long as hours/overnight, but what I do know is it worked very well :)

Long story short:

Acne appeared on my face and shoulders and chest when I turned 13. From that time I tried various creams, tonics, external and internal antibiotics, fasted, even juice from cabbage and onion applied ext. and int., visited dermatologists and cosmetic salons where my closed eyes often filled up with tears from pain caused by the acne being squeezed. Only those who have it, can imagine how I felt - face covered with raw red 'LEDs' - the consciousness when lifting my face up to talk to someone and knowing that the person sees it all. Adolescence was not easy with acne and it caused me psychological damage that I still have not solved yet. As if I did not suffer enough, when 21, the 'normal' acne (covering every cm of my face, but still 'normal') turned into 'deep-skin' cysts, which were no longer possible to squeeze. These left deep scars all over my cheeks. By that time (though a bit too late) I decided to take the matter to my own hands and cure my self with my own logic. Since then I am acne-free (unfortunately with scars). How I know that it was my protocol, that cured me? - because every time I violate the main 2 rules, I get flashing red 'LED' warning on my face... : )

This is how I got rid of acne + the 'deep-skin' cysts:

Most important rules:

1. NEVER TOUCH ACNE AREAS WITH HANDS DURING DAY.
2. NEVER EVER WIPE ACNE AREAS INTO STANDARD TOWEL.

Use kitchen paper towels instead. Always.
This removed 90% of the problem in my case.

The rest I killed with following:

Stopped all 'artificial' cosmetics and applied 'kitchen' cosmetics instead. In the evening, before going to bed, I would make a mixture of water and splash of non-pasteurized and non-filtered ACV in a small bowl, I would dip a cotton pad into it and wash my face. I would then wash it off while showering and dry face with paper towel.

If my face felt dry, I would use any un-refined oil I had available and apply small amount on face while it was still wet after shower - oil and water created nice emulsion, which dried out leaving my skin not so greasy as when applying oil on skin when already dry. This was all. I went to sleep and in the morning I would not wash nor apply anything on the skin. It looked nourished after the night emulsion anyway.

I believe other things contribute to good skin condition as well - like physical activity on fresh air, food, environment, sleep and bad type of stress elimination. But what I observe all the time (I am now 36) is that when I violate touching or towel rule, within a day at least one 'LED' is flashing.

I wish a lot of courage for healing to all those who have acne.
Often a small change - seemingly insignificant (and often dirty cheap if not completely free) - might cause big results.

I am in my mid-twenties and I am not an acute acne sufferer, however in the past year I have had my second terrible breakout. I realized the cause of these random breakouts was due to poor-diet with a high sugar intake that exacerbated my skin. My onslaught include using different holistic methods simultaneously to achieve the best and effective results. It requires patience and commitment but it definitely helped clear my skin and I was able to regain my healthy, bright complexion.

It took about a month and a half to achieve clear, smooth skin. The results aren't instant and it took few weeks to actually see the effects from my natural remedies.

My regime included:

1. a healthy diet (minimal sugar or foods high in saturated fat)
2. drinking green tea each morning
3. 1-2x a week lemon/cinnamon/honey mask
4. 2-3 x a week using baking soda masks (baking soda + a dab of water on acne and rubbing circular motions then washing off in 5 minutes)
5. rubbing lemon on my face
6. drinking water and lemon slice before bed
7. Apple cider vinegar toner (ration of one part ACV and two parts water
8. In addition, the acne medication I used to attack the acne bacteria were a benzoyl peroxide face wash + spot treatment cream.

Good luck, and continually seek out natural remedies that work best for your skin type!

I do agree about the alkalizing. Whenever I am more consistent drinking my sea salt, baking soda, and lemon juice drinks I can tell my face is clearer. One other thing that has helped me is making sure I take a couple tabespoons of granulated lecithin each day to help flush out those rancid oils in my body. I also use ACV on my face with a cotton swab and I do not dilute it. I've struggled with adult acne for years and have tried many things but what I've mentioned above seems to have helped me more than anything else.

Randy

I can't stress how much thoroughly washing my face has made a difference in the feel of my skin. Normally I would lather the soap on my face and immediately rinse. The surface of my face would get clean, but keep in mind most of the skin on our faces is about seven layers deep. It takes more than a quick rinse to thoroughly cleanse.

Now I lather and massage in a circular motion for a couple of minutes. Sometimes if I had been wearing a lot of makeup or something that day I will wash my face twice.

After the first time you do this you will literally feel an immediate difference. Your skin will feel deep-cleaned.

Drinking lots of water, washing your face with a gentle soap and warm water, and avoiding foods high in cream, fat grease, etc will have your acne infested skin clear in no time. I agree accutane is to be avoided. I was on it for several months and while it did clear things up sometimes I wonder what long term health problems it may cause me later in life.