Acne
Natural Remedies

12 Proven Natural Remedies for Acne

Fermented Foods

3 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  100%

Posted by Stella (Brooklyn, Ny) on 07/31/2012
★★★★★

I had terrible cystic acne. Tried a lot of things. Was told to try sauerkraut. I got the good kind (bubbies) sold at whole foods. I dont think regular brands work. This kind has lots of good bacteria. I'm not exaggerating when I say my skin was clear in three weeks. I battled with terrible skin for 10 years. Apparently, the live bacteria balanced something in my intestines and my skin cleared up. Please try it. Each jar is less than $5. I ate about 1/3 each day.

You might also want to reconsider what you're eating. Acne is usually the result of incompatible foods or imbalanced hormones. Even if the sauerkraut helps, there might still be an underlying issue that manifests in another way. Trust me, I'm living it.

Good luck!


Flaxseed Oil

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Tina (Chattanooga) on 03/09/2023
★★★★★

Acne has plagued me for most of my life beginning in my teens. Dietary changes helped but now at 56 and post-menopausal, the hormonal acne that started around my mouth and on my chin takes full advantage of any dietary lapses.

I began taking flaxseed oil to help with hot flashes at a relative's suggestion. After several months, I realized the flaxseed oil didn't help much with the hot flashes so I stopped taking it. However I now realize it WAS helping with my hormonal acne because my skin has been going crazy since I stopped taking it. My daughter's skin has too.

The company I've been ordering from is no longer selling it so I am now on a search for another brand with the same stringent production methods and wonderfully "clean" product.


French Green Clay and Turmeric Paste

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 10/03/2015
★★★★★

Over time, Mmsg has suggested using clay to a variety of people seeking help on EC, and sometimes mentions French Green Clay, I believe. I have used Bentonite Clay for years and it is wonderful. But I love to experiment with new natural products so I bought some French Green Clay. It is supposed to be good for acne, and I have been trying out some different things for teenager acne. (I have 4 teenagers, though they actually have pretty good complexions.)

I woke up this morning with a cystic type pimple on my own face. It was irritating me and was painful. I admit that I broke the rules and tried to pop it but that hurt a lot and didn't work. I took equal parts of French Green Clay and turmeric and mixed that with enough water to make a paste. (About equal parts of water and powders.) I put that on the pimple and went about my morning at home. After a few hours I washed it off, gently, which took several minutes as it had dried to my face. It had drawn infection to the surface and I was able to get it out quite easily.

I applied a little more of the clay paste for another hour or two. Now at the end of the day, the pimple is 90% better, and not painful or noticeable. So, thanks Mmsg for introducing me to this clay!

~Mama to Many~


Fungus Remedies

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Robert (Naples, Florida) on 01/20/2008
★★★★★

Robert's Fungus Saga: 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.

EC: Read Robert's entire email on the Nail Fungus Remedies page.

Replied by FT
(Ridgewood, NJ)
04/17/2008

Comment to Robert: THANK YOU for posting about your "adult acne!" Beginning at 11 years old I got pilonidal cysts at the base of my spine (tailbone) which I suffered with all through my school years. The inflammation, swelling and pain was excruciating. I rode a schoolbus to school and it was pure torture. I didn't want to tell anyone I was suffering with this condition as I was embarrassed as a child. When I went off to college I finally was seen by a doctor who operated and removed the cyst. I haven't had another since in that location but beginning shortly thereafter, I started getting cysts in my armpits. These cysts, which I still get, sound exactly like your "adult acne" condition. One doctor wanted to remove all of my sweat glands under my arms. Another just used to cut them open and let them drain, only to return again after healing. In the past 10 years I have developed Lichen Simplex Chronicus in my groin area which also "flares up" frequently and is accompanied by a painful cyst in the area. And last year I developed athlete's foot accompanied by toenail fungus of my right big toe. I AM FALLING APART! I have never, ever had athlete's foot until last year. At the same time I developed a weird scale on the side of my head that I at first thought was dandruff, but is something much worse than normal dandruff. It's oily and crusty and builds up very quickly! I tell you all of this to show you how I believe all of these conditions are connected/related to fungus. Oh, I also suffer with severe sinusitis during allergy season (now) and through the summer and fall. I really think this is all related. I am otherwise a healthy person (ha!) or at least I thought I was! Now I see that this is all the doing of one culprit - FUNGUS! I am going to try your formula and will let you know how it works. I'm very glad I found this site!


Goldenseal

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Pzolnir (Az) on 06/26/2017
★★★★★

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.

Replied by Steve
(Florida)
08/01/2017

Interested in knowing the latest on your son's condition with the use of Goldenseal. Could you please leave an update?

Replied by Pzolnir
(Az)
08/06/2017

It'a been over a month now and his face is the clearest I have seen it since his face started to break out. The break outs are now controlled and the deep pockets of acne are starting to clear. I noticed if he stopped taking the Goldenseal internally, it would not work as effectively. The key is to take the Goldenseal internally and continue the washes and mask. It does work and is making a difference. The Goldenseal is working better than anything a dermatologist has prescribed.


Grapeseed Oil

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Stella (C, OH) on 05/20/2008
★★★★★

Hi I would just like to put in a Yea! For Grapeseed oil. I am 37 yrs old and I suffered from a bad skin condition on my face and body for over 2 Loong years. The dermatologist said it was adult acne but I'm not so sure. I had tried many natural & chemical based products to the point of exhaustion until I finally found a brand that worked to where I could have my life back but my skin was still always on that verge of a break out at anytime. Anyway - about a month ago my husband was at the health store and I asked him to buy grapefruit extract but by mistake he bought Grapeseed oil. Well Grapeseed oil was one of the few things that I did not try on my face so I thought since I had it I would try it. UnBelievable Is all I can Say. This stuff is so good it took my skin to the next level. I don't even use my usual face cream anymore. If you have acne or sensitive skin. Try Grapeseed Oil It's awesome! It works! I love it! My skin is rosy and does not break out. I also know you can mix it with other oils for added benefits but I haven't tried that yet. Yea! For Grapeseed Oil.


Green Juicing

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Sarah (San Francisco, Ca) on 11/18/2011
★★★★★

I just have to share. My skin has broken out almost my entire life. I always have atleast one zit at any time. I'm 32 and it's exhausting. I see an acpuncturist which helps a lot. I understand that my skin is just a reflection of what's going on inside of my body. If I ate too much sugar, ate too much meat or a single slice of wheat my skin would break out. Grrr..... My acpuncturist said I had too much heat and it would come out through my skin. She would fix it and then I would just break out again the next week.

A month ago I started drinking a green drink every morning (broccoli or kale, cucumber, avocado, apples, orange juice and green superfood powder) I use Vitamineral Green... And no I don't work for them but I hope they allow the name in here because this has been amazing. Seriously it's been amazing. A few weeks into it my skin looked great, a month later my skin was completely clear and stayed that way. And now no matter what I eat, my skin stays clear. So freaking crazy! I can eat sugar, wheat, drink alcohol, etc. And my skin stays clear! (Although I don't encourage anybody to be that abusive to their body) It's pretty much been a miracle in my life!

I've always had tons of blackheads on my nose and a pink dicoloration around my nose and mouth. I had to become brillliant with makeup to cover it up. Now it takes me a few minutes to "do my face" because I don't have anything to cover up. It's crazy.

Has anybody else has this type of response?

Replied by Lhsis1
(Woodinville, Wa)
04/28/2012

I just started juicing, and have been drinking a vegetable juice concoction every morning for a week. My face broke out like crazy this week, though. I hope it's my body purging through my skin, and this will go away soon! I'm going to keep juicing for at least a month and hope my skin will adapt soon!


Green Tea

3 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  100%

Posted by Jakestap (East Lansing, Mi) on 04/19/2017
★★★★★

I've suffered with acne for many years. I was put on Accutane in high school, which cleared me up but wreaked havoc on my system. Apple Cider Vinegar has helped me, vegetable juicing has helped a bit, and avoiding sugar/dairy has been beneficial. But my acne still persisted. Recently I started drinking 1-2 teaspoons of Organic Matcha Tea per day and my face cleared up almost entirely, and with remarkable speed. I don't know if I found my personal cure, or a cure that could help others but I know how painful it can be physically and emotionally to deal with acne so I wanted to share this. And honestly, even if this doesn't work for you, you will be glad you started putting Matcha in your system. I feel better in all aspects.

If you do decide to try Matcha Tea I recommend choosing a pure, organic source. Finally after years and years of searching, I found something that really helped me get clear. Hope this helps someone out there! Acne sucks.


Green Tea
Posted by Gentle (Indy, Us) on 08/11/2012
★★★★★

I've had great results with green tea. I replaced coffee with green tea and I was pretty surprised. I was more clear the very next day. BTW, I am in my 40s and dealing with hormonal acne.


Green Tea
Posted by ika (Santa Barbara, California) on 09/20/2007
★★★★★

The airport security took all my cleansers and astringent last month so i've been looking for a hollistic replacement. Apparently, used green tea tea-bags work wonders! It immediately turns those starting-to-swell-and-i-know-it's-going-to-last-a-month zits into whiteheads, ready to pop or naturally pop itself by the next day! I'd make a cup of green tea, wash and dry my face while the tea steeps itself, then I take the tea bag out (let it cool a little first, but warm enough so it opens those pores) and wipe it across my face like a cotton pad with astringent. Let it air-dry. I sit on the couch and drink the tea while i wait for the 'astringent' to dry off. I heard this stains your skin green, but it works like foundation on me because i have an olive complexion.

** CAREFUL, green tea stains sinks, so wash down the sink after every use. **


Green Tea, Olive Leaf, Nettles

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Jeanne (Farmington Hills, Mi) on 11/14/2012
★★★★★

I accidentally came across some information on using Olive Leaf, Nettles and Green Tea for acne, and found it to be surprisingly effective (after trying countless other things). I Googled each of these three things individually for acne, and there were a lot of sites that showed people had immense improvement, so I just started taking all three supplements and couldn't believe the results.

It is best to use herbs that say "standardized" and/or "guaranteed potency" to ensure you're actually getting the strength and amount the label lists. I took two olive leaf capsules and two nettle leaves capsules in the morning and in the evening (although if your condition is very bad, you can take a dose at lunch, as well).

I also took Green tea extract (either the herbal liquid tincture or herbs makes a liquid cap that works better than a powdered green tea capsule-- at least in my experience) a couple times a day. Drinking the actual tea is good to do too.

Make sure you are getting adequate vitamin and mineral intake, as well. For skin, especially Vit. C, A, E, and the minerals zinc and selenium. Also, Essential Fatty Acids like fish oil (EPA/DHA).


Hemp Seed

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Emily (New York, Ny) on 09/12/2010
★★★★★

3 - 4 Tablespoons of organic Hemp seed everyday had made a WORLD of difference in my acne. I can't believe it! I don't think you have to but I take the hemp seeds with meals so the dosage is spread out throughout the day. You can sprinkle them on salads, fruit, soups, yogurt, and they taste great in almond milk, which I eat every day. As long as I eat 3-4 Tablespoons of the Hemp Seeds and stay away from dairy (yogurt is the only dairy product I don't break out from), and sugary foods and take my hemp seeds, I am in the clear! Please try this simple remedy if you are suffering from acne- it also helped my asthma so I will post about it in that section, too!


Homeopathic Remedies

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Rw (Southwest Virginia) on 11/18/2015
★★★★★

Two homeopathic remedies, Arsenicum Album 200c and Hepar Sulph Calc 200c, given at the same time, once every other day cleared my son's acne within a few weeks.

IMPORTANT: Stop giving the remedy after the acne clears. And if there doesn't seem to be improvement after about 3 weeks, don't keep giving it. These can be bought on Amazon or any site that sells homeopathic remedies. If you get the BB size pellets, one pellet works as well as the 3 or 5 the bottle says to give. It works on an energy level so you're not getting any more benefit by giving more than one pellet at a time, just spending more money.


Honey

4 User Reviews
5 star (4) 
  100%

Posted by Capirussa (Orlando, Florida, Us) on 03/17/2010
★★★★★

Honey has also been a successful treatment of acne for me. I bought a jar of organic RAW honey and it made all the difference from the regular, processed market brands. I suggest it to anyone because not only is the organic honey full of enzymes and good things that have not been filtered out and help kill the acne bacteria, it is also non-drying for your skin or harsh in any way and I've had some degree of success with it in removing the old acne scars. Since the honey comes in a rather solid form, you can just take a spoon to it and carve some out and it'll more or less melt between your fingers once you start to rub it onto your face. I would leave it on as a mask for an hour or so, then just rinse off with warm water. Don't use soap. In fact, that's another thing that helped my skin improve, I stopped using soap and any harsh chemicals on it. The PH balance of the skin returned to normal and along with the honey, helped destroy any bacteria that was lingering where it wasn't meant to be. Good luck everyone, I LOVE THIS SITE! Thank you earth clinic and all who contribute. It has been an amazing help.


Honey
Posted by Winnie (Washington, DC) on 04/03/2008
★★★★★

Thank you earth clinic. we''re all in this together. I spend lots of time reading about remedies and testimonies, the yes and the nays, its all good. I am pleased to read the nays that come from people who understand that even though the product didn't work for them, doens't mean the other testimonies are fake, just as we all are individuals, we get different responses.it's all good, learn from it and ask your higher power to send you what works. thats what i did; I have been trying lots of things, every time I read a testimony, I run out and buy the stuff and start using,and a week later, I decide, this thing is not working, and sometimes get angry because I have a cabinet full of ingredients'don't want to use anymore; then i started reading the testimonies from my heart, and listening to how I really feel about a product.

What happened is that ideas started coming to me, and one of them is honey, I decided to try honey on my acne face, I had half a jar of manuka honey at home so I started using it along with baking soda and lemon juice, and imediately I could see a glow. I also had pain in my gum, and have been using OP with some results, but still had soreness with brushing, then todaY i DECIDED TO USE THE HONEY inplace of oil, put a tsp in mouth for about 5 to 10 minutes, then spit it out and brush, wow! no pain or soreness, I also had a bump on my face, i put a dab of honey and went to bed, this money bump gone. I tok the honey jar and spoke into it thanking all the bees that gave me this wonderful product, I thanked the farmers,the store keepers and last but not least this wonderful site, earthclinic. thank you for taking us back to earth, now i know everything works, at the right time with the right attitude. Love always.



NEXT 
Advertisement