Home Acne Remedies - Natural Acne Treatment
Before we get on to our home acne remedies, it might be a good idea to get to grips with what acne actually is and what causes it; afterall the best way to defeat your enemy is by knowing how it succeeds Acne is a general term for blackheads, whiteheads and pimples that occur on the areas of the face, neck, back, shoulders and chest. The condition of acne is mostly prevalent in teenagers, with nearly everyone having suffered form the affliction at some point in their lives, however at this point it must be noted that adults in their twenties, even their forties have been known to have developed acne. Although acne is not life threatening it can lead to a great deal of mental and even physical discomfort to the sufferer, with severe cases leading to scarring. For reasons that have baffled scientists for years some of the pores around the body, especially the ones on the face, neck and back sometimes become blocked, with the body's natural oils. When this happens and the surface gets blocked bacteria is enabled to flourish, which results in blackheads and whiteheads forming. When the oil stays beneath the surface of the skin whiteheads form, which can show up as little white spots or can be so small that they aren't visible to the naked eye. On the other hand blacheads form when the pores open and the oil oxidises and turns a browny black colour. Other forms of acne include papules (an inflamation of the pores after the follicular wall has become broken), Pustule (when the white blood cells make their way to the surface of the skin, what is known as a "zit"), Nodules (occur when the whole folicle breaks, causing a large sore, inflamed bump) and Cyst (a puss filled lesion that results from a large inflammatory reaction). Aloe arborescens - This is a good natural acne treatment because it instantly soothes the skin, has mild anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural anti-biotic, so it cleanses away the acne causing bacteria. For this acne treatment you need to remove one or part of the stalk like leaves from the plant and carefully with a sharp knife cut down the centre of it, so that it splits in two. Next, directly appy the gel to the affected areas. Ensure that you don't get it in your eyes as it can be pretty irritating. You don't have to use all the gel at once if you don't need to, you can place it in an airtight container, pop it in the fridge and it should keep for up to a week.
Lemon juice and rose water - This remedy seems like one of the strangest home acne remedies, but works pretty well. This is down to the fact that the lemon juice has mild anti-bacterial properties as well as bein an astringent (a chemical substance that constricts body tissue such as the skin) and the rose water, which also has anti-bacterial properties, but also soothing for the skin and tempers the acidity of the lemon juice too. For this acne treatment mix equal parts of lemon juice and rose water, apply to the skin and leave for 15-30 minutes before rinsing. You may notice that the skin stings a little from the lemon juice,, but this should subside after a couple of minutes. Additionally it must be noted that, although, an adversely strong reaction to the treatment is very unlikley, you should not continue with the treatment if it irritates your skin. Mint - Being menthol by nature mint is a good home remedy for acne because it acts as a natural painkiller and contains anti-inflammatory agents.
Nettle tea - Although fresh nettle stalks irritate and sting the skin, the leaves act as an anti-inflammatory and when drunk in the form of a tea can be very useful at flushing the system from toxins. To make nettle tea you need to don a pair of gloves, remove the leaves from their stalks (throw the stalks away), wash the leaves and place them in a teapot. Next pour boiling water over them and leave to stew for 5 minutes. To add sweetness to the tea why not add a twist of lemon or honey? Oatmeal and honey - This home remedy for acne works because the oatmeal helps to clense the pores, as well as exfoliating the skin. On the otherhand the honey soothes the skin. For this treatment cook a serving of plain oatmeal as though you were planning to eat it, add 50ml honey, mix thoroughly, allow to cool and apply to the affected areas, ensuring you avoid the eyes and leave for 10-20 minutes, before rinsing. Tea tree oil - Tea tree oil is one of the most popular home remedies for acne and contains an excellent anti-bacterial property called terpinin 4-ol.
Zinc rich foods - As zinc is packed with anti-bacterial properties, it's a pretty good tool in the battle against acne. Food such as red meat, poultry, eggs, nuts, dried fruit, shellfish and pork are rich in zinc. Keep your hair off your face - Keeping your hair off your face will improve things where your acne is concerned becuase your hair contains the same oil that is responsible for blocking pores and causing the onset of acne. Additionally you should aim to wash your hair daily, especially after exercise.
Don't squeeze blackheads, whiteheads or pimples - It is extremely important not to squeeze blackheads and the like because doing so will produce more of that pro-acne oil. However, that is the least of your worries if you pick at or scratch at the acne then this could rupture the membranes below the skin, which will cause lesions and even more acne. Wash pillow cases - Because your pillow absosrbs oil and dirt from your face everytime you lie down it is important that you wash pillow cases at least 3 times per week. If you fail to do this then the built in dirt and oil will be reapplied to your face. Thanks for reading our home remedies for acne, I hope you found it useful
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