5 Natural Remedies for Acne to Try at Home

Even during a pandemic, no one wants to deal with an unsightly blemish. Stress is now a bigger part of our daily lives than ever before and can trigger acne when that’s the last thing we want to have on top of everything else. If you don’t want to head out to buy an acne treatment or spend too much on costly acne products, then just look to your kitchen for some quick, easy, and most importantly, effective acne remedies!

Home remedies for acne include tea tree oil, aspirin, zinc supplements, Manuka honey, and green tea. Since aspirin is chemically related to salicylic acid, a common acne treatment, you can actually crush up 2-3 aspirin pills and mix them with water to apply to blemishes. Applying diluted tea tree oil to your face can also lower the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin as it’s antibacterial in nature.

Even though acne is a common skin condition that occurs when your pores become clogged with oil and dead skin, or are infected by bacteria. As many as 85% of young adults between 12 and 24 in the US have acne. There are medical treatments like prescription creams or pills for acne, but if you want to take care of acne at home and save on costs, here are five home remedies you can try:

1. Tea Tree Oil for Acne

Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is used widely for skin care. It can be effective for acne because tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties, lowering levels of acne-causing bacteria on the skin. By killing acne-causing bacteria, tea tree oil can help reduce skin inflammation and clear up pimples. It can work as well as standard over the counter acne treatments including a 5% benzoyl peroxide solution and a 2% erythromycin gel.

How to use: While tea tree oil may help with acne, it can cause skin irritation when applied directly on the skin if you have sensitive skin. So, be cautious when using it and do not apply it in its pure form. Instead, dilute out the tea tree oil in a carrier oil before applying it to the pimple. One good carrier oil to try is jojoba oil, a natural oil that can help reduce inflammation symptoms like swelling and irritation. Combine 3-4 drops of tea tree oil with one teaspoon of jojoba oil and apply to your face.

2. Aspirin for Acne

Aspirin is generally used as a pain reliever but you can crush it up into a paste to help treat acne. In fact, aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is chemically related to salicylic acid, a common treatment for acne.

Like salicylic acid, aspirin has strong anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce the swelling and redness caused by inflammation. However, aspirin does not have the same oil removing and exfoliating effects as salicylic acid. Although salicylic acid may be ideal, experts say that aspirin is helpful if you don't have any stronger treatments on hand.

How to use: To use aspirin for acne, crush up 2-3 aspirin pills and mix the powder with water until it forms a paste. Apply this paste to any blemishes, let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, and then rinse your skin with water.

3. Zinc Supplements for Acne

Taking zinc supplements may also help treat acne. This is because zinc has anti-inflammatory properties as well that can reduce redness. Zinc can also decrease how much oil your skin produces, which may be especially helpful for people with naturally oily skin.

Zinc also brings down inflammation and can help calm your skin. While the mechanism is unclear, it’s thought that it exerts general anti-inflammatory effects on the skin. How to use: You can find zinc supplements over the counter, but make sure to keep your intake in a healthy range. The National Institutes of Health recommend that you should get between 8-11 mg of zinc per day and you should not take in more than 40 mg per day.

4. Manuka Honey for Acne

Honey has long been used as a remedy for skin ailments because of its wound-healing properties. Though not all honeys are equally effective! Manuka honey, a particular type of honey produced from plants in Australia and New Zealand, has been especially recognized for its medical benefits. And one of the many incredible benefits of Manuka honey is that it can help heal acne outbreaks.

One reason Manuka honey helps is that it has strong antibacterial properties - you see the common theme of these home remedies for acne now. All types of honey are antibacterial, but not all are created equal – more potent types of honey, like Manuka, can be as much as 100 times more effective in fighting bacteria than other honey types.

Manuka honey is also anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help with wound healing and is even used in burn units to prevent infection and keep the damaged skin moist. It can also help reduce pain, which could especially help with those painful, under the skin blemishes.

How to use: To use Manuka honey, take a small amount and either directly dab it onto blemishes or mix with water to create a thinner solution you can spread over skin. Just keep in mind that Manuka honey can be expensive, so this may not be the cheapest option, except if you find the best manuka honey skin care.

5. Green Tea for Acne

It's well known that drinking green tea has many health benefits, but research suggests that putting green tea on your skin may also be beneficial. This is because green tea contains chemicals called polyphenols that can kill bacteria and reduce inflammation. A review of six studies published in 2017 in the journal Antioxidants found that putting lotion with 2% to 5% green tea extract on your skin reduced the amount of oil the skin produces and cut down the number and severity of blemishes.

How to use: You can find skin products with green tea extract over the counter, but in a pinch, you can also try using regular green tea directly on your skin. To do this, make a pot of green tea and once it has cooled, use a cloth or cotton swab to apply the green tea to any areas of acne.

Better Than a Quick Fix

Now home remedies for acne are great in a pinch, but to keep acne from returning, you want a solid and tailored skin care routine. Wild Naturals utilizes the best natural skin care ingredients, like manuka honey, to give you your dream skin - clear, healthy and glowing!

Head over to the Wild Naturals online store today and discover all the benefits of each natural ingredient in our products From aloe vera to hemp seed oil, each one is chosen to transform your troubled skin into pure radiance!