NATURAL REMEDIES FOR ACNE

Aloe
Use aloe vera juice or gel to counteract infection and promote healing. Use the ointment on pimples and sores. For acne scars, using aloe vera juice morning and night for as long as necessary (perhaps six months or longer) will help reduce the scars and improve skin complexion and color. It is drying, so if you have dry skin, use an aloe-based moisturizer. The pulp of the aloe vera plant is an excellent skin cleanser. Break off a portion and rub the pulp directly on the skin.

Apple cider vinegar/lemon juice
Clean your skin and apply either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar with a cotton ball. The acid in these kitchen remedies helps flush out the pores and keeps the skin looking beautiful. Vinegar acts as an astringent and helps remove excess oil, kills bacteria, and normalizes the skin's pH. This remedy should work quickly.

• Another method using apple cider vinegar is to "steam clean" the face by putting it over a pan of boiling water with a towel over your head to trap the steam. This will loosen the dirt and oil. Then apply the vinegar with a cotton ball to remove the dirt and oil buildup. Repeat twice, then dab more vinegar on the pores to close them. Use this method once a week.

Basil
For acne that hasn't responded to other remedies, brew 2-3 teaspoons of dried basil leaves in 1 cup of boiling water for 20 minutes; let cool; apply to affected area with a cotton ball.

Beans
Make a tea by boiling a handful of green beans in a quart of water for 10 minutes; add 3 tablespoons of dried chamomile flowers to the tea, cover and steep until cool; strain and bottle. Use as a face wash at least three times daily.

Carrot Juice
The essential oils in carrot juice will aid digestion and help stop acne.

Charcoal
To aid digestion, take 3 tablets of activated charcoal three times daily.



Colloidal Silver
Cleanse the skin morning and night with colloidal silver. You should start to see improvements within a week. Colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic that has safely been used for a century.

Cucumber
Liquify a peeled cucumber in a blender and apply the juice to the acne. Another variation of this remedy is to drink four or five cups of cucumber juice daily for a week. This is said to purify the blood and lymphatic system, resulting in a clearer skin.

Egg whites
Clean your skin thoroughly and apply egg white with a cotton swab. Let it sit for several hours or overnight. The egg white is an astringent.

Fels-Naptha The use of Fels-Naptha soap has been reported with good results for those with oily skins. It contains mineral spirits and other ingredients that work well on skin problems.

Garlic
Rub your acne with raw garlic several times a day.



Grapefruit seed extract
This extract is a powerful all-around antimicrobial product and is an excellent disinfectant. Make a solution of 4-40 drops in four ounces of water and apply to the affected areas with a cotton ball two or three times a day.

Lemon juice
Apply fresh lemon juice to the affected area with a cotton ball or Q-tip before bed. Wash off in the morning.

Molasses
Take 2 teaspoons of molasses with one teaspoon of sulphur once or twice daily to cleanse the blood. Skin eruptions may increase initially, but they are an indication that the blood is being cleansed.

Molkosan,
a product derived from concentrated whey, the bi-product of cheese manufacture, has been used effectively against many forms of skin problems, especially acne. Add a teaspoon or tablespoon to a glass of water and take with meals. It aids in digestion and regulates metabolism. Soak an absorbant cotton pad or cloth in Molkosan and attach it to the affected areas and leave on overnight. Molkosan is an excellent antiseptic.

Neem oil
Neem (Azadirachta indica) is valued in Ayurvedic medicine for its varied healing properties due to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral capabilities. A cousin of mahogany, neem is a tropical evergreen tree native to India and Myanmar. Over 60 medicinal uses have been documented for neem so far - such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, cold sores, dandruff, athlete's foot, ulcers, ringworm, and gingivitis, to name a few. For acne, apply a 2% neem oil-based cream to the affected area and take 2 neem leaf capsules daily to speed the healing. Neem oil may also be used by mixing 1 tablespoon of neem oil with 1/2 cup of a carrier oil such as almond or olive, and applying to the affected area with a Q-tip or cotton ball. If you have sensitive skin or if irritation occurs, dilute the neem with more of the carrier oil.

Oatmeal As for measles and other skin irritations, people have used oatmeal to conquer acne. Apply some cooled, cooked oatmeal to the whole face for fifteen minutes, then wash off. Oatmeal is an astringent and seems to draw oil and impurities out of the skin, keeping it clean and blemish-free. This method may take a week or two, but should have good results.




Oil of oregano
Put a few drops in a glass of water and dab on the acne using a cotton ball. Oil of oregano is a very strong disinfectant, so if you start to get redness on your skin, stop using it for a few days then use a more diluted solution.

Sugar
Wash your face and make a poultice of white sugar with a small amount of water; dab on the affected area. Sugar has an antibacterial effect.

Sun
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun or a sunlamp will help kill bacteria on the skin and dry up excess oil.

Witch hazel
In the morning wash your face with a gentle cleanser. If you have oily skin, rub a cottonball saturated with witch hazel over your entire face. It is an astringent and will help dry the skin and shrink the pimples. Next, spread a thin coat of a 2% salicylic acid product (found in drugstores) over your whole face. Its deep penetrating action will help unclog oil-clogged pores. Repeat the cleansing and witch hazel steps, then dab 2.5% benzoyl peroxide over the entire face to kill bacteria.

HERBAL

Amaranth Make a tea from amaranth seeds and use as a face wash. To make the tea bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil, add 2 teaspoons of seeds, cover and simmer for five minutes; remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of leaves (if available) and steep for 30 minutes.



Basil
To treat affected area, obtain a basil-based oil from your health food store and apply it as directed. Another way is to get the actual herb and make an infusion. To make an infusion, put two to four teaspoons of dried basil leaves in a cup of boiling water, steep for 10 to 20 minutes, cool, and apply to the acne.

Burdock
The herb burdock (Arctium lappa), is effective in treating acne and is the most important herb for treating all forms of chronic skin problems. To make the tea, bring 1 quart of water to a boil, reduce to simmer, add 4 teaspoons of cut, dried root; cover and let simmer for 7 minutes, then remove from heat and let steep for 2 more hours. Use as a skin wash.

Calendula
can be made into tinctures, lotions and creams. Look for products containing this herb. Make a tea of calendula and wash your face.

Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
It has antibiotic properties and helps stimulate the immune system. Take one of the following three times daily: tea from dried root (2-4 grams); tincture (6-12 ml or 1.5-3 teaspoon); fluid extract (1-2 ml or 0.25-0.5 teaspoon); solid powder of 8-12% alkaloid content (250-500 mg.).

Tea
There are several other herbs that can be made into a tea and taken internally or used as a wash. Besides aloe and burdock, calendula, chickweed, dandelion, red clover, white oak bark, yellow dock, cayenne, echinacea, ginseng, redmond clay, sarsaparilla, and valarian may be used.

Tea tree oil
derived from the leaves of the native Australian Melaleuca alternifolia tree contains antiseptic compounds that are a very effective skin disinfectant. Depending on severity, use 5-15% solutions twice daily. It is as effective as 5% benzoyl peroxide and is less drying, although it may take a little longer to work.Click Here!