I’ve battled acne since I was 13 years old. My face has seen all kinds of damage over the years and I have the scars to prove it. Through my years of combatting pimples, I’ve come across the best natural acne remedies for clear skin. With consistent use, they can help improve skin tone and texture too.
It’s taken me almost two decades of trying everything under the sun. I’ve had prescriptions such as tretinoin, Accutane, and clindamycin. Over the counter, I tried everything from clean and clear, Clearasil to chemical peels, Proactive, and Murad.
I don’t even want to know how much money I’ve put into finding an acne treatment that works.
Over time I became more aware of what I was putting in my body and on it and switched to natural, non-toxic products. My skin has been so much clearer and I hardly ever breakout anymore. Relieving acne naturally is one of the best things you can do for your skin.
Best Natural Acne Remedies for Clear Skin That Work
What causes acne?
Before we can look at treating pimples naturally, we need to know and understand how and why acne is caused. Acne occurs when the pores in your skin get blocked due to debris, excessive oil, bacteria, and dead skin. Your skin produces sebum, an oil, to lubricate the skin. The sebum comes out of your pores. If there are bacteria and clogging in the pores, your skin reacts adversely.
Pimples are your body’s response to the build-up in your pores.
Different types of acne:
As if it wasn’t difficult enough that we have to deal with breakouts, acne occurs in a couple of different forms.
- Whiteheads
- Blackheads
- Nodules
- Cystic
Why Natural Acne Treatments?
When I was younger, my mom always told me to watch my diet and use natural products on my skin. I didn’t listen. I didn’t think it mattered and focused my energy on chemical-laden products that I thought were superior.
As the popular saying goes, “You are what you eat.” This is so true. Feed your body a poor diet of junk food and sugar and your skin will dearly pay for it. You are also what you put on or in your skin.
Many chemicals in acne products have awful side effects. Accutane is some heavy stuff and while I managed to escape with minor side effects, others were not so lucky.
Natural products work with your body and not against it. They nourish it and provide the essentials it needs. Yes, hormonal and puberty acne is super difficult to control.
However, with gentle care and consistency, you can control it as I did.
Combat Acne with a Consistent Skincare Regimen
When you have acne, you want to fix it right away and get rid of it within hours. I’ve been there I know the anguish of cystic acne exploding over your face before a date or work presentation.
Most acne treatments fail because we tend to switch products too quickly, use too much or too many products when dealing with acne.
The best natural acne remedy is to pick one regimen and let it do its thing. Stick with it even if you don’t think it’s working. Things take time to improve. It can take at least a month to 3 months to see changes in your skin. This is because you have to wait for your skin layers to turnover/shed to start seeing a difference.
Once I simplified my acne treatment routine and stayed consistent, my skin returned to normal.
Best Natural Acne Products and DIY Recipes for Clear Skin
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My sister introduced me to Aztec healing clay and it was a game-changer. It made my skin so soft after one use and the notorious pulsing feels weird at first, but I’m addicted to it. And, this product is insanely popular because it works.
Don’t believe it? Check out the 43k plus reviews Aztec healing clay has on Amazon.
How to Make a Face Mask with Aztec Healing Clay:
Mix 1-2 tbsp of Aztec Healing clay powder with enough apple cider vinegar to form a paste consistency. Make sure it isn’t too runny or thick. You can also use water to mix with the powder, but I find vinegar is better. It also is great for helping treat acne!
The mixture will bubble. I like to add a drop of tea tree oil and lemon essential oil for extra healing power. Plus it smells nice! Make sure to mix ingredients in a non-metal bowl. I like to use this mask bowl and spoon. Plus it’s so cute!
Apply to face and wait 15-20 min. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to wash it off sooner. After 5 minutes or so you will feel your skin pulsing. This is normal and don’t get scared!
When you wash it off, your face will be red. Make sure to properly moisturize. Your skin will return to normal within a couple of hours.
How often to Use this Clay Mask?
Use once a week for best results. Don’t use it too often or you’ll over dry your skin.
Exfoliating Cinnamon Honey Mask
This nontoxic face mask recipe is a relatively recent addition to my routine and it’s amazing! I love that it’s easy to make and made of all-natural ingredients. Plus it is cheap! Win-win.
Why this Mask Works:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon can shrink pores and reveal softer and smoother skin. This is perfect for those such as myself who have uneven skin tone from acne scarring. It’s also anti-bacterial which helps in combatting the bacteria that cause pimples.
The granules from the powder also help exfoliate the skin when you wash it off.
Cinnamon is considered a “hot” spice. Make sure to test for any reactions first and always wash thoroughly if you feel as if it is too much for your skin.
Honey:
Honey is an ancient skin remedy that was readily used by the Egyptians. This sweet food is more than just an addition to your morning tea. This potent ingredient is anti-bacterial and can help eliminate excess oil from your skin. This helps to keep pores clean. Also, it’s gentle and won’t irritate your skin.
Nutmeg:
Nutmeg is great for improving hyperpigmentation and discoloration that is left behind by acne scars. This spice also improves oily skin and aids in gentle exfoliation similar to cinnamon powder.
How to Make a Cinnamon Mask:
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp honey
1 drop Cinnamon essential oil (optional)
1 drop Nutmeg essential oil (optional)
Directions:
You can omit the essential oils if you don’t have them or if you’re skin is sensitive. I personally love them and they add extra microbial and antibacterial elements.
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Carefully apply to face. The mixture will be sticky and can drip so be careful and wear old clothes if you need to. Leave the mask on for 5-10 minutes. If you are sensitive to cinnamon, it may tingle. If it stings, immediately wash it off.
I like to gently exfoliate my skin in circles when I’m washing it off. The cinnamon granules are perfect for smoothing skin out.
You’ll be left with super soft skin after this mask. My skin always glows the next day! Store any leftover mixture in an airtight container and you don’t have to refrigerate it. Just be sure to use it up within a couple of weeks to a month.
Natural Lavender and Tea Tree Face Wash
This DIY face wash is my morning and night go-to. It is so easy to make and lasts a really long time. This is great because it won’t break the bank as other acne cleansers do. Lavender and tea tree oil are great natural acne remedies.
Why it Works:
Lavender:
Lavender has so many great benefits for our skin, it’s no wonder it’s commonly used in skincare products. This plant and essential oil helps reduce redness in skin, can combat acne and helps even skintone. It also has anti-aging properties as well.
Tea Tree:
Tea Tree oil is one of the most popular natural acne remedies. This potent oil is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. This helps to keep pores clean and reduces redness.
Jojoba Oil:
Jojoba oil is very moisturizing. When treating acne, we want to make sure we don’t strip our skin and have it dry out. This oil is noncomedogenic and won’t clog pores.
How to Make this Lavender and Tea Tree Oil Face Wash:
Ingredients:
1 (4) oz amber spray bottle
1/4 c Lavender castile soap
1 tsp jojoba oil
1/2 tbsp honey
6 drops Lavender essential oil
6 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Distilled water
Directions:
Add all the ingredients to the amber glass bottle. Top off with distilled water.
How to Use Your Face Wash:
Spray a generous amount onto your palm or face scrubby. Wash face in a circular manner and wash off thoroughly. Use morning and night for best results. Follow with skin serum or moisturizer.
These natural acne remedies work to keep skin clean, help calm redness and even skin tone from acne scarring. With consistent use, you can help keep your breakouts under control.
Did you try any of these products or recipes? Comment below on your experience.
Want to try more DIY recipes? Check out these recipes for hair masks and natural lip scrubs.
