14 Home Remedies for Acne

by the Editors of Consumer Guide

Browse the article 14 Home Remedies for Acne

Introduction to Home Remedies for Acne

Acne. If you're a teenager, you can't wait to get rid of it. If you're an adult, you can't believe it's back. Fortunately, improvements in acne treatments over the last two decades mean you don't have to put up with it anymore.

You have thousands of oil glands in the skin on your face, chest, and back. In fact, there are as many as 2,000 oil glands per square inch in the middle part of your face. These oil glands serve to lubricate the skin by producing oil, or sebum. The oil from the glands flows through tiny ducts, or follicles, to the skin surface.

Sometimes, these oil ducts become plugged with sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells that are shed from the lining of the duct. That's acne. In this article, you will learn all about acne: the causes, prevention, and home remedies you can use to get rid of it more quickly.


For more information about acne and how to combat it, try the following links:
 This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Home Remedies for Preventing Acne

The easiest way to get rid of acne is to make sure you don't develop it in the first place. Here are some home remedies for keeping your skin healthy.

 Wash properly. Wash only once or twice a day. For the delicate facial skin, use a soap or nonsoap cleanser labeled "mild" or "for sensitive skin" (Dove Unscented, Tone, Basis, and Neutrogena are some options). Rub lightly with your fingertips and warm water; do not use a washcloth. If your skin is oily, try using a soap that contains benzoyl peroxide for its drying properties.

Watch out for oily products. That goes for oily pomades on your hair, heavy oil-based moisturizers, and even oily cleansers such as cold cream.

Forego the facial. Facials, particularly those given by over-enthusiastic aestheticians who haven't been taught how to handle acne-prone skin, can do more harm than good.

Water-based, as opposed to oil-based, makeup is less likely to cause acne.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.
Water-based, as opposed to oil-based,
makeup is less likely to cause acne.
Use water-based makeup. Check the label to find out if makeup is water- or oil-based. If the label is unclear, use this guideline: If it separates into water and powder when left to sit undisturbed for a while, it's water-based, and if it stays mixed, it contains oil. Better yet, use powder blushes and loose powders instead of liquid. Eye makeup and lipstick are okay, because you don't generally get acne in those areas.
 
Don't rest your chin on your hands. Try not to touch your face. It causes trauma to acne, just like picking pimples does. Tight sweatbands and chin straps from baseball caps and sports equipment can have the same effect.

Screen out the sun. Too much sun can lead to skin cancer and premature aging. Protect your skin without promoting more acne by using an oil-free sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Unfortunately, many waterproof sunscreens are too likely to clog oil glands to use on the face; so if you'll be sweating heavily or plan on swimming, you'll have to stick to the oil-free variety but be diligent about reapplying it often (as recommended on the label).

Don't worry about diet. Chocolate, greasy foods, nuts, and other foods have not been proven to have anything at all to do with causing teenage acne. Of course, if you notice a correlation between something you eat and your face breaking out, you could try avoiding the offending food.

Watch out for iodine. This piece of advice is still somewhat controversial, but some doctors believe that high levels of iodine, found in some multiple vitamins and in iodized salt, may encourage acne.

Of course no matter how careful your are, most of us will have the occasional pimple. In the next section, we will offer some home remedies for treating acne.

For more information about acne and how to combat it, try the following links:

Acne Glossary
Most of us think of pimples when we think of acne. We don't bother dividing up the different annoying spots we see on our face. But dermatologists have broken pimples down into the following categories:

Comedo (pl. comedones). An oil duct plugged up with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria.

Whitehead. A closed comedo, or a comedo with skin covering the top. It looks like a tiny, white bump.

Blackhead. An open comedo, or a comedo that does not have skin covering it. It appears black not because it contains dirt, as is commonly believed, but because the material has been exposed to oxygen.

Papule. A ruptured comedo in which there is inflammation and secondary infection. It looks like a small, hard, red bump.

Pustule. A ruptured comedo in which there is inflammation and secondary infection. In contrast to the papule, the pustule has more pus near the surface, giving it a yellowish center.

Nodule (sometimes called a Cyst). A ruptured comedo that is generally larger, deeper, and more painful than a pustule and is more likely to result in scarring. This type of lesion marks the most severe form of acne.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Home Remedies for Treating Acne

If your face has already broken out with pimples, the battle is not over. Your skin care after you have acne is just as important as the preventative measures you take, based on our home remedies.

What Does a Doctor
Do For Acne?
There's no reason to put up with serious acne, because a number of medications can treat it successfully. When should you see a dermatologist for your acne? When it seems serious or is causing scarring.

Children should be treated fairly young if they start showing signs of acne, especially if their parents suffered from severe acne. See a dermatologist if you:
  • Use benzoyl peroxide products for six to eight weeks and still have problems.

  • Have pustules larger than a match head.

  • Have nodules the size of the end of your little finger.

  • Have any scarring from your acne.
Today's arsenal of treatments include topical and oral antibiotics and a class of medications called retinoids. Tretinoin (Retin-A) is applied to the skin, while isotretinoin (Accutane) is taken orally. Pregnant women should not take isotretinoin; it has been shown to cause birth defects. It's considered a last-ditch treatment, but it's especially effective for cystic acne.
Do no harm. Don't pick, squeeze, rub, or otherwise manipulate those pimples, because doing so can spread bacteria and raise the risk of scarring. The plug at the top of the pore is like a balloon. You can pop it, but below the surface, the sebum, bacteria, and skin cells may be forced into the surrounding tissue, causing inflammation.

Use benzoyl peroxide. A number of over-the-counter (OTC) products contain this ingredient, which helps break up the plug of dead skin cells, bacteria, and oil in pores and cuts down on the bacteria as well. Start with the lowest concentration -- a 2.5 percent or 5 percent lotion or gel once a day. After a week, increase to twice a day, morning and night, if it doesn't irritate your skin. If your acne doesn't improve within four to six weeks, use a 10 percent lotion or gel once a day and, if needed, twice a day. Work your way up gradually, especially if you have sensitive skin, because the higher the concentration, the more irritating it may be. If it dries your skin too much, apply a mild moisturizer as well (either at a different time of day or after applying the benzoyl peroxide).

Give one of the other OTC products a shot. Other acne products contain sulfur or resorcinol, which help unplug oil glands by irritating the skin. Most dermatologists, however, believe that benzoyl peroxide is the most effective anti-acne ingredient available without a prescription.

Apply that OTC product for prevention, too. Use acne medication not only on pimples that have already formed but also on acne-free areas that are prone to breakouts. That can include your entire face (avoiding the lips and eyes, however), back, and chest.

Go easy on your face. You can't wash away acne with hot water and a rough washcloth. Washing only removes oils from the skin's surface, not from within the plugged ducts. Adults can suffer from both acne and dry skin. In fact, if you're too aggressive in your quest for cleanliness, you may very well end up drying out or irritating the sensitive skin on your face.
 
Don't exfoliate your face. Exfoliating refers to removing the top layer of dead skin cells using a rough washcloth, loofah, or specially designed product. But skin with acne is already irritated, and scrubbing can make things worse. Don't use brushes, rough sponges or clothes, cleansers with granules or walnut hulls, or anything else of that nature on the delicate facial skin. For the back and chest, where skin is less sensitive, you can try one of the acne scrub pads along with soap that contains benzoyl peroxide.

Though just about everyone has had to battle acne at one time or another, an unsightly blemish can still make you want to hide your face from the public. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of where acne comes from, and the home remedies you can take to both treat and prevent it.

For more information about acne and how to combat it, try the following links:

Acne Rosacea
If you're over 40 and suddenly develop severe acne, you could be suffering from acne rosacea, which is a different disease from acne vulgaris, the medical name for your garden variety of acne. How can you tell the difference?

Acne rosacea is characterized by redness, inflammation (swelling), and dilated blood vessels. Further clues: You don't have any blackheads, the acne is located mainly on the central part of your face (your nose and cheeks), and you have a lot of pustules (pus-containing pimples). You're more likely to suffer from this type of acne if you're light-skinned.

Acne rosacea can be treated with a medicated cream prescribed by a dermatologist. You should also avoid the sun, since sun exposure can worsen the condition. Certain foods, such as those that are spicy or hot in temperature, can also make rosacea worse.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Timothy Gower is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in many publications, including Reader's Digest, Prevention, Men's Health, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. The author of four books, Gower is also a contributing editor for Health magazine.

Alice Lesch Kelly is a health writer based in Boston. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Eating Well, and Health. She is the co-author of three books on women's health.

Linnea Lundgren has more than 12 years experience researching, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of four books, including Living Well With Allergies.

Michele Price Mann is a freelance writer who has written for such publications as Weight Watchers and Southern Living magazines. Formerly assistant health and fitness editor at Cooking Light magazine, her professional passion is learning and writing about health.

ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS:

Ivan Oransky, M.D., is the deputy editor of The Scientist. He is author or co-author of four books, including The Common Symptom Answer Guide, and has written for publications including the Boston Globe, The Lancet, and USA Today. He holds appointments as a clinical assistant professor of medicine and as adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.

David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.