Many acne treatments can take a big chunk out of your pocketbook but may produce little results. However, handy ingredients for natural home remedies yield little if any side effects, contain no toxins, significantly reduce acne and are free. Finding effective blemish blockers may be as simple as opening your kitchen or bathroom cabinets.
Lemon Juice
The antibacterial and exfoliating effects of lemon juice can significantly reduce acne blemishes in just two weeks. Try a lemon juice wash by squeezing fresh lemon juice into a small bowl. Soak a cotton ball in the liquid and generously pat the cotton ball all over your face. It is important to target the pimples, blackheads, whiteheads and oil secretions on your forehead, nose and chin. After the juice has dried for 15 minutes, rinse your face with warm water.
Lemon juice taken internally may offer even more benefits than the topical application. As per the Hair and Beauty Tips website, a lemon juice drink taken first thing in the morning acts to detoxify the body and clear up pimples. Add 8 oz. of warm filtered water to the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon. Refrain from eating or drinking anything else for 30 minutes to allow the cleansing effect to begin.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil provides antimicrobial effects, which fight acne-causing bacteria. As cited by Cure-Guide.com, an Australian study indicated that gel containing five percent of tea tree oil proves as effective as gel containing five percent benzoyl peroxide, a primary ingredient of leading over-the-counter acne medications. Dr. Scott M. Rinehart, professor of dermatology at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, added in the book “Amazing Antidotes” by Marcia Holman, that tea tree oil works as well as over-the-counter acne medications, “but with much less irritation.” He recommends diluting the herbal oil with equal parts water. Apply it to blemishes with a soaked cotton ball; but use it no more than twice daily
Skin Smoothie
Discourage blemishes with a soothing skin smoothie. According to “Amazing Antidotes,” the ingredients are packed with alpha hydroxy acids; agents that help unclog pores and slough off dead skin cells.
Mix 1/4 cup of milk, one teaspoon of sugar, six grapes, one whole kiwi and one apple in a blender until smooth. Apply the smoothie as a mask to your face. Allow it to dry for 30 minutes, and then rinse it off with warm water.
Toothpaste and Ice
Toothpaste and ice are alternate methods of controlling acne inflammation, according to the Acne Talks website. Simply dab white toothpaste onto your blemishes before retiring to bed. Alternatively, ice rubbed onto your blemishes before bedtime gets the red out as well.
