5 Natural Products That May Calm Your Acne

If you have oily skin, excess oil can cause blockages in your pores. Acne breakouts are most common on your face and back, but can show up anywhere on your skin. Clogged pores host the bacteria that causes the formation of blackhead and whitehead pimples. If you have bad breakouts resulting in inflammation, redness, and skin breakage, you might end up with scarring.

At Lasercare Skin Clinic, our care team, led by Bruce Sanderson, MD, supports patients dealing with acne problems. Before you come into the office, you might want to try out some of these natural treatments at home. Here are some of the natural products Dr. Sanderson commonly recommends to clear up acne breakouts. You might already have some of these items at home in your pantry or medicine cabinet.

1. Clean your pores with honey

Honey is one of the most ancient skin treatments, used by many cultures for thousands of years for its antioxidant properties. When you rub a little honey into your skin near a pimple, or use honey as part of a face or body mask, it works to effectively clear dirt and debris from your pores.

2. Apply diluted apple cider vinegar

Made from fermented apple cider, apple cider vinegar (ACV) contains organic acids that can kill acne bacteria. Applying diluted ACV can work to suppress inflammation due to acne and clear up breakouts. Be careful to dilute the ACV, combining 1 part ACV with 3 parts water, or more for sensitive skin. Undiluted ACV can cause burns and irritation on your skin.

3. Try some aloe vera

The clear gel naturally produced by the aloe vera plant has several healing and soothing properties. You might have some in your medicine cabinet to treat sunburns. Aloe vera also contains the common acne treatments salicylic acid and sulfur. Applying a little pure aloe vera gel to your skin as a moisturizer may be helpful in keeping your skin looking fresh and clear.

4. Use tea tree oil

If you have tea tree oil, try some on areas affected by acne. Its natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties can wipe out harmful skin bacteria and reduce swelling and redness around pimples. You can use tea tree oil in a cream or gel, or apply the essential oil diluted with a carrier oil to protect your skin from reactions.

5. Eat more garlic

Garlic can help boost your immune system so your body can more effectively fight off germs. The organosulfur compounds in garlic also have natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory abilities. You can reduce inflammation in your whole body by increasing the amount of garlic in your diet or taking garlic powder as a supplement. Putting garlic on your pimples might cause more irritation, so it’s best not to apply this remedy directly to your acne.

If your stubborn acne doesn't respond to treatments at home, it might be time to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sanderson. He can recommend more intensive procedures like laser therapy to resolve your acne issues for good. To make an appointment with Dr. Sanderson, call his Little Rock, Arkansas today or contact Lasercare Skin Clinic online.