How to Get Rid of Acne

  5 Tips to Help You Get Rid Of Acne

We have all been through the annoying acne phase as teenagers. Just a couple of decades ago, the best advice many of us got for dealing with our acne prone skin was to drink water, buy some expensive face scrub or a tube of benzoyl peroxide, and hope for the best. Nowadays, there are so many more natural ways to get rid of acne.

These 5 tips can help you deal with acne and get rid of that painful breakout. With these tips, you’ll not only get rid of those pimples and blackheads, but you’ll also leave your skin feeling moisturized and well-nourished.

What causes acne?

Acne occurs when your hair follicles have a build-up of oils. Typically, acne forms on the face, shoulders, chest, back, and forehead. Symptoms of acne can include:

• Pimples
• Blackheads
• Whiteheads
• Small red bumps

A breakout can happen when bacteria builds on the face, there’s an excess amount of hormone activity, or you experience a large dose of stress. Believe it or not, the things you eat can also have an effect on the severity of your acne. Studies have shown that skim milk, chips and other snack foods, and even chocolate can worsen acne.

How to treat (and how not to treat) acne

The common knee-jerk reaction to a breakout is to pop your pimples. Contrary to popular belief, popping pimples can permanently scar your skin. Squeezing your pimples can push dead skin cells deeper into the hair follicle. So, instead of leaving your skin with acne scars, try these natural home remedies that help clear clogged pores and leave your skin feeling nice and smooth.

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is an evergreen perennial that produces aloe vera gel. Common uses for aloe are spot treatments for a variety of skin conditions, and as an ingredient in many weight loss home remedies. When applied to the skin, aloe vera can reduce inflammation and help treat skin that has excess oil. Aloe vera has active healing properties, it’s recommended to also apply it to rashes and burns. Being an inexpensive remedy, aloe vera gel and leaves can be found at your local supermarket.

To apply aloe vera, all you need to do is scrape out the gel of the aloe leaf. You can apply the gel directly to the broken out areas on your skin. Combining aloe vera with other natural ingredients such as honey, lemons, green tea and apple cider vinegar boosts the healing properties found in aloe and treat the infected area quicker.

Also, adding aloe vera to acne treatments can have a stronger impact on getting rid of acne.

2. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are astringent, meaning that they make breakouts appear less harsh on the skin. Applying cucumber juice to your face can open up your pores, making it easier to clear out build-up in your breakouts.

If applied to the skin daily, cucumbers can not only clear the infected areas but also soften the skin. Cucumbers are made up of 90% water, which makes them wonderful toners for the skin and a good source of hydration. The amino acids found in cucumbers can also help to give the skin a firmer, more youthful appearance.

Applying cucumbers to an acne breakout is pretty simple:

• Start by peeling the skin off the cucumber.
• Once that’s done, cut it up and put the pieces in a blender and mix it with cold water.
• To create a mask out of this, add a few tablespoons of aloe vera and let it sit for an hour.
• Apply it to the face and let it soak into your pores for 10-15 minutes. When time’s up, remove the mask with warm water. Do this a couple of times a day during acne breakouts to receive the best results.

3. Toothpaste

How can toothpaste possibly help with acne? The truth is, toothpaste is good for a quick fix but shouldn’t be used daily like cucumbers and aloe vera. However, it’s very helpful in a snag.

Everyone knows that sinking feeling you get when a pimple forms the day before an important event. The worst part is, it’s always the biggest pimple you’ve ever seen!

The reason that toothpaste can help treat pimples is that ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are found in toothpaste, and are known to dry out and reduce the size of pimples.

While it’s not really designed for topical use and shouldn’t be part of your regular skin care routine, it wouldn’t hurt to keep toothpaste in mind as an emergency quick fix! Here’s what to do:

First, it’s important to know that it’s highly recommended to use PLAIN toothpaste to avoid skin irritation.

• Apply the toothpaste to the pimples before bed and leave it on overnight to do its work.
• In the morning, wash it off with warm water.

4. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is one of the most common, natural ingredients used to treat acne breakouts. This remedy is mostly used for its bacteria-killing properties. You may already be familiar with tea tree oil if you’ve had any type of skin of fungal infection. That’s because this oil is a key ingredient for most of the solutions to these issues.

Native to Australia, tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Melaleuca plant. The relatively inexpensive oil can be found in your local food or drug store.

Even though it’s popular among natural home remedy fans, tea tree oil does take a longer time to show results. Also, some people are irritated by the strong smell of tea tree oil. But with consistent use, this remedy proves to be a helpful alternative to fighting bacteria and clearing away acne breakouts.

Before applying tea tree oil, it’s very important that you dilute it with some water. Without diluting it, tea tree oil can cause skin and irritation and a rash.

• Mix one tablespoon of the oil with nine tablespoons of water.
• You can apply the mixture directly to the pimples using either a cotton swab or a Q-tip.
• Adding a lightweight facial mask will help clear your breakout.

5. Baking Soda

There are many different uses for baking soda as a home remedy. It can be used as a toothpaste, a cure for an upset stomach, an anti-inflammatory remedy for acne and wounds, and much more!

Because baking soda contains a lot of alkalines and can affect the skin’s pH level, it’s not necessary to use a whole lot -- small amounts will get the job done. The best way to use baking soda as a treatment for an acne breakout is to use it as a mask to reduce pain and inflammation:

• To make a mask out of baking soda, combine equal amounts of baking soda and your choice of facial cleanser to create a thick paste.
• Massage the paste into the broken out areas and let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
• Once that amount of time has passed, rinse the mask off with warm water.

Baking soda is known to dry out the skin, so be sure to use a facial moisturizer immediately after using it. Also, baking soda can be used as a facial wash:

• Mix two tablespoons of baking soda with a facial scrub of your choice and then rinse away the bacteria with warm water.

The next time you have a breakout, you’ll be super prepared to get rid of those worrisome blackheads, scars, and all of the bacteria build-up. If you feel like you need a bit more to combat the acne attack, you might want to check out Advanced Anti Aging Vitamin C Serum by ML Delicate Beauty. This serum fights acne related breakouts and gives your skin the youthful look you’ve always wanted (but without the teenage breakouts).

While you’re at it, check out the rest of ML Delicate Beauty products to guarantee your skin remains smooth and safe from acne as well as from wrinkles.