Do you enjoy nourishing your body with natural, organic foods and using natural cleaning supplies for your home? When you are treating your acne breakouts, why not use natural acne medicine instead of chemical, toxic acne creams and lotions that will cause your skin to feel unhealthy and inflamed? When you decide to use natural substances to treat your acne, you can either make your own treatments at home using different herbal and holistic substances, or you can buy premade natural acne products from a health food store. Either way, you can successfully treat your acne without having to drench your skin with chemicals in order to do so.

Create a Natural Skin Care Regimen

Start your natural skin care program by putting together a regular regimen that involves cleansing, toning, exfoliating and treating individual breakouts. Always use a mild cleanser, such as natural soap or non-comedogenic oil, and tone with an alcohol-free astringent that contains an antibacterial oil, like tea tree or lavender. Exfoliate your skin regularly to remove pore-clogging dead skin cells, and spot treat your skin with different oils and clays to dry up and heal active acne breakouts.

Choose Ingredients Wisely

• Tea tree oil. This antibacterial and antimicrobial oil fights acne as well as a five percent concentration of benzoyl peroxide. Available in soaps, lotions, toners and as an essential oil.
• Lavender. This antibacterial oil can be combined with other treatment oils to fight bacteria and sooth irritated skin.
• Olive oil. Can be used as a cleanser and helps flush out clogged oils from inside pores.
• Castor oil. This highly purgative oil deeply cleanses pores. Should be used sparingly or dryness could occur.
• Baking soda. Can be used as an exfoliant and kills bacteria on the skin. This alkaline substance also helps control an overly acidic skin condition.
• French green clay. Also called bentonite clay, French green clay detoxifies the skin, helps dry out large breakouts and deeply cleanses pores.

Supplement With Acne-Fighting Vitamins

• Vitamin A. Helps increase blood circulation and increases collagen production in the skin.
• Vitamin C. Improves skin cell turnover and helps fight off free radicals and bacteria in the skin.
• Zinc. Supports a healthy immune system and helps organs and skin function properly.

Clearing your skin can cost a fortune, especially if you spend a lot of money on acne products from the store, from a TV ad or from your dermatologist. Not only are commercial acne treatments expensive, but they often contain strong chemical ingredients that can make your skin even more irritated and inflamed. Save your money and your skin by trying out a few home remedy acne treatment methods to clear your skin. By using substances you can find around your home or from a natural food store, you can clear acne from your skin in a more gentle yet effective way.

Best Home Acne Remedies

When you attempt to clear acne using home treatments, it is important to use substances that are tried and true, and to know a little bit about each one. This will prevent you from applying potentially harmful substances to your skin, using damaging methods and will make sure that you are using items that will actually help clear your acne.

Some of the best home remedy acne treatment methods include:

• Baking soda scrub. Baking soda is both alkaline and mildly abrasive, yet will not irritate or damage the skin. It kills bacteria and helps to balance out an overly acidic condition on the skin. You can use baking soda as an exfoliating scrub to help cleanse your skin while treating acne. Simple mix together a paste using one part water to two parts baking soda. Wet your skin with warm water, and spread the baking soda paste over your skin. Massage the paste around your skin using light, circular finger motions, then rinse off with warm water. Use a baking soda scrub up to two times per day before applying a toner.
• Urine Therapy. Although highly controversial, many people find that applying urine on to your skin topically may actually clear acne. The theory is that your urine, which is completely sterile, contains antibodies that will balance out your unbalanced skin condition. To apply urine on to your acne, you must first catch your urine in a sterile way. Catch and use your first morning’s urine in a glass jar, which is the most concentrated. Dip a cotton ball or cotton pad in the urine, then apply it on to your skin. Allow it to remain there for about five minutes, then rinse off your skin with warm water. Repeat as many times as you prefer throughout the day.
• Tea tree oil. If you want a great home remedy for your individual acne breakouts that is as effective as benzoyl peroxide, try tea tree oil. Studies show that using a five percent dilution of tea tree oil improves acne just as well as a five percent concentration of benzoyl peroxide cream or gel. Apply diluted tea tree oil on to your acne breakouts up to three times per day after cleansing and toning your skin.

Ask Your Doctor

If you feel uncertain about how a natural home acne remedy will work on your skin, talk to you dermatologist. This is especially important if you are currently having other skin treatments, like laser therapy or skin surgery.

Cystic acne often does not respond to over-the-counter products, and can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless. Severe acne if often caused by an out-of-control bacterial overgrowth in the skin, and can be difficult, if not impossible to treat without professional intervention. If you try to ignore cystic acne, it will only leave your skin scarred and damaged as a result, so early treatment is very important. Talk to a dermatologist about some of the best and most effective cystic acne cure options out there, which can include:

Laser Treatment

Certain cosmetic lasers may help clear your cystic acne and require little to no down time. This can seem like a huge relief if you suffer from cystic acne and are tired of trying multitudes of lotions and creams with little to no success. Some of the most effective cystic acne lasers include:

• Fractional CO2 lasers. Dermatologists will cover your skin with a numbing gel, allow it to take effect for about 20 minutes, and will then apply the Fractional CO2 laser over the surface of the skin.
• Blue light lasers. Sitting in front of a blue light laser for 15 minutes per day can improve cystic acne with no down time or side effects. Blue light lasers that have a frequency of 415 nm will kill off bacteria on the skin and will increase circulation to help your skin heal and regenerate. You can also buy blue light laser devices that can be used at home on a regular basis.
• Erbium YAG lasers. Increase circulation and helps your skin fight off the bacteria that causes cystic acne.

Tea Tree Oil

Do you notice that your skin seems to be extremely irritated and dry, yet produces way too much oil at the same time? This sensitive skin condition is an unfortunately side effect of cystic acne and can quickly become exacerbated by chemically based skin care products. Instead of using products that can cause redness, itchiness and burning, like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, switch over to tea tree oil as the main topical treatment you use to fight cystic acne. Tea tree oil is a cystic acne cure that is highly antibacterial and antimicrobial, but is not irritating to the skin like its chemical counterparts. Plus, tea tree oil has been shown to be just as effective as benzoyl peroxide. Tea tree oil should be diluted in water in a solution that is 15 parts water, one part tea tree oil, or 5 percent. Apply the tea tree oil only on to the individual acne cysts and not on to healthy skin. This will enable the oil to penetrate specifically into the effected area. Reapply the tea tree oil up to three times per day after you cleanse your skin.

Once you have acne breakouts, all you want is to find a way to clear them up. Although your local grocery store may have shelves full of products meant to clear up blemishes, all of these choices can make you feel overwhelmed and confused. How do you know which products will actually work and which ones will just leave you with a face full of pimples. Start by sticking with the best acne products your dermatologist recommends that will give you that clear complexion that you dream of.

Soaps

Don’t just reach for your deodorant bar soap if you are trying to clear away acne. All of the artificial perfumes, colors and preservatives found in deodorant soap can irritate your skin and can actually dry it out. Although soaps designed for acne may seem like they would help your skin, they will actually cause it to become more dry and tight as well. When your skin becomes too dry, it will start to produce more oils in order to compensate for the dryness, resulting in more acne breakouts. Look for a simple, basic soap that is perfume-free, dye-free and preservative-free, which you can find at any natural food store or in the beauty section of a grocery store. Wash your skin gently, and avoid scrubbing whenever possible as this can irritate and aggravate acne.

Toners

You don’t really need a toner in order to clear acne, but some people find that using a toner can help remove additional dirt and bacteria from their skin after washing. When you have acne, you should avoid using any toners that have an alcohol base because alcohol will dry out your skin. Look for a toner that has a witch hazel base instead, which will help kill off acne-causing bacteria and will not dry your skin. Some toners also contain very small amounts of tea tree oil, which can be very beneficial in treating your skin before you apply any lotions or other acne treatments.

Lotions

To clear your acne effectively, you can benefit from using two different skin lotions; one to treat the acne specifically, and one to keep the skin hydrated. Look for an acne cream or lotion with 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide or less. If you apply a stronger concentration of benzoyl peroxide than this, your skin could become very irritated, red and inflamed. One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to clear their skin is avoiding hydrating lotions to their skin. Don’t make this mistake. Your skin will become overly dry if you do not use a hydrating lotion after you use benzoyl peroxide, but you need to make sure to use a skin lotion that is oil-free and designed for sensitive skin types. The best acne products will help your skin become clear and soft at the same time. Using a sensitive skin lotion that is oil-free will ensure that the benzoyl peroxide will be effective, and will keep your skin soft and supple at the same time.

How do you find the best acne blemish treatment when you have to wade through shelves and shelves of products at the store? Every product claims to clear your acne quickly, but you may know all too well that this is far from the truth. Some acne products are so strong that they will make your skin extremely irritated and dry. This can make your skin become very painful, and can cause more inflammation that can worsen your acne. Some acne products are too mild and do not seem to clear skin at all. After wasting a lot of money on acne products that offer you very little, you may want to know the best acne blemish treatment products on the market.

Gentle Soap

Use a soap that does not have any perfumes or additives. Although this type of basic soap is not as appealing as one with a flowery smell or additives meant to eliminate excess oils, simple soap will clean your sensitive, acne-prone skin gently without causing further damage or irritation. It is always a good idea to avoid scrubbing or rubbing your skin, which can cause acne to worsen. Simply wet and lather your skin with the gentle soap, then rinse the lather off with warm water.

Tea Tree Toner

Tea tree oil is highly antibacterial, and can kill off the bacteria that causes acne just as well as benzoyl peroxide. Tea tree oil must be diluted in order to use it on your skin, so it can be beneficial to use a tea tree oil toner after washing your skin that is already prepared. Look for a tea tree oil toner that has a witch hazel base, and avoid using an alcohol-based toner which can dry out skin. Apply the tea tree oil toner using a cotton ball after washing, and allow your skin to dry completely before applying any creams or lotions.

Low Concentration Benzoyl Peroxide Cream

Benzoyl peroxide is highly effective as an acne treatment, but most people apply it wrong and become frustrated because they use a cream that is too strong. Benzoyl peroxide cream should only be applied to individual acne blemishes, and never to healthy skin. This will help prevent your healthy skin from becoming inflamed and irritated, and will treat the actual breakouts more efficiently. Only use a low-concentration benzoyl peroxide cream that is 2.5 percent or less. Using anything stronger than that on a regular basis will cause your skin to become too irritated and sensitive.

Oil-Free Lotion

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to clear their skin is forgetting to apply a lotion after treating breakouts with benzoyl peroxide. You do not want your skin to become too dry or it can cause your skin to overproduce oils to compensate. Always use an oil-free lotion designed for people with sensitive skin, and apply the lotion after each application of benzoyl peroxide. This will keep your skin soft without causing more breakouts.

Light is necessary for life to exist, but you may not realize that it can also help heal your acne! If you have had a bad experience trying to clear your breakouts with over-the-counter products, it might be relieving to know that you can achieve clear skin just by sitting in front of an acne light for a certain amount of time per day. This might seem like magic, and you might wonder how this is possible, but dermatologists routinely use light to treat a wide range of skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis and eczema. Finding out how acne light therapy works might help you understand what is involved and what options you have for using light to clear your skin.

How It Works

Certain light wavelengths have a certain effect on skin. For acne, dermatologists generally recommend using acne lights that have a red light frequency of around 633nm and a blue light frequency of around 415nm. The frequencies are very important because they help decrease inflammation in the skin and actually kill off acne-causing bacteria. Avoid buying acne lights that do not have the right wavelengths, or you could end up just wasting your money. After you buy the right device, you will need to sit in front of the acne light for about 15 minutes per day, up to five days per week. This will allow your skin to receive the benefits from the blue and red acne lights so that it will clear, which only takes around four weeks.

Where To Buy Acne Light Therapy

A lot of great companies make acne lights, which vary greatly in size and appearance. You can find everything from hand-held acne light devices that you hold up to your face to large acne light screens that sit on your counter top. Acne treatment lights can range from around $50 to over $1000, so it is good to do your research ahead of time to read reviews and find out the specifications for the light you are interested in. Some of the most popular and effective acne lights out there include:

• Brightbox Dermaclear
• Verilux ClearWave
• Quasar Acne Light
• Light Stim
• Beauty Skin
• BlueMD

Acne does not just effect your face. In fact, you can get acne anywhere on your body, including your arms, legs, neck, chest and back. If you have body acne, you may not know how to properly treat it, especially considering that most acne creams come in small tubes that would get used up in one treatment if applied all over your body! One of the best ways to start treating your bacne is to use an acne body wash instead of regular soap. Using a body wash designed to treat acne can help deliver acne treatments over large areas of skin, and will remove dirt and oils that would normally remain on your skin after you bathe.

How Does Bacne Happen?

Acne can happen on your face because of products you use, chronically touching your face when you read or talk to people or from hair hanging on top of your skin throughout the day. In a similar way, back acne can happen on areas that are covered by a lot of clothing and are exposed to a lot of pressure. For example, you may get more bacne across areas of your back that regularly press up against your desk chair. While you may exfoliate your skin routinely as you bathe, you may not exfoliate the rest of your body. Dead skin cells build up, trapping oils inside your pores, which are then pressed deeper from sitting or pressing up against things.

Using an Acne Body Wash

Look for a body wash that has ingredients designed to treat acne, such as salicylic acid or tea tree oil. These ingredients will kill off acne-causing bacteria in your skin without causing irritation or inflammation. An acne body wash can help treat your back and body acne more effectively, but you can speed up this process by also incorporating the use of a body loofah or exfoliation sponge or puff in your bathing routine as well. Squeeze a good amount of body wash designed to treat acne on to a wet sponge or puff, and squish it around in your hands to create a rich lather. Massage the body wash over your skin, concentrating on areas that are effected by acne. Rinse well with warm water.

When you think of laser surgery, you might imagine one of those high beam lasers scorching your skin and leaving your looking like a burn victim. However, Fractional CO2 lasers are actually very gentle, and may actually help reduce or remove acne scars. When you have to deal with acne scars, you might feel like a laser could never make your skin look smooth and even again, but acne scar laser surgery can help you remove deep acne scars with minimal discomfort.

How Does Acne Scar Laser Surgery Work?

When you go to your dermatologist to have acne scar laser surgery, your skin will be covered with a numbing gel or cream, which is allows to remain on the skin for about an hour to numb the surface of your skin. Your dermatologist will move a Fractional CO2 laser across your skin, focusing on specific areas that are effected by acne scars. Fractional CO2 lasers do not just burn off your skin, but actually create tiny holes in the skin. The skin reacts by filling in the holes with collagen, which will lift out acne scars in a non-invasive way. The complete skin-smoothing effect is not immediate, but will gradually improve over a period of a couple of weeks as your skin peels and fills out. The best part about having an acne scar laser treatment with a Fractional CO2 laser is that only one treatment may be necessary to give you back the smooth skin you remember before you suffered from acne. Once your treatment and recovery are complete, your skin will look amazing.

Before You Start

It is always important to have a long discussion with your dermatologist about whether having this type of laser surgery for your acne scars is right for you and for your specific condition. Certain variables will effect how well the Fractional CO2 laser will work on your skin and whether you should go with a different procedure altogether. These variables can include the severity of your acne scars, the types of scars you have, what type of skin you have and whether you have any other health conditions, such as diabetes, an autoimmune disorder or heart disease.

Do you ever feel like all of those chemical acne products may actually be harming your skin or making it worse? You are not alone. Take a look at the ingredients in one of the many acne treatments you find at the store and you will be shocked by how toxic these treatments actually are. Some of the ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide, may even actually increase your risk of sun damage and skin cancer. You do not want to trade one skin problem for another! Luckily, you can find natural acne products to clear your skin without causing damage or saturating your skin with toxic chemicals. Here are some of the most effective and highest rated natural treatments for acne.

Oil Cleansing

Although you may only think of soap when you imagine cleansing your acne-prone skin, soap can often cause your skin to become overly dry. When your skin is too dry, it will naturally try to rebalance itself by producing more oils. This can worsen acne and can slow down your treatment. Instead of using soap, try cleansing your skin with certain oils, like a mixture of castor and olive oil. Castor oil is a highly purgative oil on the skin, and should be combined in a one to one ratio with another oil that is both cleansing and hydrating, like extra virgin olive oil. To cleanse your skin with oil, wet your face with warm water, and spread about a tablespoon of the oil on to your face. Massage your skin gently with your fingertips for two minutes using slow, circular motions. Soak a wash cloth in hot to warm water, then lay it over your face. This will help open your pores, and will allow the oils you applied to attach to the oils in your pores to help flush them out. Once the wash cloth is cool, use it to gently wipe off and remove the oils from your skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Many people find relief from acne by using apple cider vinegar topically. The theory is that acne is caused by an overly acidic condition in the body, which results in inflammation and infection. Since apple cider vinegar is highly alkaline, it will help balance out the body to reduce acne breakouts. Apple cider vinegar can be used as a toner by applying it over your skin after cleansing using a cotton ball.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is both antimicrobial and antifungal, which can be a powerful acne-fighter on your skin. You can find tea tree oil at any health food store or holistic health shop, and it is usually found with other essential oils or skin care treatments. Tea tree oil has been shown in many studies to b just as effective as benzoyl peroxide on the skin to kill off acne-causing bacteria, but does not have the horrible side effects, like dry skin, sun sensitivity and irritation. Tea tree oil is bottled pure, so it should be diluted before applying it to your acne breakouts. You can do this by dipping a cotton swab into water, then adding a drop of tea tree oil on to the swab before use. Apply the tea tree oil on to the individual acne breakouts and not your entire face, which can be more effective for treating your acne.

Acne scars can occur when you have experienced moderate to severe acne in the past, and can appear as deep pits or rippled and stretched patches of skin. Although acne breakouts can feel embarrassing, the scars that acne leaves behind can be devastating. However, you do not have to suffer with these scars forever, and removing acne scars may be more simple than you think. It is important to understand what methods exist for getting rid of acne scars, and how long the recovery can be before deciding to attempt acne scar removal.

Chemical Peels

A chemical peel uses topical, chemical substances to remove the top layers of skin, which can reduce and remove acne scars without the use of laser or surgery. A chemical peel can also greatly improve skin discoloration and hyperpigmentation that can occur from acne. Recovery can take a few days, and may involve skin redness and peeling.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion can resurface the top layer of skin by using either small brushes or micro crystals, and requires very little to no down time. Dermabrasion may not be able to remove deep scars, but can improve the look of mild to moderate scarring and skin discoloration.

Injectable Fillers

Different injectable fillers can be used to fill in acne scars using cosmetic substances, such as collagen. This type of treatment may help smooth out deep pit scars, and requires little to no down time. Certain substances may cause an allergic reaction in some people, and can even cause further scarring, so talk to your dermatologist or plastic surgeon about the specific side effects of the filler yo are interested in.

Lasers

Laser treatments for removing acne scars can be extremely effective, but require a longer period of recovery. One laser that is used most frequently is the Fractional CO2 laser, which not only resurfaces the top layer of skin but also increases the production of collagen in the skin so that it will continue to improve. Redness, swelling and peeling can occur during recovery, which can take many days.

Which Method of Removing Acne Scars is Right For You?

If you are unsure about which treatment is right for you and for your skin type, talk to your dermatologist or plastic surgeon. She can give you resources and information about the exact procedures involved for each particular treatment, and more information about the side effects or potential risks that may occur. It is always best to do your research before attempting to remove your acne scars.