Stress causes acne. A poor diet causes acne. Hormonal changes cause acne. To someone who is prone to getting acne breakouts, just about everything seems to be a possible trigger. You do your best to keep it all together, only to wake up and find that you have a pimple on your nose. This adds to your stress, and now you’re wondering how you can get rid of it as soon as possible. Not to worry. Below are 3 easy, natural topical applications that you can use to spot-treat those pesky pimples.
1. Tea tree oil
Also known as melaleuca, tea tree oil has strong antibacterial properties. If you’re prone to acne breakouts, keep a bottle of this essential oil at home at all times. To prepare the application, mix 1-2 drops of tea tree oil to 25-30ml of a carrier oil.
Coconut and jojoba are popular at the moment, but in a pinch, you can even use grapeseed oil as a carrier oil.
Dip a cotton pad into the mixture and dab it onto your spots. Never apply pure, undiluted tea tree oil on your skin – it can sting badly and cause a rash. Your aim is to calm your skin down.
It’s important to get a high-grade oil – this has to be emphasized because good-quality oils can be expensive, which naturally causes some hesitation. Two of the most well-known brands on the market at the moment are Young Living and Doterra. They are both well publicized so do look up reviews and take your pick. You can read my blog 4 Lifestyle Changes to Control Your Acne here.
2. Turmeric mask
Turmeric is all the rage these days. Despite the fact that it has been used in India for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, the West has only recently discovered that this spice is powerful as an anti-inflammatory ingredient.
Take 2 teaspoons of turmeric, and mix with 4 tablespoons of yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt), 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons of raw honey. Apply to your face for about 30-45 minutes and rinse it off gently. This soothing mask removes the bacteria and reduces the swelling of the acne.
Make sure to only use raw honey, which also has antibacterial properties. This is something you may have to source beforehand. Commercial honey is generally loaded with sugar.
Raw honey goes straight from the beehive to the container you buy it in. It is runny rather than gluey and has a tangy taste. Raw honey never expires; it is its own preservative. Again, the good stuff is more expensive but well worth the investment.
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3. Green tea
Amazing, but true. You can apply green tea to acne. Like tea tree oil and turmeric, green tea has anti-bacterial properties which help kill acne. Take 1 teabag and let it steep in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Allow to cool and place the bag on the pimple for 30-45 minutes. You can use more than one bag if the breakout is bad.
If you have patience, you can also open the bag and mix the contents with half a teaspoon of raw honey. Together, green tea and raw honey will create an unfriendly environment for bacteria to thrive in.
All the remedies recommended here are relatively easy to source and put together. Keep the ingredients on standby so that you don’t panic if you have an unexpected breakout. The anxiety of having acne is a huge – and often contributory — part of the problem. Assemble these kits, apply and don’t ever let the pimples keep you down!
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links to products and services I am passionate about. Purchasing via these links won’t cost you any extra but it will help me enormously.
This website is written by a regular human. I am not a Health Professional. Please get professional medical advice for your specific health needs.