Millions of inhabitants have experience from acne during their adolescent days. Some of them, mainly women have suffered a extended acne problem beyond teenage. So much has been argued and invented to wipe off this threat from the face. But in fact some of the home remedies are successful in treating acne.

Contrary to popular believe greasy, dirty skin and hair do not cause acne but in order to prevent infection it is essential to maintain strict cleanliness extremely and internally. Many sources advocate washing with pure soap and water but I believe that it is best to keep the face clean with warm water alone using a small, slightly abrasive face sponge. I also believe strongly in the benefits of warm, healing face masks which will soften and cleanse the clogged pores without adding to the problem.

It is when acne becomes infected by pressing and picking and thus allowing dirt to infiltrate the vulnerable areas that the major problems arise. Up until that point acne is just one of those aggravations which disappear after a while. I do not think that it is wise to use facial scrubs and peelers, heavy cleansing lotions and strong astringents, nor to try to cover the affected area with masking creams and powder. Fresh water, particularly sea water, fresh air and sunlight will do far more to improve the condition of the skin and so will looking to your diet and that euphemistic ‘inner cleanliness’.

Diet

Cut out all fats and eat plenty of good greenstuffs. An excellent breakfast time cocktail to be taken daily in times of crises is a combination of beetroot, celery and tomato juice. When the condition has cleared reduce the dose to twice a week a preventative. Blackstrap molasses taken daily is another essential as is honey or honey and lemon juice tea at night. Liquorice, either is a tea or as sweets, was the old-fashioned answer to spots and is considerably more palatable than cold liver oil and cold baths.

If you suffer frequently form these frustra5ting outbreaks try to pinpoint the times when they are most likely to occur and take evasive action beforehand by going on a three-day diet of grapes an water or fruit juice. However this should only be attempted when you are resting, otherwise you will become tired and even more stressed. Another preventative tonic to be taken before a period ( if this is the time when acne begins to make itself felt) is made by simmering 25g (1oz) fresh sorrel in 1 litre ( 1 ¾ pints) of water for 10 minutes.

A decoction of horsetail (Equisetaceae) Taken regularly this was considered to be the best possible tonic to cure acne and eczema. It also encourages the white spots on fingernails to disappear but I believe that this is a because it improves the general state of health. Horsetail decoction also provides and excellent healing washes for most skin conditions.

Acne Home Remedies

Cleansing Lotions and Packs

Lemon juice Moreover apply it on neat which is particularly precious if you have been picking—or with an equal quantity of water to wash a bigger area.

Thyme and lemon lotion Boil several sprigs of fresh thyme in 2 cups of water for two minutes and leave to infuse for five. Strain and add the juice of ½ lemons. Use this to wash the face at least two times in a day.

Nettle tea Nettle tea can be used to clean with and to drink. Parsley juice and the expressed juice of comfrey leaves are also precious ointment.

Herbal Lotions Lady’s mantle, yarrow, marigold, lavender and comomile may all be useful as may any hearing herbal vinegar diluted with water.

Soopwort Wash with a soapwort solution vinegar dikluted if the skin very greasy.

Comomile, lime, sage, thyme Any one or a mixture of these herbs in a warm poultice will soothe and heal. Place the herbs in a bowl of boiling water until they have softened and cool a slight before applying. Many people favor to use them as ‘steamer’ to unlock the pores but this may cause illness to spread.

Comfrey Both the powdered root and the leaves make a curative poultice and a superb lotion.

Lettuce leaves Boiled and applied humid leaves help to calm overheated skin.

Grape skins If you are feeling extravagant a poultice or grape skins is said to be the very best method of healing acne.

Marigold and wheatgerm oil Pound 2 tablespoons of fresh or 1 tablespoon of dried marigold petals with 4 tablespoon of warm wheatgerm oil (a good source of vitamin E). Strain into a little bottle and use to heal those small scars or blemishes caused by acne, burns and thread veins.

Sulphur Mask

1 teaspoon sulphur powder

2 tablespoon fuller’s earth

1 beaten egg white bottled water.

Combine the ingredients together using sufficient bottled water to make a smooth paste. Although this is an proficient deep cleansing mask but make an allergy test before using it because some skins may suffer an adverse reaction to sulphur. To do this spread a little of the mixture over the skin on the inside of elbow. Stay for a few minutes then wash off and pat dry and see if the skin gets infected due to this mixture.

Plum mask Mash 250g (8oz) of boiled plums with 1 teaspoon of almond oil to make a thick paste. Many acne sufferers also have the double problem of a dry skin and this mask, used cautiously, may help to alleviate it.

Tomato Paste Mask

4 good-sized tomatoes

Finely ground oatmeal

1 teaspoon clear honey

Puree and sieve the tomatoes. Mix the components to make a smooth paste and rub it softly over the skin, focussed on the worst affected areas. Leave on the skin for 10 minutes the rinse off with warm water. This remedy is more of a preventative for it cleanses and clears blackheads and blocked pores like magic.

Yoghurt and oatmeal Mix natural yoghurt and fine oatmeal to a thick paste, apply and leave to dry. This paste can be used as a basic mask to which you can add herb, fruit and vegetable extracts to suit your skin type and problem.

Potato mask Make a thick paste with 1 tablespoon each of extracted potato juice and fuller’s earth. Use as a deep cleansing and remedial mask for spotted skins.

Onion Mask

1 tablespoon onion juice (extracted in a blender)

1 tablespoon kaolin powder

1 teaspoon clear honey

Mix the ingredients together to form a thick paste and use on blemished, oily skins.

Essential oils of camomile, lavender and myrrh These oils may all be dabbedneat on to badly affected areas and are particularly useful if you have dry skin, although essential oils do become absorbed so rapidly into the skin that you may need a second dab.