Fighting adult acne with home remedies

Acne is dreaded by most teens, but by the time you are an adult, its simply an unwelcome guest that's far outstayed its welcome. Acne happens for a lot of different reasons and so, many of those reasons overlap one another that you cannot always find the exact culprit. Our mothers and our grandmothers before them have gone through similar issues and they had no LED face therapies and anti-acne facials to turn to. Their kitchens were their havens and that's where they mastered the cure to this age-old pesky problem. And that's exactly where we are heading right now, to give you some tried and tested home remedies to kiss, or rather, kick, acne goodbye!

Apple Cider Vinegar
A mild acidic vinegar, made from the unfiltered juices of pressed apples, is said to have bacteria killing properties that might also reduce inflammation and improve the appearance of the scars caused by acne. While there is no evidence to support the claim that apple cider vinegar directly cures acne, vinegar does fight bacteria and fungi, thereby proving its effectiveness.

Honey and Cinnamon
Acne is nothing but bacteria and what can be more potent than honey and cinnamon for that problem? Honey and cinnamon bark have been known to have antibacterial properties and there's research to prove it.

Green tea
Anyone who knows anything about good health and modern day health elixirs swear by green tea as an antioxidant-packed drink that makes one look younger, lose weight and live a long and healthy life in various other ways. However, plant-based compounds and antioxidants can also do amazingly when applied directly on acne as they can reduce sebum production and fight inflammation to reduce production of acne on skin. While over-the-counter lotions and creams with green tea extract are widely available, its much simpler to make your own solution at home.

Tea Tree oil
You may have to venture a little further out of your kitchen for this one but we swear it is worth it. Tea tree oil is an over-the-counter essential oil that can be found at any local pharmacy. With anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, this oil works like magic on fungal and bacterial infections as well as inflammations of all sorts. Extracted from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a tree endemic to Australia, Tea Tree Oil is less dry on the skin and less irritating than other remedies.

When acne is there, fighting and getting rid of it can be as easy as stepping into your kitchen or the nearest pharmacy. But in order to really prevent these unsightly zits from even making an appearance, a healthy lifestyle is a must.
We can also follow basic skincare rules such as not going to sleep with make up on and exfoliating and moisturising routinely.

Make your own solution at home

As adults and high functioning members of society, we may not realistically live entirely stress-free lives which is optimum for good, acne free, healthy skin, we can still try and help our skin by incorporating zinc and omega 3 fats into our diets and eating foods that have a low glycaemic load and less dairy content.

A simple solution with one-part tea tree oil and 9 parts water, applied on the affected area will dry out the acne. For a clingier zit, apply twice a day.

Boil green tea for a good 3 to 4 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool. Then pour it into a spray bottle and spritz it on your face as many times as required. Wash once your face has completely dried. The residue of the leaves need not go to waste either. Simply add it to a base of honey and use it as a face mask.

Simply mix one-part vinegar to three (or more for sensitive skin) parts water and apply using a clean cotton ball. Let it dry for 20 seconds before washing off with cool water. Repeat this process up to two times in the day. It is important to note that because apple cider vinegar may cause some irritation, it is important to use it in small quantities and dilute it with adequate amounts of water.

To make this rich paste, mix two tablespoons of honey to one teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Wash your face and apply the mask. Leave the mask on for 10 to 15 minutes before washing it off. Be sure to pat the face dry as rubbing may irritate the acne.

Photo: LS Archive/ Sazzad Ibne Sayed