Home Acne Treatments not only work well, but they save money. They can also be less abrasive than marketed cleansers. Let’s be real, fighting acne is a pain, but these 7 homemade acne cleansers are safe for your skin, easy on the wallet, and just overall awesome. The good thing about home acne treatments is they often use natural products instead of harsh chemicals found in over-the-counter or prescription acne treatments, making them ideal for sensitive skin. So, if you want to learn to make your own home acne treatments, keep reading!
1 Olive Oil
I know it seems crazy to put oil on your already oily acne prone skin. Olive oil has been used for many years as a cleanser and works wonders as home acne treatment. For best results pour a small amount of olive oil onto your hands and massage deeply into the skin. Allow the oil to sit for at least 3 minutes, then place a steamy towel over the face. The steam will help pull impurities out of your pores. After the towel cools use it to wipe away the remaining oil.
2 Castor Oil
Castor oil works the same way as olive oil for a home acne cleanser. The reason why these oils work as facial cleansers is because skin naturally contains oil. Many of the cleanser we buy are branded as “oil-free.” Water doesn’t dissolve oil, oil dissolves oil. When the oils from the skin are removed, the body creates even more oil creating oily skin, or it may react by not creating any oil and thus leaving your skin dry. It makes sense to use oil to help gently remove the dirt and oil from your face to help clear acne.
Baking soda works two ways as an at home acne treatment. First it exfoliates the skin by buffing away dead skin and opening up clogged pores. Another way is the alkaline substance of baking soda kills off bacteria in the skin that causes acne. To use baking soda, wet your face and then create a paste with baking soda and water in your hand. Massage the paste into your face gently for one minute. Finish by rinsing with cool water and patting dry.
4 Oatmeal
Oatmeal is not only good for your body, it does wonders for you skin too. Oatmeal is naturally high in vitamins which makes it perfect to reduce redness and inflammation caused by acne. Create your own at acne treatment by soaking ? a cup of oatmeal in 1 cup of boiling water. After the oatmeal mixture has cooled, apply it to your face and gently massage the skin. After one to two minutes rinse off the oatmeal.
5 Honey
Honey is another terrific at home acne treatment. Honey contains antibacterial properties and can help hydrate the skin. You can create a simple honey mask just by massaging natural honey into the skin and allowing it to sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. One way to enjoy this mask is to apply it before soaking in a warm bath after a long day at work for a little rest and relaxation.
6 Steaming
Steam opens the pores and allows the impurities to escape. Boil a pot of water and then let it cool for a few minutes. Hang your face over the cooled pot of water with a towel draped over your head to trap the steam in. After 10 minutes you can remove the towel and dry the steam off your face.
7 Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has been used as an at home cure for many different things over the years. Because apple cider vinegar is unprocessed and contains many natural properties it works wonders as an at home acne treatment. To use, mix one part apple cider vinegar with 3 parts water. Dab the mixture onto the face with a cotton ball.
Using home acne treatments is so much better for your skin. And as you can see, there are many ways to treat acne naturally at home. Let me know if you tried any of these 7 home acne treatments. Also, do you have recipes for any other home acne treatments you'd like to share?
Kloe I have a very sensitive skin & pro breakout & have a lot of dark spots due to acne scars. One of my concerns, aging skin around my eyes. I used the Citrus Clear Skin Repair Moisturizer and after 2-3 days - the lines that's been bothering me for quite a while is lessening & the dark spots on my cheeks start to lighten! my friends saw me & said you look blooming! that's only 2-3 days of using the Citrus clear moisturizer.
Anna does anyone know where i can find amazing face cleansers
Ankita I made the oatmeal cleanser with water and honey but it went bad after a couple of days...any suggestions how to extend its life or do i ve to make a fresh batch every other day?
Denise @Ankita Make sure that you store it in an airtight container. Refrigerating the cleanser will also help extend its life. When you use it, use a clean spoon to scoop out an adequate amount. I hope that helps!
Stephanie I heard that steaming is actually bad for your skin..
Jtdiva5675 No Steaming !!
Jacqui What does the olive oil do?
Lisa Hi Jacqui, based on what I found out about EVOO, olive oil helps cleanse, moisturize and protect your skin. For acne, it helps fade acne scars and it balance out the oils in your skin.
Malia I didn't have time to read all of the comments. But have any of you tried rubbing aloe vera on your face? Fresh from the leaf is best. I just slice off the skin and rub it on my face after i wash it at night. It helps with scars and acne. I also found that it leaves my skin pretty soft the next day i love it.
Lisa Thanks for the tip Malia! Aloe Vera is great for so many things.
Megan Do any of these work for teens?
Lisa Hey Megan, they should work on teens. Be sure to test it out on a small patch of skin first just in case your skin is sensitive though :)
Yasmine Lemon or Lime get rid of acne scars too. I wash my face then apply it like a toner keep it on for ten to fifteen mins. then wash it off and use coconut oil as a moisturizer. I use St. Ives face washes or scrubs.
Lisa Thanks Yasmine, coconut oil is amazing!
Z Trying the Baking Soda one soon - whose heard of the only water method ... Only washing the face using water and a muslin cloths...
anonymous ive heard that jojoba oil is REALLY effiicient in removing acne. The good kind is around thirty dollars; i know that is expensive but i want to know if it actually removes the scars. Does anyone know?? I might get it so i would like to know before i buy this really expensive product. Oh and heres something that applies to me, but not everyone: i have oily skin--it might seem crazy to use an oil on your face to clean it but it actually balances your skin.
Heather Hi Anon! It definitely does work! :) I'd give it a try and see what happens!
Tonia How does oatmeal work? Is it good?
Heather It does! It calms your skin down and really fights acne! :)
jennylou thanks 4 having this article i have an acne on my back, face and chest how can i rid this? any suggestion......
Heather Hi Jenny! Have you tried any of the tips above? They do work!
Jasmine I have tried dozens of cleansers, and all expensive brands, and Shielo's Complexion Scrub is my single favorite cleanser. I switch around with cleansers, try new products, and always come back to Shielo. I have fine lines and wrinkles that it does not accentuate. I am acne-prone, which it helps keep in control. This is a great cleanser for combination, sensitive, aging, and blemish prone skin.
Lisa I'm happy to hear you found a cleanser you love!
khanak hey, i have red spots or acne on my face how can i get rid of it....???
Lisa You might want to check with your doctor to determine if you really do have acne or it's something else. If it is acne, definitely try out some of the acne cleansers on this post or some of the acne treatments from drugstores.
Kathie hi i play sports so im always out in the sun would this affect my skin?
Lisa Hey Kathie! I believe all of these cleansers are pretty safe to use even if you go out in the sun later as long as you protect your skin with sunscreen. If you use any of them as a topical treatment or mask, maybe try doing them at night only.
Tiffiny Want olive oil be bad for acne it may make it worse cause acne is caused by oil most of the time
maliaka i have really bad acne.... and they also cause really ugly black spots one my face. I have tried the acne was. also clearasil and avon face wash, along with ambi cream.... the ambi cream works really well for the marks but it made my skin un even n before u knew it i found the marks back again. i have home remedies with are..... honey and i have castor oil but its one that i bought from the store it says 100% naturday n it doesnt have a good scent... wat can i go with the castor oil and the honey? n wat direction should i massage it ?
Jen One week after trying the oil cleansing method (part castor coil/olive oil), I completely broke out around jaw-line up and around to even underneath my eye brows. Every time I used these oils, my skin felt clean and hydrated, but unfortunately I had some reaction to one or both oils. Just an FYI to any other sensitive-skin people!
Heather Aww! Thanks for sharing Jen! I have super sensitive skin, so I agree that I could probably break out too!
Jenna I love all these tips especially the castor oil and the baking soda. I've tried both and they work great! Another at home recipe I've tried is mixing 1 part castor oil with 3 parts sunflower oil. It feels lighter and more moisturizing than castor oil alone.
Sheila Great tip! Thanks for sharing Jenna :)
Anonymous Can I use Baking Powder instead of Baking Soda??? Will it works? Are those 2 things(BP and BS) the same?
Sheila Hi there, Yes you can but you'll need to double the amount of baking powder. Thanks for stopping by!
Jade USE TOOTHPASTE !!!!!!!!!
Sheila Yes Jade, Toothpaste does work like magic! :)
pinkpretty i have tried baking soda..it really works. Thanks for this article.
beautyindia Thanks for such wonderful tips........
Karla Thanks for this article. I'm using this homemade natural treatment for 2 months and have seen great results. I think that you have to add the clay mask (once a week). You can buy a kilogram of clay in the herbalist's shop and you only need to mix one tablespoon of clay with one tablespoon water or if you prefer one tablespoon of clay with half tablespoon water and half tablespoonapple cider vinegar. I prefer the last, the result is incredible Another useful thing is to mix a tablespoon of salt with a little water, make a paste and place in the face until it dries. If you can do this everyday for at least 2 weeks you will see the result. My favorites homemade treatment are: vinegar, honey, clay and salt. Of the rest, what you said Jade is really very useful, a good diet, magnesium supplements, vitamin C, A, and E. A lot of fruit and vegetables, A LOT of water.
Sheila Hey Karla, So glad these tips are working for you! And thank you for sharing your own tips :) Keep visiting AWS!
Anonymous question! Can I use more that one of these in the same day? I wanted to try exfoliating with baking soda, then later use a little olive oil. Any help would be much apprectiated! :)
Sheila Hi there, Welcome to All Women Stalk! Yes it would be okay to try combinations but I'd suggest that you stick to one exfoliant with one oil. For eg: Baking soda and olive oil or baking soda and castor oil, apple cider vinegar and honey...get what I mean?
Anonymous I wonder if this works on body acne? I've been trying to get rid of body acne with home remedies. Any ideas?
Sheila Hi there, I am pretty sure they would work on body acne as well. Good luck!
Anonymous i use the baking soda and honey together just take 1T baking soda and 1 tsp RAW!!! honey make a paste and massage into skin leave on for 10 mins rinse off with warm water and pat dry after a week my acne was pretty much gone and i have that dewy, glowy look to my skin now
Anonymous How many times a week did you do this?
Anonymous Thanks for this article! I have been battling acne for about 12 years now and I just tried the honey mask and then washed my face using baking soda and I can already tell a difference! My skin is soooo smooth and my face is not quite as red. My acne also appears to have gone down. Great tips!
Anonymous How many times a day do i use the honey mask?
Michelle I have 'hormonal' acne - SO frustrating! Most of the acne is under the skin, would these methods work for this as well?
Saige i have that to
Jade I have a 3 month old son the wreaked havoc on my skin during my pregnancy! I tried so many at home treatments- including all of these plus some. I am a firm believer that if man can make it God made it better...so after MUCH trial and error what tackled my hormonal acne was this: 1) Magnesium- supplement with magnesium. Skin issues start on the inside and Magnesium is AMAZING for balancing hormones, decreasing stress, easing digestion and so much more. I like Calm powdered magnesium. 2) Vitamin C- Powdered vitamin C a tsp at a time is about 5000 mgs. I mix this in with my magnesium and drink 1-2 times daily. 3) Oil Cleansing method- I mix 3 parts Almond oil to 1 part Castor oil, masssage into skin and place steaming hot rag on face, let cool and gently wipe off. Repeat steaming process 2-3 times. My face like 2-3 steams-you will find out what yours likes. 4) Milk of Magnesia- this one is weird but works! I use this as a spot treatment. I leave it on over night and it works AMAZING for deep under skin acne. 5) Balanced diet of fruits and veggies (mostly raw) and very little meat. No red meat and limit intake of fat. Good fats from avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, etc are great. Limit processed foods and saturated "yucky" fats and sugars. Especially man made sugars like High Fructose Corn Syrup. This is probably the most important. I know this is wordy but I was DISTRAUGHT over my acne. It changed my life and personality. I didn't want to go anywhere and became a total introvert. So I really want to spread the word about what worked for me so that other people don't have to feel that way. Good luck to you!! Jade
Melisa Nice articles but it just not practical to keep clicking the 'show me more' button. Please do something about it.
Ayesha Steaming is perfect,I treated my acne through steam evey once in a week.I found this treatment much better than prescription creams.
sexy Thank u fro sharing the artic. I wonder if any better way to avoid the acen scars .
Anonymous I have tries olive oil, honey, and oatmeal. All work wonders. The oil and the honey also work just as well in your hair to keep it from split ends. It makes your hair way soft and silky. Egg also works on face and hair too. I love home remedies!
Sheila I have tried honey and olive oil and you're right, they do work wonders! Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
lauren thanks for having this article....got acne now and it really makes me feel uncomftable :( going to try olive oil.....been using a lot of products to get rid of this acne... :( hope will work this time!!!
Margaret Really interesting ideas...
Sheila Glad you thought so Margaret! Thanks for reading! :)
Cynthia I tried the baking soda one and I didn't see a difference in my skin. It seemed to deeply clean my skin, but it didn't get rid of my acne. Do you have any other recipes or ideas? Please make a new post with new ideas! Thank you!
Anonymous I suffer from breakouts, and I had a really bad one the other day. This is what I did: I brewed 2 Green Tea bags in 5oz of water. While it was still warm I split open a Green Tea capsule and added the contents. Once the mixture cooled, I added 2oz of Apple Cider Vinegar, and 2tsp of Olive Oil. Thank God the day after I broke out, it was my day off, so that evening after work, I washed my face and dipped a cotton ball in the mixture and applied it to a clean face, once every hour or so until I went to bed. The next day, I cleansed my face, and applied the mixture, about 10x during the day. Since it was my day off, I didn't have to worry about leaving the house, so I just did chores and worried about my breakout. Lol. That night I applied moisturizer to my face before crawling in to bed. In the morning when I woke up, my acne was gone! No joke! Best/Only thing I've ever found to get rid of my acne, and in record time!
Sydney how long did you use the Baking soda for....i started using it in the middle of a really bad break out and i've kept using it since....its been about a month or two since i've started and i use it with my face wash. I have seen results....it's even help to shrink my pores! try to alternate it or include it in your normal routine im sure you'll start to see results.
Noni Awesome! I tried the olive oil one and it works! Any natural ways to get rid of the acne SCARS?