There are 2 simple things you need to do to clear up your acne and prevent it in the future.
When I was a teenager, I started to get really bad acne. It made me self conscious and was, frankly, embarrassing. I tried every acne cream, facial scrub and mask I could find. Some were effective in not making it worse, but that was about it. Nothing "cured" my acne.
Then one day, I noticed that if some shampoo suds got on my forehead, it made my skin feel dry and tight there. Just like some of the nicer mud masks I "borrowed" from my mom, it help dry up the oily parts of my skin. So I started to experiment.
I discovered that if I put the shampoo directly on my skin and let it sit for a minute, it was VERY effective at drying out my skin, almost too effective. It was great for putting a breakout in check but my skin was so dry and tight that I could hardly talk to anyone before 3rd period, for fear of cracking my skin. Once my natural skin oils kicked in and my face loosened up, it actually felt great. The several hours of my face being uncomfortably dry though was not pleasant.
Next, I tried just using the suds from the top of my head after I washed my hair. This work perfect! I would gently massage the suds onto my face and let them sit for about a minute before rinsing my head and face. After about 2 weeks of doing this, my face was completely cleared up. I have done this everyday for over 20 years now, and never had a serious acne breakout since.
I can't stress enough how important it is to be gentle with your skin, particularly in the middle of a breakout. I still have small scars and pock marks in some places on my face from before I discovered this method of getting rid of acne. As I said, I tried many methods prior and facial exfoliant scrubs were among them. It is tempting to think that you can scrub away the acne but you can't. When your skin is red and inflamed from an infection or has even come to a head, it is important not to scrub it too hard.
Remember, while the acne may be irritating and ugly, a scar will be just as ugly and be there forever. Let your body heal naturally after you have neutralized the infection, and your skin will go back to normal.
Lastly, an anecdote. A couple months after I started using shampoo to wash my face, I was starting to feel more self confident and decided to share my "secret" with a couple friends of mine. My female friend, predictably, laughed and said, "that's just silly". However, my male friend said, "You know, I did the exact same thing. Remember how I used to have zits all over my face a few months ago and now I don't? I used shampoo, too!"
By Jess from Hillsboro, OR
This page contains the following solutions.
Start by cleaning your face. I use glycolic cleaner, it's non-irritating and helps clean pores out. A mixture of cinnamon and lime or lemon juice is excellent after washing your face.
If I feel one coming, I instantly get out the tea tree oil. It's not going to make it go away completely.
For all those girls and boys that have tried everything to get rid of acne! Well this might be the solution for your case of acne! Well, this a really simple tip!
All of a sudden, I developed a huge zit on the side of my nose. I tried dabbing some tea tree oil on the spot twice a day. In 3 days, it was completely gone!
Here is a very cheap facial mask, I use this all the time to reduce hormonal breakouts. I know some people use it for blackheads and acne scars.
My effective, inexpensive way to prevent and get rid of acne is Ivory soap and Sea Breeze. Wash your face at night before bed with Ivory soap. Dry and then get some Sea Breeze on a Kleenex and apply to face.
Make a thick paste of baking soda with a drop of water. Apply on your zit at night. By morning it will fall off.
Make a thick paste of baking soda mixed with water. Apply on your acne. Or use soda white tooth paste and put on your zit and let it dry.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have really bad acne and acnes scars on my face. My skin is very oily. I have tried many different medicines and herbal treatments, but nothing has worked. If I put coconut oil on my hair, acne forms on my face. My doctor says that I am allergic and have very sensitive skin.
Try Cetaphil! Best stuff ever, my dermatologist recommended it.
I get bad acne. I've been using OXY brand stuff and its helped a little bit but I need something else that works a little better, whether I still have to use the Oxy stuff with it or not. I want a facial scrub or something that is easy to make and will make my skin look fresh, soft, clean, and clear with no stupid acne.
If you are using a scrub on a daily basis, you might try only using it every other day, or less. A dermatologist once told me that scrubbing too often will irritate your skin and cause it to produce more oil and acne. I use a store brand version of Cetaphil cleanser most days, and have just started using an Aveeno scrub for acne 2 times a week.
If your acne is bad, you really want to see a doctor. Call your general practitioner and ask for a referral to a good dermatologist.
Good luck!
I'm 51 years old and until I was 30, never had a problem with my skin except for the occasional breakout.
What I found that works great as a face wash is Clearasil Ultra Acne Clearing Gel Wash. I wash and RINSE WELL twice a day.
After I wash my face, I smooth on some of this soap over my clean skin (twice a day). After a few days, my skin begins to dry and flake, which is what I want because the old skin is sloughing off and will allow the pores to be properly cleaned because they are now opened.
If the flaking gets too bad I use a scrub.
Take ordinary aspirin uncoated tablets. Aspirin is salacytic acid. Mash a few aspirins in a mortar and pestle until powdery. Add a little water until you get a scrub, not too dry though. Rub over your skin and don't forget your neck and the back of your neck, and behind your ears. The salacytic acid will help with the discolorations and you want your face and neck (back and front) to have a uniform color. Rinse very well.
Also, try using regular peroxide (not the kind to bleach your hair) as a tonor. Peroxide is a natural antiseptic and will 'foam' where ever there is bacteria. Rinse very well.
Make sure you rinse well after all of these steps. Very important.
Use a fresh washcloth every time you wash and rinse your face - two per day.
Don't use natural loofahs on your skin. They hold too much bacteria.
Don't touch your face - watch this because you might not even realize you're doing it.
Another easy scrub is regular cold cream and sugar. Just mix the two together and scrub gently. However, cold cream contains mineral oil and if you have a problem with this product, don't use it.
I don't use anything at all that contains mineral oil or petroleum or petrolatum. This includes cosmetics and skin products. Start reading the labels; you'll be surprised to see how the expensive brands use mineral oil and petroleum.
Or just use water and sugar and make a paste. Sugar is a natural exfoliate. Rinse well.
Good luck!
Smoochie
I am 30 years old and have been suffering from acne for most of my life. Not only pimples and such, but I was getting very painful cystic pimples that my $30 a bottle soap didn't help. At Christmas time I made some bath products to give as gifts, I have since quite using any products on my skin that I didn't make myself. My skin looks and FEELS better than it has my whole life!! My acne has almost completely cleared up and I haven't had a single cystic pimple in over 2 months. Here's what I have ended up with:
In the morning:
I make a mixture of oatmeal powder, honey, and a dash of apple cider vinegar. Mix and use as a creamy soap (homemade oatmeal powder will be coarser than store bought and will ex foliate a bit, but either works fine, just make sure that your powder doesn't have any additives if you buy it) or apply it and leave on as a mask. The oatmeal soothes and softens, honey is a natural anti-bacterial, it has anti-oxidants, and softens, moisturizes, and tightens skin, apple cider vinegar has great astringent qualities, it balances out skins ph levels, and helps to tighten pores. The combo cleans, softens, etc.
After washing use a tiny bit of cider vinegar (or a 50/50 combo of cider vinegar and green or chamomile tea) on a cotton swab as a toner. After it dries I use a bit of pure aloe vera gel all over to help heal the old acne and it seems to help control excess oils through out the day.
At night:
I use a simple scrub. I have a mixture of Epsom salts, sea salt, and baking soda that I mix with just enough vitamin e oil to make a paste(check the label to make sure that your vitamin e doesn't contain mineral oil or petroleum oils). VERY GENTLY scrub face and neck in a circular motion, rinse, and pat dry.
I also will apply either vitamin e oil or coconut oil to my skin at night to help repair acne scars and soften wrinkles.
Depending on how much gunk is deep down in your skin you could also try a facial steam once a week to help draw everything out. I usually end up with a few blemishes coming to the surface the next day or so, but they heal and disappear quickly.
Honey alone has also proved to make a great face mask. Just apply and leave on for as long as possible.
I make enough of the salts to last a while since they don't spoil. The oatmeal mix I throw together real fast before I jump in the shower. Don't worry to much about measurements, you'll figure out what works for you. I keep all the ingredients handy in the bathroom except the aloe, which is kept in the fridge.It sounds like a lot, but honestly once you see and feel the results you'll never waste money on chemical filled products again.
My acne prone skin glows now and I actually get complimented on my skin. Hope this helps you as much as it's helped me.
Use "Tea tree oil facial wash" from The Body Shop. And there is this product from Walgreens called "Miracle Care Network Pimple Eraser" it like removes the redness of breakouts and evens out skin tone (But take note, it causes redness during use). But for me it worked, most my blemishes have gone away.
Have you ever tried Arbonne? It is a old company with great quality. I have heard a lot of great testimonies. I would love to become a dealer I am so sold on it. just go to arbonne.com I think. It is botanically based and actually gets to the root of the problem instead of the symptoms. FYI sometimes it will make you break out worse for a few days because it is cleaning out all the impurities. blessings to you!
Ii agree that in the end it will cost you less and save a lot of time to go to the doctor and get medication for your acne. If you have sensitive skin, you can scar like my daughter did and have a the problem for the rest of your life. She paid $7000 for laser resurfacing. I had four kids and only my son didn't have acne that needed a doctor's treatment.
My Grandson had terrible acne and I found the web-site www.aloetherapy.com. I had him use their Aloe Vera products. Ther also have Tea Tree items, But the Aloe is Greenhouse grown in the U S and manufactured in the U S. their products has really helped him. He is now 18 and no sign of acne and no scaring. Aloe therapy is a small company and specializes in service and low prices. A lot of places say Aloe, and then it is way way down in the ingredient listing. Their products Whole Leaf Aloe is always first. Look them up, you will be happy with their products.
If it is really bad, ask your dermatologist about accutane. It is the closes thing to an actual cure that exists. I have taken it twice in my life and it works for sure.
You don't really want to scrub your face. It could damage your skin and make things worse. I have always struggled with acne.
Ever since I have been using Paula's Choice products, my skin has been much better. Got to www.cosmeticscop.com and you can shop based on your skin type. She also has recommendations for facial cleansers for all skin types and hers is outstanding.
Also, a hormonal imbalance can play a role in acne problems. Before I started taking birth control pills I was having breakouts, now that I am on the pill, guess what? no acne!! So, ask your doctor to gie you a referaal to a hormone specilaist if your insurance covers it.
good luck!
i have horrible acne and it seems to multiply like overnight, and my mom suggested this stuff called "stress acne control" you can get it at walmart for like $8.00. It really works =]
There is also this other stuff you can get at wal-mart that is like a generic pro-active it is like $20.00.
I suffered with cystic acne for 10 years. My doctor put me on Retin A. The Retin A helped keep the cysts from forming but still left me with acne. Last year I got frustrated and decided to break down and try pro-active. They told me to use it once a day at first then twice a day. I was so frustrated that I used it twice a day for a month. In less than two weeks I could see the difference in my skin. Others also commented on how smooth my skin looked. After about a month I could see the scarring diminishing.
The key is to get a good non comedigenic moisturizer as your skin on your face will be flaky for the first two weeks.
After a couple of months on pro-active I switched to Klear Action. Klear action works about 95% as good as Pro-Active. You can get it at Walgreene's for $20. If you have a mall near you, they may have a Pro-Active cart. If they have a pro-active cart, just buy the introductory kit, which contains the cleaners, toner, and the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide creme. They will try to sell you everything but the other stuff is just garbage that you'll never use and doesn't really help.
Once you start using either product, you need to be religious about using it twice a day. If you don't use it atleast once a day your acne will return.
As to continuing to the OXY scrub. As I still usually have toner and benzoyl peroxide creme longer than the cleansers in either kits last I used the Oxy blackhead scrub to stretch the kit's to make them last 60 days. I also tend to use the scrub initially on dry skin with just a drop or two of water to make it smooth enough to move the scrub around my face. You get much better exfoliation that way. Be sure to rinse extremely well. The oxy stuff doesn't come completely off unless you rinse for 3 minutes or use a wet wash cloth to get it off.
The key thing to take from this post is that fighting acne requires a three step process. First you need a scrub. The scrub make gets id of the dead skin and the makes it harder for your skin to form pimples. It also improves your skin tone and gives your skin that glowing look.
Second you need a good toner, preferably with Salycic Acid but you can get away with a generic form of Sea Breeze. Third you need a low level benzoyl peroxide.
You have to be militant and stay on the twice a day routine, even when you are tired, up all night, or on vacation. You have to understand that it will take two weeks of this treatment to start to get the acne under control, and up to a full month to eradicate it completely.
But believe me when I tell you it works. And after having tried every prescription acne treatment on the market except for accutane it is the only thing that has ever cleared my skin perfectly.
Someone here mentioned Accutane. I have a friend who had skin like mine. He took the accutane and it completely cleared his skin. He has been acne free for ten years. The problem is that it is a really dangerous drug and can kill your liver and has been known to cause people to committ suicide. Because of this only doctors who are licensed by the manufacturer can prescribe it and you have to have pregnancy tests while you are taking it even if you are abstinent. It is a real challenge to find a doctor who will prescribe it. Even if you find a doctor who will prescribe it, he'll make you try everything else on the market for two years before he prescribes it for you. During which time your skin will continue to scar.
Regular table salt makes a good facial scrub. But the only 2 things that have EVER had a real impact on my acne is: Natures Cure (you can find it at Wal-Mart) which has pills (which don't do much) and a tube of stuff that is a miracle worker. The tube is benzol peroxide but it's stronger than everyday stuff and less potent than the extreme stuff. So it clears up without drying out. (O, and careful, cause it's runny!) Also, I know it's probably not the greatest for my skin, but use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball a couple times a day. It clears everything right up.
The best thing I can recommend is Tea Tree Oil. I even had a MRSA infection that it helped clear up. I would by the full strength stuff and cut it with either another oil (apricot, grape seed, etc), rubbing alcohol, or just wetting a cotton ball before application. This is NOT stuff you want on your skin full strength.
Also, I would ex foliate, not scrub....scrubbing could spread the bacteria and create more of an issue. A good rub with a washcloth or some baking soda should be good enough.
Note: I'm not advocating using Tea Tree Oil for major infections.
I never had acne as a teenager, but at 28, had 10 zits on my face at one time. A friend told me about the Galvanic Spa system from Nu Skin Enterprises. I rubbed this hand held device on my face for 10 minutes with the special gels, and the next morning my acne was dried up and the redness was gone! I was so amazed that I am now selling the units. The same little miracle machine also decreases lines & wrinkles and reduces cellulite! It's like a professional spa facial in the comfort of your home! Amazing technology!
I have really bad pimples on my forehead, chest area, neck and back! I have nice skin on my cheeks and chin. I need help to get rid of them, I've had them for at least 2 and a half years. Its embarrassing because everyone stares at my forehead. I want it to be clear, but I don't know what to do! Please help me!
I'm 23 year old male. My problem is I have had some kind of infection on my scalp for 4 years. I have continuously occurring acne like pimples all over my scalp. When I use anti-dandruff shampoos containing zinc pyothine, these remain under control, but nothing has cured them. These pimples release same material as that of acne. I also have acne all over my face. I have tried many oral antibiotics like erythromycin and tetracycline, but no cure. Please help me.
By atiharsh from Pakistan
I have an acne problem on my face. I have tried many products and homemade remedies, but its not worked. My friend told me to use baby soap. It worked but after a few months it came back. My skin is so sensitive and oily. Please help.
By Saima
My daughter has had very bad acne for 7 years. Nothing works. Help.
By Miriam
I eat pretty healthily with really no sugar and drink a ton of water. However, I seem to get very tiny bumps on my forehead that all have little white things in them. Granted if there was only one or two it wouldn't bother me too much, but there's always about 5 or more and they drive me nuts!
I was on Accutane before which helped, but now I'm looking for another cure. Has anyone else had a similar experience and recommend anything? I'm sick of dealing with acne, no matter how little bit or small.
By dcraze from Washington, DC
I have been having troubles with acne and I need some home remedies on how to get rid of it fast! Please help.
By poohbear
I have acne on my face, neck, chest, shoulders, and back. I don't have a lot of money. My skin is always dry, but it's also really oily. I clean it everyday with Clean and Clear. The bottle is almost out though. My acne looks like blackheads on my cheeks and around my lips and pimples on my neck and cheeks and sometimes I get bumps that never reach the surface, but still swell up anyways. I also get white heads on my cheeks. Please help. I'd really like to clear up my acne.
By Savannah K.
My acne started when I was 14. I had it for a couple of years then it cleared up. I was at the point where I barely needed to wash it and it still was clear. I maybe had a couple of pimples here and there like around my period and that's it. As soon as I hit 21 and had a really stressful time my face started to break out and it is horrible! It is all over my T zone (forehead, cheeks, and chin). Before it was never on my forehead like it is now. My forehead is covered in pimples. Also my back is pretty bad too.
I've tried birth control, antibiotics, Proactiv, vitamins that are good for your skin, everything! Nothing is working. I won't leave my house. I cry everyday. I am miserable. Its been like this for 5 months now. I'm about to quit my job and turn into a hermit. That's not even a joke. All I want to know is if this has happened to anyone and if it went away later down the road? All I want is hope and I have none at this point.
By Brooke
I've been breaking out like crazy for about 3 months now and it is on my forehead and chin. I have been drinking lots of water and have been staying away from sweets. I have tried many products, but none seem to work. I just have had enough of this. Does anyone know how to get rid of this? Please someone help.
By Lisette
Would using a baking soda and water mixture be good to use as a mask for acne?
By jefinerj
I am 22 and have a dark complexion. I have old, black, acne scars on my face. My face is not too oily, rather it is dry and whiteheads occur often. My skin is sensitive and prone to acne. There is also acne on my scalp. When I use medicated anti dandruff shampoo it's removed, but occurs again after a day. I want to remove the scars and improve my complexion without medicine or lasers. Is olive oil good for acne prone skin? Please suggest a solution.
By Tazeen
This page contains homemade acne cream recipes. Acne is a common skin condition that many people struggle with. Acne creams can be quite expensive, making homemade acne cream can help save you money.
