When you think of acne, you’re probably thinking of a teenager going through their awkward phase. But if you’re an adult with acne, you know that the struggle is real — and you’ve done enough reading to not want to use all those harsh chemicals you were prescribed as a teenager.
Isotretinoin, for example, is a popular treatment for severe acne because it addresses all of the underlying causes of acne. But it also has a variety of serious side effects and potential interactions. And the truth is, you want to do better for your body.
Here, we’re breaking down ten natural alternatives to heal your acne.
What is Acne?
But first, let’s talk about what acne actually is.
Acne is a skin disorder affecting the hair follicles and oil glands. Basically, you have pores, which are small holes in your skin connecting to oil glands underneath.
The pores connect to the oil gland through what’s called a follicle. This is where oil carries dead cells to the surface to keep your skin happy and healthy.
What Causes It?
Unfortunately for you, this is also the place where a lot of bacteria likes to congregate. And sometimes, the oil in the follicle forms a clump with the hair, which is how you get acne.
There are a variety of factors that can influence when you get acne and how much. Hormones are a big player and greasy makeup is known to make things worse.
The basic goal of acne treatment is threefold: to treat existing acne, prevent more acne from forming, and avoid acne scars.
Natural acne treatment aims to complete this goal without subjecting your skin to unnecessary chemicals that damage your skin, keeping it as clean and natural as Mother Nature intended.
With this in mind, here are ten of our favorite natural acne remedies and how to use them.
Joyful
Monday 11th of February 2019
I would add that if the cause of a person's deep cystic acne is Pre-menopause then try Wild Yam powder and/or progesterone cream. The Wild Yam powder worked for me! Supposedly it works because it is an adaptogen herb which helped to balance out the androgen and estrogen imbalance that started to happen to me last year. It has worked incredibly well. The progesterone cream worked too but not as well. I like putting the progesterone right on any acne (like when I have been inconsistent with my wild yam). Helps to heal it faster.
It is recommended to take a break from the progesterone during menstruation and the week following or some cycle like that. I don't know if I have to skip a week with wild yam but I do during a period and no acne flares occur.