Whether you’re a long time sufferer of acne, or a recent maskne victim, finding an effective treatment for breakouts can be daunting. It’s not news that most quick fix conventional acne treatments are overflowing with harmful toxins and irritants that strip our skin of its natural oils and lead to more inflammation. Opting for soothing and calming regimens loaded with potent natural ingredients can be the most effective strategy for clearing skin.
In this article, we’re teaching you how to deal with breakouts, naturally. You learn simple, wallet-friendly strategies for preventing and clearing breakouts. Ready? Let’s jump in.
The Cons of Conventional Acne Treatments
Many over-the-counter acne treatments contain the same chemicals: salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Prescription acne treatments’ ingredient lists tend to vary a bit more but are often filled with other ingredients that aren’t great for your body.
Conventional treatments are loaded with artificial chemical ingredients that get absorbed through your skin and come with many known problems.
Here are some of the main offenders:
Parabens: typically used to preserve products; associated with certain types of cancer
Phthalates: endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to cancer and even reproductive congenital disabilities
Triclosan: endocrine disruptor that is known to be responsible for making bacteria “antibacterial resistant”
This list is not exhaustive, but it shows you that many products contain hidden ingredients that our bodies need no parts of. The good news is that there are plenty of natural alternatives that are just as—if not more—effective than conventional acne-fighting products.
Let’s take a look.
How to Deal with Acne Breakouts Naturally
Oil Cleansing
Turns out, the key to clean, clear, and youthful skin isn’t stripping your skin of oil and drying it out but nourishing it with—strangely enough—more oil.
I know the thought of trying the oil cleansing method may terrify you—especially after years of being told oil was the enemy—but I’m here to tell you that it changed my skin. My acne-prone and blemish-prone skin was no match for oil cleansing. The best part? It is so simple.
OCM is as simple as it sounds: you cleanse your face with oil. Here’s how to you do it:
- Choose your oils (figure out your perfect match below)
- Put a quarter-sized amount in your palm
- Add essential oil to enhance results (stay tuned to find your perfect match)
- Massage the oil into your skin for a minute or two
- Remove the excess oil with a hot washcloth
Oils for OCM
- Jojoba: close in composition to the oil our skin naturally produces
- Olive: hydrating and rich in fatty acids
- Argan oi: non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)
- Coconut oil: antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial
- Sweet almond oil: another great option for acne-prone skin
To learn more about OCM, check out our full guide here.
Essential Oils
I owe a lot of my skin transformation to essential oils, too. Essential oils have various skin-loving properties, including:
- Astringent
- Antibacterial
- Antifungal
- Antimicrobial
- Anti Aging
- Anti-inflammatory
If you want to fight (and prevent) breakouts naturally, you need to have these oils in your arsenal.
Essential oils for blackheads
- Eucalyptus essential oil
- Lemon essential oil
- Tea tree essential oil
- Cedarwood essential oil
Essential oils for cystic acne
- Lavender essential oil
- Rosemary essential oil
- Eucalyptus essential oil
Essential Oils for Hormonal Acne
- Rose essential oil
- Clary sage essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Geranium essential oil
How to Use Essential Oils for Acne and Breakouts
- Add a drop or two of essential oil to your carrier oil of choice and apply to area of concern
- Add a drop or two of essential oil to your natural cleanser or face wash and gently massage into skin
This is a fabulous DIY Recipe for cystic acne. Simply get a dark-colored dropper bottle and combine these ingredients.
Bye Bye Cystic Acne
- 3 drops lavender
- 4 drops tea tree
- 3 drops neem oil
- ½ oz grapeseed oil
- ½ oz argan oil
To read more about essential oils for acne, go here.
Honey
Were you expecting this? Raw honey has natural antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties that kill bacteria and calm irritated skin. Get yourself some honey if you struggle with acne, blemishes, rosacea, or other skin issues. All of these healing properties combat dirty debris that can seep into pores and lead to breakouts.
How to Use Honey for Breakouts
Honey can be used as a natural cleanser to help kill bacteria, eliminate dirt, and balance pH. Because honey is a humectant and locks in moisture, it helps to balance oil production—keeping you in the clear for breakouts.
Bonus: raw honey can also reduce scarring and minimize healing time!
While any mask will work magic for acne (even just a plain honey mask or washing your face with a nickel size of honey), this mask will help treat red, acne-prone skin.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons of raw and local or manuka honey
- 1 teaspoon of full-fat greek yogurt
- 1 drop of lavender essential oil
- 1 drop of tea tree essential oil
Instructions:
Step 1: Create an at home steam by boiling a pot of water and placing a towel over your head to allow the steam to open up your pores.
Step 2: Mix together ingredients well and apply a thin layer of mask to face and leave on for 15-20 minutes
Step 3: Gently rinse and massage mask off with cold water. Rub an ice-cube over skin to close pores.
To learn more about the beauty benefits of raw honey, go here.
Clay
Partaking in a clay mask once or once every two weeks can do wonders for your acne healing journey. Bentonite clay, specifically, is the MVP when it comes to drawing out impurities deep within your skin.
Those with oily, acne-prone, or blemish-prone skin can benefit. Mix your mask with a non-metal spoon, apply, and make sure to drink a big glass of water after. Here is one of our favorite bentonite clay masks for acne.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp bentonite clay
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Bonus: add 2 drops of lemon essential oil
Instructions:
Mix the ingredients in a bowl to combine. Make sure that the measuring spoon, mixing spoon, and mixing bowl are non-metal.
Apply the mask to your face, making sure to avoid the area around your eyes. The skin there is delicate, and while this mask is extremely effective at drawing out toxins from the skin, it also draws out moisture too.
Leave the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes, and then rinse with warm water. Follow up with a hydration mask/moisturizer of choice and a glass of water.
For more DIY natural face masks, check out our recipe guide here.
Diet & Supplements
We know now that diet seriously affects our skin. Consuming foods that are good for gut health and eliminating harmful foods for gut health is crucial.
We created a whole list of surprising foods that cause acne. Avoiding these foods plus over-processed and packaged foods will help minimize breakouts.
Focus on colorful, whole foods, especially leafy greens and vegetables and water-rich melons. Opt for supplements that hydrate, nourish, and protect gut integrity.
Our Superfoods Supplement collection has three products your skin needs. Our apple cinnamon Organic Immunity Greens is chock full of skin-loving greens, stress-reducing adaptogens, and essential vitamins and minerals. Our honey vanilla Beauty Collagen Complex is packed with anti-aging, collagen-boosting ingredients that are incredible for gut and skin health. And lastly, we all know your skin could use a little more water. Get water and electrolytes for radiance in with our strawberry kiwi Hydration Superfood Energy powder. We formulated all of our products with top quality ingredients and we did not compromise on taste. Seriously, they are delicious. Shop them here.
Now that you have a solid foundation for natural ways to help fight breakouts, which are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments below.
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