Pimples are such a nuisance. They have the worst timing! You can have gorgeous, clear skin, and then a big ol’ red zit pops up just before a date or big event. And if you’re exercising more than usual, you might encounter additional flare ups as sweat clogs your pores. Since sweat is one of your body’s best ways to detox, all that purging through the sweat glands can get clogged and cause acne in areas that are occluded or where there is a lot of friction.
The good news is that a zit solution doesn’t have to be an expensive product or a strong prescription. Try these simple acne home remedies, that are easy to make and apply, for an effective spot treatment to shrink a pimple, fast.
6 Natural Acne Home Remedies
1. Yogurt
Yogurt is a powerhouse food containing lactic acid and zinc, both of which are beneficial for our internal and external health. Plain, unflavored yogurt (no added sugar!) that is high in fat is the ideal type to keep skin glowing and help fight acne.
Ways to use it:
- Make an acne-fighting probiotic face mask by combining 1/2 cucumber, pureed, with 2 tablespoons plain yogurt and 1 probiotic capsule. Mix together and apply to a clean face with clean hands. Rinse after 15 minutes.
- Treat acne and acne scars by mixing a teaspoon of turmeric powder with organic Greek yogurt, and applying directly to the skin as a face mask. Rinse with water after 15 minutes.
- Gently exfoliate acne and oily skin with a rice flour scrub that combines rice flour, yogurt and honey.
2. Aspirin
Aspirin contains salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid which acts as a potent anti-inflammatory agent with gentle exfoliating properties to reduce acne. Topical aspirin application also reduces pimple swelling and redness.
Ways to use it:
- Make an exfoliating, zit-zapping face peel made with strawberries, aspirin and lemon juice. Crush 3-5 non-coated aspirin into a fine powder. Mix with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and let the aspirin dissolve for a couple of minutes. Then add the juices from 1 mashed strawberry. Dip a cotton ball into the liquid and apply to your face (avoiding the eyes). Leave on for 10-15 minutes and rinse with warm water to reveal your glowing skin.
- Banish blackheads by crushing an aspirin tablet using the back of a spoon and mix it with a few drops of water. Apply to blackheads and let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse off.
- Put the power of salicylic acid to work on back acne with a skin-clearing spray that penetrates the skin to shrink bumps and clear pores while soothing and calming inflammation.
3. Nutmeg
The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial spice helps reduce redness and clear out pores. Nutmeg also works beneath the skin to fill in fine lines and diminish acne scars.
- Combine 3 acne fighters to shrink a pimple fast without leaving your skin dry or flaky. Mix one crushed aspirin, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of yogurt together to make a paste and gently dab on the zit. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes and rinse with warm water. Apply the spot treatment below to bring down redness overnight.
- Make an acne-fighting scrub by combining 1/2 tablespoon nutmeg with 1 tablespoon whole milk in a bowl and use your middle and ring fingers to gently massage the face in circular motions, avoiding eye area. After a few passes, rinse with warm water and follow with a honey cinnamon mask.
4. Honey
Raw honey is praised for its antibacterial properties so this sweet treatment will kill off the bacteria in zits. The skin soother also calms swelling and redness and acts a humectant to lock in moisture and plump skin.
Ways to use it:
- A dab of raw honey is a gentle, nourishing and effective acne spot treatment. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. It’s loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals so it heals without aggravating skin further. You can add a bit of nutmeg as well.
- Combine naturally antiseptic and antibacterial turmeric with honey to soothe inflamed skin and acne. Mix together 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric with 1 tablespoon of honey to get an effective face mask for clearing the skin.
5. Garlic
Garlic works to prevent clogged pores, kill off acne-causing bacteria and reduce inflammation. Crush a few garlic cloves to release the compound allicin, which contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties that works well on acne and athlete’s foot.
It also acts as a drying agent for oily skin. Garlic can sting if applied directly to the skin so dilute it in water, jojoba oil or aloe vera first.
Ways to use it
- Make a garlic acne buster mask with a clove of garlic, crushed and finely minced, and one tablespoon Bentonite clay. Combine the garlic and clay then add a tablespoon or so of either honey or aloe to make a paste. You can spot treat problem areas or use as a face mask.
6. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is praised for its antibacterial properties in fighting acne. Not only is it effective in treating mild to moderate acne, but it isn’t as irritating or drying to the skin in comparison with other active acne ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide. Don’t apply undiluted tea tree oil to your skin until you’ve spot tested to make sure it won’t irritate the problem further.
Ways to use it:
- You can add 2-3 drops to 1/2 cup warm water and apply to skin with a cotton ball or keep this natural zit roll-on on hand.
- Lavender, tea tree, and frankincense essential oils are all great at diminishing acne and scarring. They combine perfectly with the calming chamomile essential oil in this acne-fighting face serum
- Or combine the healing power of tea tree and garlic with this spot treatment to fight flare ups.
This spot treatment works best when it’s made as fresh as possible, so make small batches.
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- 1/2 clove fresh garlic crushed and finely mashed
- ½ teaspoon jojoba oil
- 1-2 drops of tea tree oil
Take half a garlic clove and chop finely or mash it really well with the back of a spoon (or mortar and pestle). Add 1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil to the garlic. Be sure not to substitute another oil in place of jojoba as some oils can clog your pores, defeating the purpose of the treatment. Add 1-2 drops of tea tree oil and mix.
Apply to any acne spots or pimples with a clean finger or Q-tip. Don’t be afraid to leave pieces of garlic on pimples to let them work their magic. Leave the spot treatment on overnight and then wash off in the morning. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, but again, fresh is best for potency.
This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical review board here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
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I read you post, I like your think a lot and found it very interesting.
I read your post, I like you post a lot and found it very interesting.
It’s not a secret. Most teenagers get acne. Most teenagers get pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and some other crazy pimple versions. We always focus on applying ointments on our skin and try to clean our skin from the outer surface, rather than cleaning it from inside.
Jojoba oil clogs my pores like crazy and gives me huge inflamed cysts, so I would say to be careful if one hasn’t tried it before to make sure you don’t make the problem worse. I would go for hempseed oil which is less likely to clog the pores (a 0 on the comedogenic scale, as opposed to joboba which is a 2 I think). I use it everyday and it has never broken me out. Tea tree oil is my go-to, love that stuff!
I tried 5-6 products to eliminate acne that had been with me for two years. I tried salicyclic acid, witch hazel, herbal remedies. I only used products that contained those ingredients because I have sensitive skin, and those ingredients are requirements if you have sensitive skin. The products that worked the best where Malin Goetz & Citrus Clear. The Malin products were more expensive, so I only bought their spot treatment, but I bought the Citrus Clear Sensitive Line (With the Wash and moisturizer) – and within two days, the acne was gone! I use the Citrus Clear stuff at the first sign of a breakout, and the Malin product maybe once every two weeks.