The Problem With Acne Home Remedies

When you’re struggling with acne, there is a universal understanding–you want it off of your face. It’s tough enough being a teenager, struggling with the build of a social network at school, a part time job or on membership on a team or in a club. Acne is an annoyance, and if it becomes severe, it can also create an environment of soreness and additional frustration.

Due to the nature of acne, it’s understood, you want to do everything in your power to get it off of your face, or any other part of the body in which it intrudes. Unfortunately, this leaves many individuals turning to acne home remedies for answers.

The Problem With Acne Home Remedies

Acne home remedies are often passed down from generation to generation, or they’re adopted by teenagers because they read about it in a magazine or hear a celebrity speak of it in an interview. They may also be suggestions from parents, peers or even teachers. While there are a few home remedies that actually provide positive results (e.g. eating a healthier diet and drinking more water), many people get sucked into believing that something like rubbing alcohol is a good option to use as a facial cleanser. The thought alone is frightening, and then taking into consideration the smell? You would think that people would avoid such a mistake, yet they use it. Sure, it’ll kill bacteria, and it’ll also kill the overall health of the skin.

Other acne home remedies that have been and are used: Visine, which actually takes some of the red out of pimples, yet does nothing to treat them, diaper rash creams and even hemorrhoid creams—you may laugh, but this is factual. Many teens will also concoct a facial out of a wide array of botanicals to try and offer more health to the skin, not realizing that the real “cause” of acne hasn’t been addressed.

Why Acne Home Remedies Don’t Work

Acne home remedies don’t effectively treat acne and prevent new acne from forming, because they simply do not treat acne at the source. Regardless of certain variables such as hormones, all acne is caused by the combination of three things that are part of a functional skin environment: Dead skin cells, the P-Acne bacteria and sebum (skin oil) from the sebaceous gland. Generally, if these three issues are addressed, acne will subside significantly.

Acne Home Remedies vs. OTC Treatments

Acne can be treated, managed and prevented. It simply takes a focused effort, and a little discipline. For starters, to help reduce the production of sebum during adolescence, drink only water. Sports drinks, sugary beverages, energy drinks, and coffee: None of them provide health to your skin like water. Also, consider cutting back on fried, greasy foods—it’s that simple.

In addition to a better diet, throw in a quality, consistent skin care regimen; a simple process can serve as a powerful treatment. Considering the cause of acne, one of the first things to address are the dead skin cells.

Aiding in the removal of these cells with an exfoliating acne cleanser will help to rid the face of the microscopic troublemakers, while also killing bacteria on the surface of the skin. Following this step with the use of an astringent, or quality skin toner will help to relax the skin and constrict the pores from being intruded with infectious material.

Completing a regimen with the use of a quality acne cream will help to cleanse the pores of bacteria, treating existing acne, while preventing future outbreaks. The best acne creams possess moisturizers to help offer hydration and balance to the skin texture.