If you are that person who has battled acne for some time now, you are bound to have tried a home remedy or two that your mother or grandmother recommended to really deliver on its promises of clearer skin. Home remedies are merely made of ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. The fact that these can easily be acquired with little to no cost at all makes it a go-to for many people who would not want to spend money and risk using over-the-counter products not designed to get rid of acne.

Getting a thorough understanding of the basic causes of acne should somehow help you figure out just how these home remedies will work in order to get rid of your pimples. There are those that will clear clogged pores, those that will get rid of bacteria in the skin, as well as those that soothe swelling and inflammation. Note that there are those that are more effective than others. There are even those that will not work.

This is exactly why you should experiment on these home remedies so you can pick out which of these will work its wonders on you. However, if you are suffering from a rather severe case of acne, it would be best to invest in a reliable anti-acne product.

Mint Juice

Fresh mint juice is a good treatment for nodular or severe cystic acne. Apply this all over your face every night and if it proves to be effective for you, repeat during mornings. Mint works because this is an anti-inflammatory product which can help reduce the swelling that is commonly associated with acne.

Honey and Cinnamon

Mix 3 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder to create a thick paste. Apply this paste over those areas with acne before sleeping and keep it on until the following morning then wash off with warm water. Repeat this for 2 weeks. Honey has long been known as an antibiotic while cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant. This combination is lethal to the "bacterium P. acnes," which can cause pimples.

Seawater
A relatively safe and natural way to cure your acne is to wash your face twice with warm, salty water. This will leave your face clean and oil-free without the need to use irritating soaps and other facial products.

Lemon and Rosewater
Squeeze the juice of one lemon and mix it with an equal part of rosewater. Apply the resulting concoction to your face and rinse it with water after half an hour. The acidity of the lemon and the antioxidant powers of rosewater will disinfect the skin and encourage exfoliation.

Garlic
Crush 2 garlic cloves and dab it in those areas that have acne, carefully working around your eyes. Garlic is a potent antibacterial that can effectively eliminate bacteria on your skin. It might have an unpleasant smell but has shown to be very effective.

Nettle Tea
Drinking 4 cups of nettle tea every day is a way to cure acne from the inside. This should be available in your local drug stores or organic food stores. Nettle is thought to possess healing properties and has shown to effectively work as an effective anti-acne remedy.

Aloe Vera
Aside from possessing antibacterial properties, aloe vera gel can also speed up the healing process of acne lesions. As an added bonus, it can even prevent the formation of unsightly scarring. Since fresh aloe works best, it would be best to keep an aloe plant in your home and just break off a stalk whenever you need it.

About the Author:
Amy C. is a blogger who writes about natural remedies for some of the most common health problems known. When she is not writing about these alternative treatments, she helps KB Accounting & Tax Services, a Phoenix Accountant and Phoenix Bookkeeper company, with its office administration and blogging activities. Stay tuned for her next entry to know the natural remedy that she is going to feature next.

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Is there anything worse than going out on a date when you know you've got a big zit on your forehand? Or how about landing a huge job interview but waking up in the morning with pimples all over your chin? And of course there's the classic zit on the tip of your nose that will ruin any occasion. 


Sometimes it's so bad you don't feel like going out at all, and you can only muster up enough energy pick up the phone and cancel all your plans.


Acne is definitely embarrassing and it gets in the way of regular life way too often. But you don't have to let it control you because you can fight back - or at least hide it. With a bit of experience, strategy, and the right products you can still live a normal life.


Don’t Pop Pimples - your first temptation is probably going to be popping those pimples right away. It's common for people to think “it will heal quickly” or “there's just no other way!” You have to weigh your options carefully because sometimes more acne is the price you pay for a temporary solution. If you can help it, don't burst your pimples and try to find another way. Otherwise you might be dealing with a much more severe breakouts, or possibly acne scars if you do it enough.


Find a Good Foundation - finding a good foundation will be absolutely key in covering up noticeable acne. This can be a tricky area because foundation's that cover the best also tend to clog your pores. So there's a bit of a trade-off in overall effectiveness with long-term thinking as well. In general, it's far better to use a mineral-based foundation rather than something liquid. Mineral-based makeup goes on lighter, and if you apply it with a brush, it's a lot more hygienic. You can find good ones at reasonable prices from popular brands all over.


The Right Concealer - when you have your foundation in place, you might need the help of a concealer as well. Sometimes foundation alone is enough, but a complementary concealer can really achieve the right tone and color to hide blemishes. You can also find concealers that come with a touch of medication so that you can zap your zits while hiding it at the same time. Just be careful that you don't go overboard if you're already using another topical cream. You don't want to accidentally dry up everything in the process.


Careful Application - something seems to come over people when they're dealing with acne, and a common reaction is to plaster their face with products or makeup. Whether you're using an acne cream or a concealer, you have to remember that more is not necessarily better. Use your products strategically and make sure you check in the mirror to see how things are progressing. Makeup also looks different under certain lighting, so get out good looks from all angles. And if you're using tools to apply your makeup, make sure they are totally clean and replaced on a regular basis.


Seek treatment - it doesn't matter how good your makeup skills are, this is only a temporary solution. It's meant for emergency situations so you'll still need to find a long-term treatment, maybe from a dermatologist if you have more serious acne. In some cases, it doesn't matter how good the makeup is, you might just have really sensitive that doesn't respond well. If you find your breakouts are getting worse, then don't hesitate to consult your general physician for referral to a skin specialist.


Andrea Warner is a Contributor at How to Get Rid of Acne Help, a site designed to help people with real-life practical advice in addition to dealing with the emotional aspects of problem skin. It is a great resource and a wonderful place to start for information regarding your acne problems: http://www.howtogetridofacnehelp.com/

Oily skin, spots and acne are very common complaints, and not just amongst teenagers. Unlike many people believe, oily skin and acne can last well into your twenties, thirties, forties or even fifties. It is also possible to start getting spots at any age as factors such as stress, pregnancy and diet all have an impact on your skin.

Spots can have an effect on your self-esteem but unfortunately, there is no overnight solution on how to get rid of spots, especially if you suffer from particularly bad acne or very oily skin. However, by understanding what causes spots you can make the changes needed in your diet, lifestyle and skincare routine, eventually leading to beautiful, perfectly clear skin.

Your skin naturally produces its own moisturizer, known as sebum. People who do not have enough sebum suffer from very dry skin, whilst people with too much get overly oily skin. This excess of sebum blocks the tiny pores in your skin, trapping dirt and impurities in there which cause infections and become spots. So, the key to perfect skin is to achieve the right balance between too much sebum and not enough.

Image via tibchris

Here are my top five tips on how to get rid of spots…

1.       Eat Healthily

Your skin is nourished and fed from the inside as well as the outside, so if you are desperate to get rid of your acne or oily skin, do not underestimate the importance of a healthy diet. Avoid too much junk food and drink plenty of water to keep your skin quenched – not drinking enough will lead to drier skin, and your body will produce excess sebum to compensate.
2.       Change Your Pillow Regularly

It may not be an obvious one, but if you tend to wash your bedding once a month rather than once a week, you are laying your face down every night on a pillow that is covered with dirt and bacteria. This leads to infections and so to spots. Your skin spends many hours a night in contact with your bedding so ensure that it is clean and fresh for perfectly clear skin.
3.       Moisturise

It is a common mistake to believe that if you have oily skin, you do not need to moisturise. Just as with not drinking water, not giving your skin the moisture it needs from the outside will make your body produce excess sebum to compensate and can leave your skin oilier than if you had moisturised in the first place. However, avoid moisturisers intended for dry skin as they will be too rich and creamy for your needs – look for a specially designed moisturiser for oily skin that is lighter than others.
4.       Exfoliate

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. You might think that only people with dry skin need to exfoliate but in fact, people with oily skin and spots need to do it more often than anyone else! By exfoliating, you are gently rubbing away the dead skin cells that would otherwise get stuck in your skin’s sebum and lead to spots. However, exfoliating daily can aggravate the skin so aim to do it around twice a week for best results.
5.       Avoid Heavy Make Up

When you are suffering from acne it is very tempting to try to cover the problem up with a thick layer of concealer or foundation. However this will only block your pores even more, and lead to further break-outs. Avoid makeup when not needed, such as if you are home alone, and for times you do want to wear it make sure that the product you buy says ‘non comedogenic’ on the label which means it does not block pores.
Michelle Star writes for Thea Skincare, a UK based online retailer offering 100% natural skincare products enriched with organic ingredients. If you are wondering how to get rid of spots without using chemical based products, try one of the specially designed cleansers for oily skin which both reduces excess oil and quenches thirty skin for a perfectly balanced, clear complexion.