If I were to wish one thing on my worst enemies – or say the executives of British Petroleum and everyone else who so callously destroyed the Gulf of Mexico – it would not be disease or famine or anything so terrible. It would be worse. I would wish those responsible to be covered from head to toe in acne. Biblical boils. Why? Because acne is bad, bad news.
Okay, so maybe I’m being just a smidge dramatic. But who doesn’t think back to teen times when a big honkin’ zit threatened to ruin the prom/Homecoming/big date with the captain of the football team? (Yes, it’s a 1955 movie starring Doris Day in this article.) Many of us lived a teen life dedicated to drying out our faces. Moisturizer was a sick joke available only for supermodels and masochists. And sunscreen? That was only for noses and shoulders.
And while some of our parents practically bought stock in Clearasil, some of us turned to home remedies. Hot towel to “draw out” impurities? I would often burn my face sitting wrapped in one. Alcohol-soaked makeup pads to run over spotty foreheads? I wouldn’t think of going to bed without one. And let’s face it, teen years may be the primary time for acne. But most of us deal with it in some form or another in our entire lives.
What to do? Check out some of these home remedies next time you feel acne making an appearance.
Acne Face Wash – Baking soda and lemon juice are great way to clean out your clogged pores. Take ½ cup of warm filtered water and combine one teaspoon of baking soda with one teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix in a bowl. Using a clean cotton pad, wash your face and rinse.
Onions also have antimicrobial properties that can help fight acne-causing bacteria. Smash a bit of fresh onion and apply it directly to your spots. Onion juice has also been shown to help with acne scarring.
Lavender oil is known to have antiseptic properties and can help keep your pores free of bacteria. The same goes for tea tree oil.
PlanetGreen offers this fantastic last minute tip: Grab an avocado and “mash up a little bit and apply to the offending area to zap inflammation and redness.”
Have some of your own acne home remedies you’d like to share? Please feel free to leave a comment!
Image: Auntie K