Cure Your Acne Naturally: Part 2

If you missed Part 1 of this Series, be sure read that first in order to heal acne from the inside.

 Acne Treatment Skin Care

Now for the part you've been waiting for, my acne treatment recipes. I want to repeat that if the other steps to improve your health have not been taken, even the most expensive, advanced treatments will not work for long. You might see temporary improvement, but your acne will return. The following acne formulas came about after searching desperately for an all-natural acne treatment. After years of having acne free skin from just doing the tips I've already mentioned, I had another acne breakout that resulted from experimenting with the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM.) I followed the prescription and chose grapeseed oil and castor oil. The result was disastrous. My then clear face began breaking out in tiny whiteheads all over my face. I attributed it to my pores detoxing and I stuck with it (using the 30 day rule). I ended the 30 days with a face full of pimples and a return to the days of looking for a cure for my acne.

This time I was already eating healthy and working out, so I needed something topically to treat it. In effort to make all my cosmetics, I set out to find a homemade formula that actually worked. I tried many different formulas and recipes. After months of experimentation, I was blessed to come across a wonderful resource and I want to give full credit where credit is due. The acne treatment I use was first published over at Bohemian Beauty by a lovely lady named Miri. The following recipes are from Miri's blog. 

Simple All Natural Acne Treatment

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleanse with hemp oil. If you have acne prone skin, Hemp oil is one of the only oils that will not clog your pores, despite the fact that it is an oil. In fact, it will dissolve the oil and "plugs" in your pores and pull them out. This works because oil dissolves oil. Not only that, but it will not overly dry out your skin like soap does, causing your skin to produce more oil and exasperate the problem. This is much like the oil cleansing method but you do not use castor oil. Here's what you do, wet a clean wash cloth with hot water, squeeze out excess water and place it over your face. Remove it once it cools down. You can repeat this step a couple of times for a deeper steam to really open up your pores or just do it once if you're pressed for time. Then put a quarter-sized amount of hemp oil in your hand and massage over your face for about a minute. Afterwards, run the wash cloth under hot water again, squeeze out excess water and use it to wipe off all the oil.

Step 2: Toner

Use witch hazel as a toner to wipe off any residue oil and make-up. (Avoid delicate eye area.) 

Step 3: Moisturize 

After you have cleansed and toned your face, use a few drops of Hemp oil to moisturize your face.

Intense Acne Treatment

For a more effective, quicker acne treatment, I highly suggest adding a salicylic acid toner to your regimen. It does require getting some cosmetic making ingredients, but I think it is well worth the effort. Salicylic acid is not technically a "natural" compound all though it originated from the bark of the Willow tree.

Should you use salicylic acid in your face care regimen?

I order mine from www.makingcosmetics.com and I have no problem using it. The type I order is synthetic, but again, I'd rather use a clinically proven synthetic ingredient in my homemade cosmetics than using a bunch of "all natural" ingredients that don't work and make my acne worse. At the end of the day, I feel comfortable with it because I make it from scratch and I would rather use acne homemade treatments than use a prescription where I have zero control over the ingredients used in making it. Again, this treatment is Intensive, so it's going to need a powerhouse like salicylic acid to be effective...and it works. You can try only using the all natural method listed above if you are concerned about using salicylic acid, but know that this toner is going to greatly speed up your results. 

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleanse with hemp oil. Same as the procedure listed above. 

Step 2: Toner

After washing with hemp oil, wipe your face using a cotton pad with toner. Below is the recipe I use. This is directly from Miri at Bohemian Beauty. All ingredients can be purchased at www.makingcosmetics.com.

 Ingredients:

• hot water (hydrosol or distilled water)

• rubbing alcohol (to dissolve the salicylic acid)

• salicylic acid powder

• Triethanolamine (the pH elevator)

To make 2 ounces of toner:
2 ounces equals 12 teaspoons. I have to figure it out this way to get the percentages right!
In a glass bowl, mix together

• 1/2 teaspoon of salicylic acid powder (don't use crushed aspirin; it's not the same thing)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons of alcohol

Stir until the SA powder dissolves. If the powder doesn't dissolve completely, add another 1/4 teaspoon of alcohol at a time until it does. Make sure you stir it WELL after each addition. Sometimes that's all it takes to make it dissolve. To raise the temperature of the alcohol/SA mixture, nest the bowl in a bigger bowl with hot tap water in it. Let it sit for a few minutes. Add about 11 teaspoons of hot water to your blend. Stir until the SA dissolves. Add two drops of Triethanolamine at a time until the pH is between 3.5 and 4.5. Voila! That should do it.

Step 3: Moisturize 

After you have cleansed and toned your face, use a few drops of Hemp oil Serum to moisturize your face.

Intense Acne Serum

Hemp oil

1-5 drops of essential oils (I use thyme, lavender, geranium, carrot seed oil, neroli, patchouli and tea tree oil.) 

Here are some other essential oil suggestions:

• Essential oils for Oily skin: Cedarwood, Geranium, Clary, Lavender, Ylang-ylang, Lemon, Peppermint, Calendula, Frankincense, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Juniper, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Neroli

• Essential oils for Mature skin: Rose, Geranium, Myrrh, Patchouli, Lavender, Citrus, Frankincense, Neroli, Fennel, Clary, Rosewood, Sage, Cypress, Sandalwood, Carrot Seed, Sea Buckthorn Extract

• Essential oils for Acne: Thyme, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Grapefruit, Rosewood, Rose, Lavender, Clove (use sparingly), Jasmine, Sandalwood, Lemon, Patchouli, Chamomile

That's it! Those are the acne treatments I used to clear up my acne. Sometimes my acne is mild enough that just the health changes work. Other times I need to employ my Intensive Care Acne Treatment to wipe it out. The regimen you use will depend on the severity of your acne and how quickly you want to see results. Regardless of what you choose, try it out for at least 30 days and have patience. Remember that as you detox, heal your gut and take control of your health, clear skin will be a natural result. Healthy, glowing skin is the result of being healthy on the inside. Don't lose hope! The treatments I listed work! I wish you the best on your journey to better health and clearer skin.

Any questions or suggestions? Leave me a comment below!