natural DIY acne spot treatments

2021 edit: i no longer subscribe to or support the “all-natural” label. more here.

I HAVE INTERNET!! WOOHOO!! i can’t believe how long it’s been since i’ve posted for SkinWeek! oh goodness!

as promised, we’re gonna go over all things ACNE!

these are all homemade acne SPOT treatments (all kinds of face masks coming soon!). a lot of you guys have been asking about how to deal with those few breakouts, so i’ve tried to gather as many solutions as i can into one concise post.

you can use any of these every day till your blemish is gone, or you can do one one day, and another the next. find what works best for you!

please do consult your healthcare professional and local certified herbalist and aromatherapist to ensure any herbs and EOs used are okay for you (no contraindications for any ailments). 

raw acv
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. dip a clean q-tip into raw, organ apple cider vinegar (full strength, right outta the bottle). use the acv saturated q-tip to gently rub your blemish. do not rinse (no, you won’t stink).
3. if your blemishes are a little more than a few spots, you can use a cottonball to apply full strength acv to the affected areas. do not rinse.
4. you can use this up to twice a day, but be wary of drying your skin out. start with once a day, before you go to sleep.

raw honey
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. using a q-tip, put a TINY dab of raw, organic honey onto your blemish and gently rub
3. place a bandaid over top of the honey & blemish
4. sleep your blemish away!

aloe vera
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. either use it straight from the plant, or find a pure, organic version. using a cotton ball or q-tip, rub onto blemish
3. no need to rinse, but you can. voila!

turmeric/nutmeg
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. in a small, clean bowl, mix 1 part turmeric powder, 1 part nutmeg, and just enough honey or water to make a paste
3. using a q-tip/cottonball, apply to your blemish

ice  (to reduce redness & promote blood flow)
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. rub an ice cube over your blemish for 3-5 minutes
*we’ll also look into ice facials soon!

banana peel
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. peel a banana, and keep the peel (as for the nanner, you can eat it, make a pancake with it, put it in a smoothie, etc.
3. rub the peel directly onto the blemish for a couple minutes
4. rinse away residue & go about your day/go to sleep

strawberry
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. slice the top off a strawberry, eat the rest, and rub the top (holding the leaves) onto your blemish for a couple minutes
3. you may rinse if you need to. voila!

tea tree oil/jojoba oil
before you even read the directions for this, please keep in mind this contains an essential oil (EO) and must be used with caution!
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. using a q-tip, apply a 50/50 mix of tea tree oil and jojoba oil to blemish
3. leave it on/wear under makeup/etc

witch hazel
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. using a q-tip/cottonball, apply to blemish for a couple minutes
3. you may rinse if you need to. done!

hot water (for when your blemish is about to pop)
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. using a clean washcloth, run under hot water, and wring out the drippies
3. hold the hot washcloth over the blemish for 2-3 minutes
4. in a sliding motion, slide the washcloth off over the blemish. it will take the top layer off, allowing the bacteria to escape, without leaving scars (as with pinching/popping them). you may repeat this process a few times a day (repeat the hold & slide process a few times in a row) to encourage the blemish to purge

lemon juice
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. apply straight lemon juice to your blemish to dry it up
* stay out of the sun if you don’t rinse the lemon juice off. it can lighten skin/irritate it

castor oil
1. clean your face with hot water/washcloth to remove excess residue
2. using a q-tip/cottonball, apply straight castor oil (it’s drying!) to your blemish
3. you may rinse if you’d like. done!

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as a general rule of thumb, soap should NEVER be used on the face as a daily cleanser. it’s too harsh for delicate facial skin, and can throw your skin out of whack even in one use. as you know, i’m a huge advocate of the OCM, and we’ll be going over another natural way to wash your face soon!

are there any treatments that work wonders for you guys? (please don’t advise products with chemicals, aspirin, rubbing alcohol, etc. we’re here to treat acne and not hurt our skin in the process.)

and 10 points to the reader that knows what tv show i got my main pic from! 😉