Everyone must have faced stubborn acne and their marks once in their lifetime and must have tried everything they heard of to get rid of those spots as fast as they could. Around 85% of the adults are affected by acne in their lifetime. But have you ever wondered what causes acne?
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the common causes of acne would include:
Picking the existing acne
Vigourous Exfoliation
Humidity
Oil based cosmetics
Certain Medications
There are different types of acne like whiteheads, blackheads, nodules, cysts, pustules, etc. Different types of acne might require different treatments but there are certain remedies that can help prevent acne in general or reduce their frequency.
Here are a few remedies that can help us get rid of acne without any side effects.
Apple Cider Vinegar
According to PubMed, vinegar is known for its ability to fight various types of bacteria and fungi due to the presence of the citric acid which is effective against P.acnes.
Other organic acids present in apple cider vinegar also help with other acne-related problems like succinic acid prevents inflammation and scarring, lactic acid reduces the appearance of the acne scars. Be sure that you dilute the apple cider vinegar before using it to prevent any kind of burning or irritation.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil has been used for various skin related issues since ages and as the research suggests it is effective in fighting bacteria and reducing inflammation. Moreover, tea tree oil does not dry out the skin like benzoyl peroxide or forms bacteria resistance like the oral antibiotics in the long run.
It is better to read the instruction and dilute the tea tree oil with water before applying it on the face.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera is used as a major ingredient in the face oils, moisturisers, cleansers and other products. This is because the clear gel extracted from the aloe vera plant has been used to treat wounds, burns, rashes and other skin conditions since ages.
According to US NIH, aloe vera gel contain salicylic acid and sulphur which are used for the treatment of acne and salicylic acid has proven to reduce the acne marks as well. You can apply the aloe vera gel directly on your face like a moisturiser.
Exfoliation
Exfoliation is a process which removes the uppermost layer of the dead cells from your skin either with the help of a chemical or a brush alone. This helps clear the clogged pores and prevents acne and helps the products to penetrate deeper in the skin.
There is less research on the effectiveness of exfoliation on the acne but it does keep the skin healthy reducing the appearance of acne scars as claimed by PubMed Central.
Green Tea
You must have heard various benefits of drinking green tea but today let's have a look on the advantages of application of green tea on the skin.
According to the US NIH, the polyphenols in the green tea helps fight bacteria and reduce inflammation which are the major contributing factors of acne. Green tea also controls sebum production and prevents the P.acnes on acne prone skin.
You can either boil green tea in water and apply it directly on the skin after it cools down or you can choose products with green tea as their key ingredient.
Honey & Cinnamon Mask
According to Healthline, honey and cinnamon mask has anti-bacterial properties and they help fight bacteria and reduce inflammation which can cause acne. Honey alone does not prove to make a difference but the mask does control, block or kill the acnes.
You can mix a spoon of cinnamon powder with 2 spoons of honey to form a paste and apply it on a well cleansed face and wash it off after 10-15 minutes.
Supplements
There are various supplements in the market that promise a better healthy and less acne prone skin. Few of them include zinc and fish oil supplements. Zinc is important for cell growth, metabolism, hormonal changes and immune system.
According to PubMed, people with acne prone skin have lower levels of zinc in their blood and it can be effective for treating severe acne. Then fish oil contain two main omega-3 fatty oils like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which reduce the acne-related inflammation.
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