Natural topical treatments are by far the best bonus weapons for acne.
A clean and nutritious diet will clear the vast majority of your skin, but often, a treatment like honey or tea tree oil can be what finally wipes out your acne for good. In fact, natural topical treatments can lower pimple counts by 50% according to studies.
There’s an important choice to make though – do you use natural or chemical based ones? Common chemicals like benzoyl peroxide work; they can blast p.acnes bacteria into submission, but they also come with an array of side effects.
Natural creams, oils and substances, meanwhile, cause less harm and have a much broader variety of benefits like anti-inflammatory compounds, bonus nutrients, and antioxidants. A plant made in nature is more complex than anything built in a lab.
For that reason I always recommend that you stick to natural plants and oils for clearing acne topically. Read on, and discover the 7 greatest topical treatments for finally finishing your acne off.
Raw honey
Powers – wipes out p.acnes bacteria. Has bonus anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Best product (amazon link) – this Y.S. Eco Bee Farms Raw Honey.
Raw honey is easily one of the most famous folk remedies of all time. Raw honey has been used on wounds, allergies, and sore eyes by the Ancient Egyptians, Romans and Ancient Greeks.
Importantly for us, those powers are largely due to honey’s antibacterial properties. Raw honey is hence one of the very best topical treatments for reducing propionibacterium acnes (p.acnes), AKA the dreaded acne bacteria.
Honey has three famous antibacterial compounds. Firstly, there’s Methylgyloxal (MGO). MGO is so potent that manuka honeys from New Zealand are graded with a unique manuka factor (UMF) score.
Secondly, there’s hydrogen peroxide, which functions like a milder version of benzoyl peroxide. Finally, there’s a very recently discovered bee peptide called bee-defensin 1. This peptide is manufactured by the immune system of regular honeybees to kill bacteria and added to honey as they create it.
All three of these compounds in honey are extremely potent at killing bacteria, and that includes the p.acnes in your skin pores.
One study tested 26 different varieties of local honey from New Zealand, and concluded that each one had antibacterial properties. Every type of honey cleansed the wound and inhibited bacteria to some degree; the reductions in bacteria varied from 4% to 60%.
What’s more, honey still contains many secrets undiscovered by science. One study found that when the three main compounds were totally eliminated, honey still retained antibacterial properties.
The powers don’t end with killing p.acnes. Honey also has a good ORAC score of 270, meaning that it contains plenty of antioxidants. That should translate to your face when applied topically, and provide your skin with extra defences against air pollution, cigarette smoke, chlorine in swimming pools, and other toxins.
Read Annihilate Your Acne – get the diet that could transform your skin!
Honey even contains trace minerals such as vitamin C. In fact, honey is so rich in medicinal compounds and natural preservatives with potent powers that completely edible jars of ancient honey have been discovered in old Egyptian tombs, dating back as far as 3000 years.
Honey is so medicinally powerful that entire colonies of bees are kept alive on it. The smart acne patient takes advantage of that nutrition and keeps his skin nice and clear.
The best strategy – honey also succeeds due to its high versatility. If you want, you can use raw honey as a thinly spread face mask, for acne prevention. In my reckoning, however, honey functions best as a localised treatment to calm down particularly raging and red pimple.
The strategy is very easy. You can apply a small globule to each pimple, let it dry and go to bed for eight hours. The compounds will absorb into the epidermis and kill bacteria while you sleep.
As for the best product, never make the rookie mistake: you MUST buy your honey raw.
Pasteurised honey is not honey, it is honey-flavoured golden syrup. Heating raw honey to 72 degrees Celsius for approximately two minutes, which is the standard method, destroys all the acne-clearing enzymes, peptides and antioxidants.
Always use a raw honey, which can be identified from 1) a richer flavour, 2) a cloudier colour, and 3) being less runny. YS Eco Bee Farms (amazon link above) is excellent in terms of both quality and the bulk price.
Any side effects? – Only a tiny risk of a bee-product allergy.
Aloe vera
Powers – lowers inflammation and accelerates the healing of pimples.
Best product – this Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel (amazon link).
Aloe vera is second only to raw honey when it comes to historical medicinal usage. Cleopatra and Nefertiti of Ancient Egypt both adored the plant and utilised it in their beauty routines. The Native Americans, meanwhile, used aloe vera to ward off biting insects, while thousands of years ago, the Ancient Egyptian medicinal text Papyrus Eber stated that aloe vera had anti-inflammatory powers.
The history is highly promising for acne and the good news is that the science agrees. One study tested fresh aloe get directly on acne. A group of scientists led by Dr Z Hajheydari gathered 60 acne-prone patents and divided them into a control group and an aloe vera group.
Group A received a 0.05% topical retinoid cream (tretinoin) whereas group B received the exact same cream, except with added 50% concentration aloe vera gel.
As expected, both groups experienced a significant reduction in total acne lesions…
…but the aloe vera group had far greater improvements. The added aloe vera was the only difference between the two formulations; it had to be responsible.
What makes aloe vera so fantastic for acne? Aloe vera has two standout properties: an ability to accelerate wound healing and therefore clear old and dying pimples, and some potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Aloe vera contains a vast array of natural compounds. One is the enzyme bradykinase, which can break down the inflammatory chemical bradykinin when applied topically to skin. Another is c-glucosyl chromone, which has anti-inflammatory strength equal to widely prescribed catabolic steroids.
Next – the 6 best vitamins and minerals for naturally clear skin
Then there’s the yellow pigmented aloin, part of the anthraquinone family of antioxidants, which inhibits the pro-inflammatory master molecule COX-2. Finally, there’s lupeol, gibberellin, aloe-emodin, glucomannan, and probably many more. The compounds never end.
The takeaway is this – the anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera are immense.
As for the wound healing, aloe vera contains two compounds called gibberellin and glucomannan which have been shown in studies to directly stimulate growth factors in the skin. This stimulation accelerates the formation of collagen, the skin’s main structural protein.
What’s more, aloe vera itself has also been demonstrated to increase collagen formation. Collagen is the main protein used to heal wounds and inflamed acne. Collagen even forms a structural matrix around which many other acne-clearing chemicals gather and venture out to do their healing work.
If you want to clear acne without harsh chemicals or pharmaceutical drugs then aloe vera is extremely hard to beat.
The strategy – pure aloe vera comes in a gel form, so like honey it is extremely convenient to use. Just apply and be patient; sleep until morning and hit the jackpot of clear skin the moment you wake up.
Once again, aloe vera is optimal for calming active and angry pimples. However by spreading a thin layer across your entire face you can accelerate the healing of all old acne.
Which is the best type of aloe vera? Don’t pick a grocery store product; it’ll be contaminated with fillers that don’t increase its ability to clear acne, but do increase inflammation. Instead, buy Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel (amazon link above).
Any side effects? – A few people report in with allergies.
Grapeseed oil
Powers – huge vitamin E content (ends clogged pores), linoleic acid, and moisturising.
Best product (amazon link) – this Sky Organics Grapeseed Oil.
Grapeseed oil is a cooking oil extracted from the seeds of wine grapes, which is widely recommended as a health product. However, it really stands out for topical purposes, beating the likes of coconut oil and olive oil with ease.
Firstly, grapeseed oil is extremely rich in vitamin E. Many oils claim to be rich in vitamin E, but grapeseed oil actually is. 100 grams contains 144% of the RDA for vitamin E; spread this around your face and you’ll deliver tons of topical antioxidants.
Topically, regular plant antioxidants like those found in honey and witch hazel are important. However, vitamin C and vitamin E are also effective, as their powers when eaten will be delivered directly onto your face with extra high concentration.
Specifically, vitamin E is the most effective nutrient for preventing clogged skin pores. Both almond oil and olive oil contain comparable levels of vitamin E but contain far too much oleic acid. Grapeseed oil, meanwhile, contains little.
However, it does contain linoleic acid, and this is another benefit. Linoleic acid is one of the most promising new avenues of research in topical skincare.
Studies have detected lower than average concentrations of this fatty acid (also known as omega 6) in acne-prone skin. This is important because linoleic acid has many important roles. Linoleic acid has natural anti-microbial powers, constructs proteins in the skin called ceramides, and is part of your skin cells’ defences against UV radiation.
Roughly 69.6% of grapeseed oil’s total fats are linoleic acid. Interestingly, dietary linoleic acid does not correlate well with the content found in sebum. Therefore topical delivery is very important and grapeseed oil is a great way to achieve it.
Finally, grapeseed oil is a brilliant moisturiser. You might have heard that coconut oil, cocoa butter, and olive oil can also soften the skin. Why not use them instead? Because they’re all riddled with side effects. The former two have a comedogenic score of 4 out of 5 while olive oil can damage the human skin barrier.
Grapeseed oil meanwhile comes with a complete lack of side effects. Jojoba oil is also a great moisturiser for acne, but grapeseed oil contains far more vitamin E.
Out of traditional carrier oils, as opposed to distilled oils like tea tree oil, grapeseed oil is easily in the top two for acne.
The strategy – application could not be simpler. Spread the grapeseed oil around your face for maximum distribution of the vitamin E and maximum moisturising.
The complications come with the product you have to buy, but the strategy is still simple. Grapeseed oil must be purchased in its cold-pressed form; the factory refined version is exposed to harsh chemicals, which form by-products known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. PAHs are inflammatory and must be avoided.
You can get more information here, but the gist is that your grapeseed oil must be expeller-pressed, AKA cold-pressed. The grape seeds themselves should be dried by the sun, not factory machinery. Organic is also preferable.
All of these requirements can be found within Sky Organics Grapeseed Oil (amazon link above). The grapeseed oil market is particularly fraught with risks, with chemically blasted products being everywhere compared to the likes of shea butter or argan oil, but this product is officially certified organic.
Side effects – a very small risk of clogging skin pores, which rarely occurs.
Sea buckthorn oil
Powers – improves oily skin, reduces skin’s sensitivity to testosterone and DHT.
Best product (amazon link) – it must be the berry oil; hence this US Organic Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil is optimal and fairly cheap.
Remember when I said that grapeseed oil was in the top two topical oils for human skin? Well sea buckthorn oil is the other one, and it attacks acne from a completely different direction.
Specifically, by ending oily skin – sea buckthorn oil can reduce sebum production by up to 45%.
In this 2010 study, scientists gathered 10 males with a history of acne. A split-face experiment was performed, where each patient applied a placebo treatment to one side of their face and the same mixture with added sea buckhorn oil to the other. Measurements of sebum production, irritation, and softness were all taken 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after the study began.
The longer the men used the sea buckhorn oil on their skin, the less and less oily their skin became.
After 1 week the decline in sebum production was 17%, after two weeks the decline was 18%. Finally, after 8 weeks, the patients had 45% lower sebum production than they did originally.
Meanwhile, the placebo side of the face demonstrated no improvement. In fact the oiliness went up to 15% above baseline after three weeks, and was still at 12% above baseline after six weeks.
The scientists theorised that the high vitamin A content (witness the orange colour) of sea buckthorn oil was down to the benefits. Topical retinoids work by slashing sebum production after all. However, sea buckthorn oil also contains two anti-androgen compounds known as beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol.
Androgens such as DHT and testosterone stimulate the sebaceous glands; these two compounds bind to receptors and counteract it. Hence sea buckthorn oil can as well, making it particularly useful for athletes and bodybuilders.
What’s more, in the study above sea buckthorn led to significantly increased “soft and shine” of the skin as well. The scientists didn’t particularly care, and attributed the benefit to the fatty acids. However, this means that like with grapeseed oil, you’ll get a bunch of moisturising powers as an extra on top of the improvement in oily skin.
For all those reasons, sea buckhorn oil is a truly exceptional topical acne treatment. The results were rapid, occurring after one week, but got better and better as time went on.
The strategy – mimic the methods used in the study. Apply a thin layer of sea buckthorn oil to your entire face, and leave the compounds to work their magic.
Again, buying the correct product is more important. Here you have to purchase sea buckthorn berry oil and completely ignore sea buckthorn seed oil. The study was conducted on berry oil and that’s where the beneficial nutrition is found.
The berry oil is extracted from the flesh of the berry itself; it is unmissable thanks to its richer colour. The seed oil is more orange, like sunflower oil or any supermarket oil. If you’re wondering what the sea buckthorn berry is, it’s an orange berry which grows in the Himalaya. Nepali villagers often blend it into a smoothie to sell to passing mountaineers on the trek to Everest; Himalayan brown bears are also fans apparently.
The best inexpensive product around is US Organic Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil (amazon link above). Watch out – this might stain, so leave it on overnight like with honey.
Side effects – none are known. What’s more, the scientists stated in the study that none were observed.
Tea tree oil
Powers – highly antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
Best product (amazon link) – this steam-distilled Eden’s Garden Tea Tree Oil.
Tea tree oil has been used by Australian aboriginals in a paste form for dressing wounds for centuries. Why?
Because it is extremely effective at killing bacteria. Unlike raw honey and aloe vera, tea tree oil has one standout compound – terpinen-4-ol. This is an alcohol compound which is known to annihilate a broad spectrum of bacterial strains…
…and the best part for us is that terpinen-4-ol was directly shown to kill p.acnes bacteria in one study. By extension that should make tea tree oil a pimple-calming miracle.
What’s more, tea tree oil has a few minor compounds with extra antibacterial strength, including alpha-terpineol and alpha-pinene. The ability to disinfect wounds used throughout history is more evidence of antibacterial action. Tea tree oil is also used in folklore to treat ringworm and athlete’s foot, which are notorious bacterial infections.
Next to wiping out p.acnes bacteria we have tea tree oil’s strong anti-inflammatory properties. Once again, terpineol-4-ol is the miracle substance; this study found that it could inhibit localised inflammatory responses on the skin by 50% after 40 hours of exposure.
Another tea tree oil compound called a-terpineol was analysed but T4O had it beat. Terpinen-4-ol was able to reduce a broad spectrum of inflammatory chemicals including TNF alpha and IL-1beta, both of which are strongly linked to acne.
A more recent 2014 study analysed two components of tea tree oil, terpinen-4-ol and alpha terpineol. This time, the pro-inflammatory chemicals IL-1β and IL-6 were inhibited.
Last but not least, tea tree oil has an extra ability to kill the most controversial villain in the acne world: demodex mites.
Demodex mites are microscopic insects which live on the surface of the skin of nearly every adult human. However, humans with skin conditions such as rosacea have significantly more colonies than average. It’s for that reason that many health gurus believe that demodex mites are the true cause of acne.
The truth? Demodex mites are not pure evil like corners of the internet suggest, but overgrowths do have a minor link to heightened inflammation. Tea tree oil is one of the most effective topical treatments for wiping out these mites, so if you have a mite overgrowth and fail to realise it, that’s yet another point in tea tree oil’s favour.
If your goal is to kill p.acnes bacteria while simultaneously calming the inflammation and redness caused by that bacteria, then tea tree oil is the acne treatment for you.
The strategy – one warning however: a separate alcohol compound called 8-cineol has a strong track record of causing irritation and redness in some users.
This isn’t a case of “there could be an irritant we haven’t identified”, like with witch hazel; some acne patients have reported in with blisters and rashes. 8-cineol has been confirmed as a skin irritant in scientific studies.
Hence, we come to the ideal tea tree oil strategy: use this treatment as a tool for calming individual red and inflamed patches of acne.
Don’t apply tea tree oil to your entire skin as a toner, and only use a small quantity. A 5% tea tree oil distillation will provide enough strength to clear acne while minimising the irritating side effects.
There’s several other strategies for maximum benefit: Australia sells the best formulated tea tree oil products, dark bottles are most effective as they block sunlight, which can oxidise the valuable compounds. Get a product with a relatively high concentration of terpinen-4-ol on the bottle; over 15% is ideal.
Fulfil those requirements and tea tree oil could be an absolute miracle. An excellent product for acne which meets every requirement is Eden’s Garden Tea Tree Oil (amazon link above), being steam distilled and free from toxic chemicals like hexane.
Witch hazel
Powers – a colossal antioxidant count, anti-inflammatory compounds.
Best product (amazon link) – the excellent and alcohol free Thayers Unscented Witch Hazel Formula.
Witch hazel is yet another plant with a storied medicinal history, but it’s only in the last 25 years that astonishing study after astonishing study has been revealed for acne.
The main benefit is the witch hazel plant’s high antioxidant count, which are particularly concentrated in the bark and leaves. Witch hazel contains a huge 10% tannins by weight. Tannins are a potent class of antioxidants which give foods like raspberries their power.
Witch hazel has antioxidant powers equal to superoxide dismutase, one of the most powerful and common antioxidants the human body manufactures itself. Witch hazel antioxidants even have a particularly high affinity for human skin cells.
One study found that witch hazel extracts had a synergistic effect with vitamin E, enhancing its power. Vitamin E is the best nutrient for controlling clogged pores.
The families and classes of antioxidants in witch hazel are endless. They include gallic acid, catechins, proanthocyanins, kaempferol, quercetin, carvacrol, eugenol, hexenol, choline and saponins.
The witch hazel plant also has well-established anti-inflammatory properties. In one study scientists deliberately inflamed human skin by applying sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). SLS is a controversial ingredient of commercial shampoos, which countless users insist gives them a reddened and irritated scalp.
Witch hazel was able to reverse all the inflammation from SLS. Its anti-inflammatory properties were equal to the widely prescribed pharmaceutical drug hydrocortisone. The connection to acne? Inflammation is the number one cause of it.
Yet another promising power is the inhibition of sun damage from UVB radiation. You might not realise that moderate sun exposure is vital for healthy skin. Sunlight stimulates the creation of vitamin D3, creates a burst of antibacterial nitric oxide directly on impact with your face, and boosts your mood by increasing endorphins.
The problems for acne like free radicals only kick in after prolonged exposure. However, those problems are still a threat. If you fail to nourish your skin with the proper nutrition then your acne can be a lot more prone to inflammation from UVB rays than average.
That’s where witch hazel steps in. One study found that applying witch hazel could suppress sunburn by 20% after 7 hours. After 48 hours, the sunburn was prevented by 27%.
Through a combination of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and other substances, witch hazel can act as a natural sunscreen.
Honey stands out as an antibacterial powerhouse. Aloe vera is the enemy of inflammation. Witch hazel meanwhile, is the ultimate topical treatment for antioxidants.
Witch hazel is also antibacterial (click here for an extensive analysis), but is especially excellent if you need to drench your skin with antioxidants.
The strategy – witch hazel is liquid based. Hence it’s a great treatment for applying to the whole face with a cotton bud; you want to spread the antioxidants everywhere.
Zinc – the number one mineral for clear skin (reduces acne by 49.8%)
Witch hazel is ideal if you need to drench your skin with antioxidants for any reason. That could be if you 1) are a daily cigarette smoker, 2) live in a polluted city, 3) use make-up constantly, 4) eat lots of processed food, or 5) swim regularly in a chlorine pool.
The golden rule is this – the oilier your skin is, the more antioxidants you need to keep that oil from clogging your pores.
Stay on your toes as well, because most witch hazel distillations contain alcohol. Many acne patients have reported burning and itching from alcohol-containing treatments.
Hence, you need a purer version. Thayers Unscented Witch Hazel Formula (amazon link above) is alcohol free and one of the standout products available. Also, the link is set to unscented, but you can flip to a lavender or cucumber scent if you desire.
Any side effects – very few known of. May cause allergies in some.
Green tea
Its standout properties – tackling oily skin and hence clogged pores.
Best product (amazon link) – the pure Swanson’s Green Tea Leaf distillation.
Next we have green tea, nothing more than the common beverage drunk by millions of people worldwide. In short, green tea has a proven ability to reduce oily skin.
The greatness of basic green tea was established in two clear studies. Firstly, there’s a study where scientists gathered 49 volunteers in an Iraqi clinic.
24 of the patients were instructed to douse their face with a 2% green tea distillation and do so for 12 weeks daily, whereas 25 were instructed to use distilled water. Each patient had acne levels ranging from severe to moderate.
The results were outstanding for a food item as commonplace as green tea. The 24-strong clear skin group who used distilled water enjoyed only a slight reduction in acne, possibly due to natural day-to-day variations in pimple counts.
Meanwhile, the green tea group experienced an average of a 57% reduction in overall pimple counts. Some members were probably as high as 65%.
Later scientists sought to identify the mechanism, and they did so in earnest. In this study, which was conducted in Pakistan, 10 patients were assigned a 3% concentration green tea product and told to apply it daily. They kept up the regimen for 8 weeks and reported in for a skin biopsy 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and finally 8 weeks after they begun.
The results were again excellent. Average sebum (oil) production began to fall by week 1; there was an 8% reduction. By week 2, the reduction had intensified to 15%. By week 4 it was 35%, by week 6 it was 45%.
Finally, after 8 weeks of daily green tea application, total sebum production on the acne patients’ skin had fallen by an average of 60%.
That was just the average as well; the highest reported decrease could have been 70%.
Here we have a clear mechanism for green tea’s greatness. Green tea lowers sebum production, prevents the formation of clogged pores, robs p.acnes bacteria of a low oxygen, sebum clogged environment to call home, and cuts the head of the acne-causing snake before it ever arrives.
The trail of evidence is clear. Green tea is not only one of the greatest natural acne treatments, but one of the most effective topical acne treatments full-stop.
Another study showed that daily application of green tea reduced acne lesions by 51% after 8 weeks. Another showed a reduction in sebum production due to inhibiting the activity of IGF-1 hormones.
Get the eBook – learn why eating fish can improve acne by 42%
Green tea functions due to its catechin antioxidants, most notably epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). ECGC binds to androgen receptors on the skin and strongly inhibits their activity.
In fact, ECGC is believed to have antioxidant properties 25 to 100 times more powerful than vitamin C. It doesn’t end there, the leaves also contain antioxidants like epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin.
The strategy – apply green tea across your whole face. The idea is to prevent sebum production; if you want the complete effect the ECGC has to penetrate everywhere.
The exception is if your forehead or chin is particularly rich in pimples. In that case you might not care about reducing the oil anywhere else.
Which is the best type of green tea? A good product right now is Swanson’s Green Tea Liquid (amazon link above).
Hopefully, as the research spreads, the market will explode. The pharmaceutical industry would be pretty foolish to ignore such an excellent opportunity, particularly with such an everyday foodstuff.
Any side effects? – May contain fluoride, a toxic chemical I’ve previously warned against, but levels are generally tiny.
Conclusion
There’s millions of plants growing on planet earth and thousands of plants which could clear acne when applied topically. In all likelihood, there’s one monstrously nutritious flower or shrub growing in a rainforest somewhere which would wipe the floor with all of these, a plant which we haven’t stumbled across and perhaps never will.
But for now, those seven natural treatments are the best of the best and cover nearly all the bases. Honey is antibacterial, witch hazel provides antioxidants, green tea tackles oily skin, tea tree oil is anti-inflammatory.
Aloe vera accelerates collagen production, sea buckthorn oil provides vitamin A, and grapeseed oil gives you both vitamin E and linoleic acid. All are extremely different angles of attack.
If you’re very poor or otherwise looking to save money, raw honey is easily your best choice as the bulk tub linked above is a massive 22oz. That will last you for ages. If the products above are all affordable to you, then the choice is yours.
NEXT: discover the root causes of acne and banish your pimples forever
Thanks for reading!
I have use aloevera for two weeks ,but the acne stil comes back
Maybe you have hormonal issues that need to be dealt with? Aloe vera is a great treatment, but it works through reducing inflammation, so perhaps your acne is caused by other factors. If your skin is extremely oily then reducing inflammation externally won’t do much.
What a favolous blog you have thank you!
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Solutions-Grapeseed-Oil-4-fl-oz-118-ml/59358 do you think this product is good?
Good points: extra strength plastic bottle to keep out UV radiation. Bad points: no mention of it being cold-pressed/expeller pressed, and judging by the light colour and the fact that it’s a food grade product (more refined), it’s likely a processed product. So I’d stick to the Vie Naturelles product I linked to above. It’s about the same value for money as the Now Foods product as well, while also being superior.
I have a rarely pimples come up wtih my face as i used cold pressed grapeseed oil. Should i continue using it?
If you’ve only just started then I would continue for a while, to experiment and confirm that it really is the grapeseed oil rather than normal fluctuation of pimples. If you decide that it definitely is the grapeseed oil, then stop. Perhaps you are genetically prone to clogged pores or have a sensitivity to a certain natural compound in it.
Thank you im just using it for two weeks do you think my face was just adjusting?
And also i am lack of vitamins and minerals inside my body and i think thats the reason why my pimples are still coming back. Thanks for this tips. I will surely follow them
Vitamins and minerals always come first. Topical treatments are the second line of defence. Two weeks should definitely be enough to test the grapeseed oil, but if you fix your vitamin and mineral intake and clear your skin, you can then use grapeseed oil as a natural, chemical free moisturiser.
Am really enjoying all the info and tips, THANK YOU!!! I’ve suffered with super oily skin and severe acne all my life, and it DRIVES ME UP THE WALL!!
With the topical treatments, (particularly the Grape seed oil and the green tea and the Sea Buckthorn berry oil) do I use them at the same time, ie: put one on after the other? Also, should I dilute them a little with water? As I have them on, my face is so sticky and oily. Thank you so much!
No, that would be a huge mess. Ideally, to use both of those, you would apply sea buckthorn oil at night, since it stains slightly, giving the compounds time to absorb overnight whereafter you wash it off in the morning. In the morning you can apply the grapeseed oil. Preferably you should rub it into your face like a moisturiser and so that the vitamin E is in prime position to get absorbed. I would try reducing the quantity to begin with, or alter your technique by rubbing it in more vigorously. Diluting it with water is not the way forward. After a while remove some of the grapeseed oil but don’t scrape your skin bone dry otherwise you’ll be faced with a bigger set of problems. Of course, sea buckthorn oil and grapeseed oil is just one possible combination anyway. Also remember that diet and nutrition come first! You might not have any need for topical treatments if you take zinc or reduce your sugar intake.
PS: I would not bother using green tea and sea buckthorn oil at the same (to begin with) since they both have the function; inhibiting androgen receptors and decreasing oily skin. Unless of course, that’s your goal and you want to go all in on it. In THAT case I would abandon grapeseed oil temporarily, combine the two mentioned above, and get the vitamin E you would have obtained from grapeseed oil from your diet or a supplement instead. You don’t want to combine more than two topical treatments at once (unless one is purely a moisturiser, or also not strictly related to acne) otherwise you’ll never be able to tell what’s working. If your oily skin improves but never fully resolves, which might be due to genetics, grapeseed oil is an excellent treatment since its huge quantities of vitamin E make that oily skin much less damaging.
I use the cetaphil gentle cleanser https://www.cetaphil.com/facial-cleansers/oily-acne-prone-skin . but do you think a cleanser is necesarry? and also is this product alright or are there natural treatments that are better .
No cleanser will truly clear your acne because acne is essentially a disease that starts inside the body, just a cosmetic and definitely non-deadly disease. If you’ve visited a dermatologist he’ll have told you otherwise, but a clean diet is the only solution. Read this article: https://supernaturalacnetreatment.com/real-causes-of-acne/
would a combination of grapeseed oil and tea tree oil at nighttime be effective? also do you have any suggestions for topical treatments for acne scarring?
Yes, definitely. I’d apply the tea tree oil first, to a local site of acne, and then the grapeseed oil. Cinnamon is an interesting treatment for acne scars ; I have an article about it here.
would you recommend the grapeseed oil or seabuckthorn berry oil for helping with oily skin? and what time of the day should i use them because they’re most likely too oily to use in the day time?
Sea buckthorn oil is much better for oily skin than grapeseed oil. You can use them before you go to bed, which will give the acne-clearing compounds plenty of time to soak in as well.
what would you recommend mixing it with to make a good moisturizer for the night time? and would i apply tea tree first and then sea buckthorn oil?
Sea buckthorn oil itself is a strong moisturiser but if you want an extra one then grapeseed oil is the go to oil. I would definitely apply the tea tree oil before the sea buckthorn oil, to allow the active compounds extra room to penetrate the skins layers without getting blocked by an extra layer of oil. Then apply your sea buckthorn oil, just before bed. Regarding your earlier question about acne scar treatments, argan oil is an excellent one as well and that would also work well as a moisturiser.
is it okay to apply tea tree by itself or should i mix it with something like aloe vera and apply it before the sea buckthorn oil/argan oil as a moisturizer?
You need to dilute tea tree oil in some water; there’s no need to mix it with another treatment. If you want a super-powered topical stack then you could dilute it with aloe vera gel, but water is perfectly fine. You definitely need to dilute it with something since tea tree oil can irritate sensitive skin (due to a compound called 8-cineol). Whichever path you choose, I would apply it before the oils.
Hi,
What can I used as a cleanser? I’ve heard clays are good to cleanse with.
I’ve been using no cleanser but my skin feels almost like it wants to be washed, is there something natural I can use to cleanse?
Clays such as bentonite clay are NOT a good idea since they suck the moisture right out of the skin and leave it as parched as a desert. For a basic cleanser I use a small amount Dr Bronner’s liquid castille soap and water. There’s several products very similar to Dr Bronner’s which will also work well. Don’t get too obsessive about hygiene (e.g. scrubbing your face dry every few hours) since you can wreck the skin barrier. A proper face wash with Dr Bronner’s once daily alongside several minor refreshments using just water is a smart strategy.
Is liquid castille soap good for skin?
I did use temporarily the green tea liquid castille soap from dr bronners but my skin didn’t seem to like it.
What will liquid castille do for my skin?
I started using Citrus Clear products about 12 years ago. It started working with a week. I was a little dried out the first month of use but just around my nose and forehead. I had very bad outbreaks all the time and after this my face became noticeable better and better. I’ve tried everything under the sun and nothing works like this.
The only major problem with Dr Bronner’s and other castille soaps is that they’re alkaline, which can disrupt the skin barrier’s natural acidity. I normally recommend using a small quantity for that reason, but if your skin is overly sensitive you can use a PH neutral natural soap instead.
Is there something you can recommend for me to wash my face with? The castille soap has made me break out in some sort of allergic eczema
Would a pure, organic Rose & Vegetable Glycerin Skin Cleanser be beneficial to skin?
Definitely, rose ingredients have anti-inflammatory proprieties as well. Since the Dr Bronner’s irritated your skin, a PH neutral one might be more suitable for you. Which product were you planning to buy?
This is the cleanser I’ve been looking at
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/262373658/facial-care-radiant-rose-vegetable
I would definitely recommend this; it looks excellent.
How do you think this would be as a maoisturiser? I’m hesitant because of all the oils https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/233742632/face-care-sensitive-skin-moisturizer?ref=shop_home_active_13
Despite having so many different oils it’s a decent product, since neither of the two fat-based oils, sunflower oil and hempseed oil, are high in oleic acid, comedogenic or notorious for any other side effects. Hempseed oil is very high in linoleic acid, which is the best fatty acid for moisturising. The bonus ingredients like rose are all sound, so while this isn’t proven, it’s a great product to try. If you want to simplify things, you could just use grapeseed oil as a moisturiser.
Hi Richard,
Thanks so much for the efforts you have put into all these articles. They are so well written and informative. God bless you for the good work you’re doing to help so many people! :-)
Coming to a question – I was wondering if Organic cold-pressed Rosehip oil is good for acne-prone skin? I saw great reviews on this product (https://www.amazon.com/Radha-Beauty-Rosehip-Oil-Certified/dp/B00LNOV8JO/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1506675591&sr=8-3&keywords=rosehip+seed+oil+organic+cold+pressed) but didn’t find any mention in your articles (as you can see, I’m trusting your knowledge a lot here :D). My skin is not highly acne-prone but I do get 2-3 blemishes every month and the scarring they leave behind is mostly what bothers me more :(
Also, do you think Squalane oil (https://www.amazon.com/Squalane-100-Pure-60-mL/dp/B003MJG19K/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1506683120&sr=8-3&keywords=squalane+oil+for+face) is a better replacement for all face moisturizers? As I understand from your articles that squalene oxidation triggers this whole massacre and apparently squalane is a more stable (and less prone to oxidation) form of it?
Rosehip oil is a great topical treatment, but particularly for 1) oily skin, because of the vitamin A which reduces sebum production, and 2) skin tone, because of the carotenoids. It will benefit all acne patients but be particularly useful if your skin is oily. Cold pressed and organic = the correct way forward. I would definitely not recommend the squalene oil though. The situation is that human sebum contains squalene in high concentrations, but when it oxidises and becomes squalene peroxide because of free radical attack, it’s a nightmare for acne. Right now, nobody knows whether actually applying squalene externally is as bad or whether it’s only the squalene naturally present in sebum which is a threat, but personally, I would not run the risk. Rosehip seed oil will actually moisturise your skin, or you could use grapeseed oil or shea butter.
I thank you for all the information! I am a registered nurse and have been for 23 years. I have always used natural means to cure aliments. I have 4 children and my 3 teens never believe me that it starts on the inside with acne. I am purchasing this guide for them to prove that I am not just making this stuff up lol!! My son who is 18 has sever cystic acne and antibiotics were not good for his GI system. I have researched for a long time and many articles on everything hormonal – This is a very thorough article and valuable information. My daughter has cystic acne as well and suffers from pcos. Thanks!!
Hey Richard!
I had this pretty big red pustule under my nose for some time (without the pustule head). One night I decided to pop it, but when squeezing, nothing came out, because as said, it had no head. Then I decided to apply some teatree oil and went to sleep. When I woke up and looked in the mirror, I faced the night mare. The pustule which had no head before, was now the biggest pustule I have ever had!
What do you think about this? Did I do something wrong? Now I’m afraid to use teatree oil on my other pimples and pustules, because I’m afraid something like this will happen again. :(
Peace!
Did you dilute the tea tree oil? If not, make sure you do.
Thanks for answering Richard!
No I did not. Will it irritate my skin too much if I don’t? I really don’t wanna experiment on my own, because I don’t wanna irritate my skin more and therby cause more acne.
Tea tree oil and other essential oils like lavender should always be diluted, compared to fat based oils like grapeseed oil or argan oil, which are safe when pure. Best strategy is about 5% concentration, which you can easily achieve by adding a few drops to some grapeseed oil.
Okay, thank you very much. But I have one more question.
Should I add the diluted tea tree oil to my whole face or just the pimples/pustules?
In most cases, the individual pimples; it’s optimal as a targeted weapon rather than a preventative one.
Last year tea tree oil helped my skin So much that it cleared my skin completely. That point, I was using tea tree oil in everything. However from last 10 months I am getting severe acne and whenever I spot treat or mix moisturiser with TTO, it breaks me out even more. Can our skin become sensitive and reactive to the oil which was very beneficial in the past? I have started using grapeseed oil last week it was working fine, yesterday I added few drops of TTO in it and broke out with 4-5 new cystic acne. I am Super depressed. Please suggest
Hi Richard,
Bought your e book its great. I’m working your tips into my lifestyle and find them beneficial. I just have a query for a natural soap just to clean my face each day. Can you recommend me an exact type that I could buy through the iHerb.com website as this is the easiest to get foreign products here in Ireland. They stock some Dr.Bronner Products but I’m not sure which would be best. Hopefully you can help
Jack
Ireland
No Dr Bronner’s castille soap on iHerb, but apparently he has competition from a guy called Dr Woods. This castille soap is nearly identical to Dr Bronner’s: same weight, similar ingredients, nearly identical concept. Here’s their peppermint version: https://uk.iherb.com/pr/Dr-Woods-Peppermint-Castile-Soap-32-fl-oz-946-ml/13234
Interestingly, you can buy varieties with shea butter and lavender as well, which are beneficial for acne.
For your readers with dry skin + adult acne, I highly recommend squalane + prickly pear seed oil along with the sea buckthorn! I also use copaiba balsam instead of tea tree oil – it’s gentler on the skin with just as much anti-inflammatory + anti-bacterial action, plus it has lots of anti-aging properties…for the ladies, broccoli seed oil is also a must have in their serum…natural silicones so excellent as a makeup primer plus it’s very anti-inflammatory…Lastly, tamanu to heal scars from past breakouts…I also use the following essential oils: neroli, helichyrsum, and german chamomile. For my toner I use 1:1:1 aloe juice, witch hazel (no alcohol), neroli floral water.
I have Cystic Acne and have tried many things in your book. Are there specific supplements and topicals I should be using over others because of the type of Acne I have?
I am a 63 year old man using DHEA supplements along with other natural supplements to boost my testosterone. Before I started this treatment II was acne free. Now I break out. I have all the supplements and topical treatments. I eat almonds and Brazil nuts daily. The tea tree oil smells like turpentine. Buckthorn oil cannot be worn all night unless I want to stain my bed sheets.. I do leave it on for at least 30 minutes or longer. I wash my face with Dove moisturizing soap.
How should i apply these? I have been washing, with Dove soap then using witch hazel, then aloe vera gel, then either buchthorn oil in the evening or grape seed oil in the morning. I just got the honey and green tea. Should I switch between them? Oh I also use tretinoin cream 0.025% which works best on a very dry face or so I’m told. I have been applying aloe vera after the tretinoin. Wxcept for the tretinioin, I started the treatments about one week ago.
I have 2 goals: have clean skin and be relatively wrinkle free, I appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thanks!
Hello, thank you for this blog! So much excellent info. I’ve been reading your posts for a while now and have been following your diet tips. I stopped using everything topical and only washed my face twice a day with cold water for about three months, not only because I was so tired of trying everything and didn’t know what to do anymore, but also to make sure it was truly what I was eating that caused my acne. My face has cleared up so much, my forehead is clear and I don’t get huge pimples on my cheeks anymore. Now that I’ve fixed my diet, and my acne is quite controlled, I would like to find a good skincare routine to really clear it up. I wanted to ask, is the Dove sensitive skin bar soap ok? Because I was planning on doing something like this: Wash my face, tone with Thayer’s witch hazel, and moisturize with a mix of Shea butter, Argan oil, Rosehip oil and a little of Sea buckthorn oil, in the morning and before bed.
Maybe on some nights I could wash my face and just apply aloe or some Manuka honey.
Does this sound good? I know you have recommended Dr.Bronner’s, and I do have some, but I’m scared that using it twice a day in my routine will only make things worse due to its ph level. Please help me! Thank you again for all of your great posts.
Best website ever so glad I’ve found this! I oil cleansing my face with mct oil or fractioned coconut oil then using a Manuka honey mask leave it on for an hour then I use he thayers witch hazel as a toner then rub a fresh aloe Vera piece all over my face then apply green tea drops all ove my face then an oil sometimes I use rosehip sometimes hemp sometime squalane oil, this is what I do every night and this in one week has really made my skin much better, I had so many breakouts they are all almost gone but sometimes I find new breakouts so I’m wondering if there’s something else I should do?
I’m also taking zinc and vitamin c and e and a supplements and low carb sugar free diet
Hello,
Do you recommend any natural cleansers? Some online commentators state you can use honey as a cleanser. What are you thoughts on that and what do you think of the oil cleansing method?
What if one put honey, clay and oil together to make a cleanser, could that work?
My skin tends to get too dry from store bought cleansers.
Yes, but I would remove the clay because clays like bentonite clay are very drying themselves, literally sucking water out of the skin cells. Choose the correct oil too; grapeseed oil is the best to start off with.
Hello,
Thanks so much for the above reply..Which clays do you recommend and how can one assure their quality and do you recommend any store bought cleansers?
Thanks!!
Hi,
As it is important to get natural aloe vera without fillers, would it be ok to just get an aloe vera plant and use the gem straight from that? This would be a cheaper option and you could be definitely sure that it was natural.
Also, I am a teenage girl and my dad also had acne- are topical products and diet going to help when hormones are the main problem? Which ones should I try as I cannot just buy them all (my skin is excessively oily but does need to be moisturised, as well as being extremely sensitive)
Thank you so much for your articles, they are so useful and unique!
If it’s cheaper as you claim, then it’s definitely OK. Make sure to use gel quickly after removing it from the plant to prevent the compounds from degenerating (rather than storing a supply).
I would start off with products that are rich in vitamin E, like grapeseed oil, which is one of the better natural moisturisers (contains the correct fatty acid profile) and is extremely rich in vitamin E, and is properly affordable. Search for my article on the best grapeseed oil brands to find a pure and natural one. Aloe vera gel you can keep in reserve for individual angry pimples while using grapeseed oil on a day to day basis.
hi! I was wondering if mixing rosehip seed oil with seabuckthorn or green tea oil would make a good nighttime moisturizer for acne and reducing oily skin?
It would be perfect for both; all three ingredients have a strong fatty acid profile for moisturising and all three have some oily skin-reducing powers.
would you recommend seabuckthorn or green tea for reducing oily skin if i was to pick only one?
Probably sea buckthorn oil, since it also contains carotenoid antioxidants, which are great for skin tone and give you the glowing effect.
thank you so much!!
Hi what are your thoughts on bakuchiol? A retinol alternative. Also what do you think of Squalane as a moisturizer?
Thank you for all the good information and helping so many people. I have 2 questions. Is neem oil a good topical treatment for acne? You made a lot of good suggestions for oily skin, what would you suggest for dry skin? My acne is Adult hormonal acne and my cystic pustules are only on my chin (below the corners of my mouth). Thanks
Neem oil isn’t great because its percentage of oleic acid is too high at 50%, although not as bad as olive oil with 70%. It’s actually neem leaves and their extract which have the potential in studies directly on acne. Neem is a topical treatment with potential but not one I would instantly recommend. It’s more of an experimental remedy. As for hormonal acne, check my answer to your comment in the other article. For dry skin, do you mean simply curing dry skin, or do you mean curing acne caused by dry skin? Grapeseed oil will be perfect for both anyway.
Hello Richard, May I ask you one more question regarding bee products. What about propolis? Could that be a better spot treatment or preventive treatment than honey or royal Jelly?
Thanks
Propolis is another promising topical treatment; it actually has more direct studies on acne than honey does. A great one to experiment with. At some point I will write a dedicated article but for now see here: https://supernaturalacnetreatment.com/new-study-aloe-vera-tea-tree-oil-combo-banishes-acne/
Thank you!
How do you think about tretinoin cream and retinol cream? it’s a top known anti-aging and collagen-generating ingredient, but I’ve never seen you say it on this site.
It works, and it’s without a doubt the safest of the common pharmaceutical acne remedies like accutane and antibiotics. Although it does cause irritation and inflammation in some people, but its dangers aren’t as fundamentally bad as a treatment like benzoyl peroxide which depletes your skin’s steadily built antioxidant stores (by 90%, in vitamin E’s case).
So, it has the ability to regenerate collagen as advertised?
Hi Richard could you recommend a homemade facial cleanser? I am running a bit low on cash at the moment. Maybe sea salt/cinnamon and some other carrier liquid? Thanks
Richard, would you recommend a peppermint/sunflower oil blend? I have a bottle on stand by at the moment and don’t know what to do with it
Might not be amazing but the ingredients are all on the approved list (for topical). Try it and see what happens.
I don’t have that much problems with pimples however after they are gone red dots remain on my skin. Any advice on that?