Learn About The Best Home Remedies For Blackheads & Acne
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Acne and blackheads (besides being a big drag!) are both common skin problems that most of us suffer from at one point or another.
Both are caused by skin pores being clogged by oil and dead skin, and blackheads look dark because air darkens the oil, not because of dirt. They are, at best, an embarrassing blemish we try to cover, or at worst, an issue big enough to result in medical treatment. This WebMD article dicusses when the right time is to seek that treatment.
For those deciding to treat and/or prevent their blemishes themselves, and to avoid chemical products, I’ve compiled for you the best home remedies for blackheads and acne and listed them from most to least popular below.
A word of caution first: none of these kitchen remedies is proven to clear acne, and some can irritate skin. Dermatologists suggest over-the-counter products with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as a better first step.
These homemade acne treatments use easy-to-find ingredients, are inexpensive, and are readily available. Most of them even smell great! Best of all, you don’t need to be a chemist to mix these suckers up!
For the most part, open your spice cupboard doors or your fridge and voila! You’ll have all you need right at your fingertips. Many of these can be made into a scrub, but go easy: the American Academy of Dermatology warns that scrubbing your skin can worsen acne.
There are variations for every product, and you should feel free to experiment with them to find your own favorite. Read on for great ideas for your very own natural home remedy to set you on your road to clearer skin!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon shows antibacterial and antioxidant effects in lab studies, but there's no good evidence it treats acne, and it can irritate or even burn sensitive skin. Never use it on eczema.
It’s an easy home remedy as it’s widely available, cheap, and most people have it in their spice cupboards at any given time. As an added bonus, the smell of cinnamon will stay with you for the rest of the day, reminding you of home comforts and delicious homemade treats.
The first on my list of home remedies involves the following steps:
- Mix a tablespoon of cinnamon powder, and some water and olive oil – just enough to make a paste.
- Use this homemade acne treatment to cover pimples and blackheads and let it sit until it’s dry.
- Once the paste has dried, rinse and pat your face to dry.
Test a small patch on your inner arm first, and rinse it off right away if it stings.
Sugar
You might be trying to cut down the use of sugar in your diet, but if you’re looking for a home remedy for blackheads sugar is a popular DIY scrub. The best method I’ve found for sugar is to add it to some type of carrier oil.
Mixing with water just allows the sugar to dissolve, and that won’t add up to much in blemish relief. Mixing it with oil creates a scrub. Sugar crystals are rough, so use light pressure and skip it on inflamed acne, since scrubbing can make breakouts worse.
- Add 1 cup of sugar (you can use brown or white) to 4 tsps of oil (try sweet almond, grapeseed, jojoba or simple olive oil)
- Mix thoroughly.
- Wet your face and gently massage this mixture into your skin for a few seconds.
- Rinse.
Heavy oils can clog pores in acne-prone skin, so rinse well and follow with a non-comedogenic moisturizer.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a popular natural blackhead remedy, but it's one we'd skip.
Its acid can sting and dry the skin, and citrus juice on skin followed by sun exposure can cause a burn-like rash and dark spots.
If you still want to try it, dilute it with water, dab it only on blackheads, rinse it off within a few minutes, and stay out of the sun afterward. Never leave it on overnight.
Honey
Honey has antibacterial properties and is gentle on most skin.
I love honey just for its flavour, smell, and for its healing properties, but as a blackhead and pimple remover it shines just as brightly.
A honey mask may calm redness, but Cleveland Clinic notes it won't keep breakouts away, because it can't reach inside the pore.
There are several methods in which this versatile home remedy can be used.
- Rub a thin coat of honey onto your face.
- Let it sit about 15 minutes.
- Rinse.
I love to mix it with sugar to make a scrub – just massage it gently into your face and pay special attention to problem areas. Let it sit a few minutes and then rinse.
You could also make a paste with cinnamon (which makes it smell absolutely delicious!), apply to blemishes, let dry for about 10 minutes, and, as always, rinse away.
Baking Soda
Although we normally think of baking soda as either a baking product or to absorb bad smells, it's a mild abrasive. It is far more alkaline than skin, though, and can leave skin dry and irritated, so it isn't a dermatologist-recommended acne treatment.
- Add a couple of teaspoons of baking soda to a little water, again making a nice paste.
- Apply only to problem areas, massage very gently for a few seconds, and rinse within a minute or two.
- Rinse.
If your skin stings, reddens or peels, stop using it.
Oatmeal
Just a breakfast cereal? I think not! Oatmeal is gentle on skin, has a variety of nutrients, and exfoliates to boot!
As if that weren’t enough, oatmeal contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great blackhead home remedy for those with extra sensitive skin or for those who have reacted badly to other home remedies.
Oatmeal can help soak up excess oil on the skin and is very soothing to skin not just on the face, but anywhere on your body that you have blemishes.
The method is straightforward;
- Cook enough oatmeal to cover all of your pimples and blackheads, allow it to cool, and then apply to problem areas.
- Let it sit for about 20 minutes.
- Rinse!
Oatmeal is gentle enough for most people to use often. You could multi-task by cooking not just enough for your homemade blackhead remover, but also for breakfast!
Green Tea
Did you know that a very popular hot drink can double as an acne and blackhead treatment?
We’ve all heard about the benefits of drinking green tea, but here’s another use you may not have heard about. There are a couple of methods I’ll go over.
- Boil a cup of water and steep a couple of bags of green tea for about an hour.
- Cool the liquid and then use cotton balls to dab it onto blackheads and pimples.
- As with most of these home remedies, allow the tea to dry for about 10 minutes before rinsing and patting your face dry.
Another pretty cool way to use your tea leaves and mix up a great home remedy for blackheads, is to mix the leaves with a little water to form a paste. Use this as a facial scrub, rub into your skin for two or three minutes, and then rinse.
Evidence for green tea on acne is limited, so treat this as a soothing extra rather than a cure, and scrub gently if at all.
Epsom Salt
You’ve probably used Epsom salts to ease muscle pain or just as a relaxing soak, but have you tried it to reduce skin issues?
There's little evidence that Epsom salt helps acne.
Because the salts help absorb moisture, you may want to try them if you have skin that’s on the oily side. It won't pull clogs out of pores, but a gentle, warm application is unlikely to hurt.
- Mix a teaspoon of your salts into a 1/2C of hot water.
- Dissolve the salts by stirring until you have a diluted mixture, and then let it cool until just warm.
- Massage this onto your blemished areas and let dry.
- Rinse and pat dry.
Epsom salts can also be combined with various other ingredients for use as a scrub to help treat and prevent breakouts. Honey and olive oil are common additions, though oils can clog pores in acne-prone skin.
Egg Whites
Egg whites aren’t just part of a healthy diet; they leave skin feeling tighter as they dry, though they don't shrink pores.
Some people with oily skin like the feel of an egg white mask.
The best method is as follows;
- Apply a (fairly thin) layer of egg white on your face, topped with a piece of tissue.
- Apply more egg on top of that with your fingertips.
- Leave this “mask” to dry and then remove slowly, peeling away from top to bottom.
Don't expect it to pull out many blackheads. Rinse away any remaining egg, skip this if you're allergic to eggs, and wash your hands, since raw egg can carry Salmonella.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is an herb that contains antioxidants. There's no good evidence it treats acne, and your skin doesn't need detoxing.
I’m sure there are variations in using this, but the best and easiest application is as follows;
- Mix powdered fenugreek into a little water to make a nice thick paste.
- Spread it onto pimples and blackheads and keep the paste even and on the thin side.
- Leave for 20 minutes and rinse.
You can alternatively leave the paste on overnight and rinse in the am; just be careful that it’s dry before bed so you’re not leaving a mess on your pillow!
You can use fenugreek seeds too; just grind them into a powder before mixing into the paste. Or, if you’re lucky enough to grow the plant itself, you can also mix the fresh leaves with water to form a paste and use as outlined above.
Wrapping it all up…
Blackheads and acne are an unpleasant part of life. Hormones, family history and some medicines play a part in acne, and certain foods may make it worse for some people.
These home remedies for blackheads and acne are some easy methods in which to help with the control and maintenance of healthy skin, and they won’t break the bank!
One thing to keep in mind is that, although I’ve listed all natural products, and most are even offered in organic form, there’s still a possibility that they’ll irritate sensitive skin.
If you’re allergic to any of these ingredients, don’t try them on your skin, and always start slow with new acne and blackhead remedies. If you’d like to use them on a daily basis, try once a week first and ensure that you’re not going to suffer a flare up.
Home remedies can be a gentle extra for mild blackheads.
For anything more than mild acne, proven treatments work better. Dermatologists advise giving an acne treatment 6 to 8 weeks before switching, and a dermatologist can help if over-the-counter products don't. Do a little experimenting with what works best for your budget, availability, and skin type. Your face will thank you!
Sources
- 10 skin care habits that can worsen acne, American Academy of Dermatology
- Acne, NIAMS, National Institutes of Health
- Home Remedies for Acne: Do They Work?, Cleveland Clinic
- Margarita Burn: Why Lime Juice and Sun Don't Mix, Cleveland Clinic
