Anyone who has had an acne-riddled face knows how hard it can be to get rid of the acne – and keep it away. Many acne-fighting face washes and lotions are expensive and can be pretty harsh on sensitive skin. Additionally, they only fight half of the acne battle. 

When trying to eliminate acne, you want to fight two ways — from the outside and from the inside. Acne products only fight pimples on the surface, but more natural remedies can help control and balance your body’s hormones to stop acne from appearing. From healthy habits to seemingly-magical face recipes, getting rid of acne can finally become a reality.

It’s as simple as it sounds — don’t touch your acne. For whatever reason, it seems to be part of human nature to want to touch anything seemingly unnatural with our bodies, whether that means bug bites, scabs or acne. However, when you poke and prod at your pimples, you are aggravating the skin and exposing it to more oils that will only fuel it. It’s especially important not to pop pimples, as that can leave scars and possibly cause infection. Instead, using the cotton ball and hot water method yields safer results.

Everyone knows that greasy and sugary foods makes your acne worse. If you find yourself struggling with acne, eliminate processed foods and go for some healthier options. You don’t necessarily have to go vegan, but replace the french fries with some fruit or your chips with some veggies. Drinking plenty of water can do wonders for your skin. When you drink at least 7 glasses a day, your skin gets more hydrated, making it less susceptible to acne — and it also means you don’t have to use as much moisturizer on your skin.

 

Exercise is good for more than just your muscles. Anything that increases blood flow and circulation in your body can help your skin. This helps nourish skin cells and cleanse them from the inside. You don’t need to devote a ton of time to exercising — as little as 10 minutes of exercise is all you need. Finding simple ways to stay in shape will benefit your body, mind and skin.

There are hundreds of different acne remedies available for use. However, the problem with many of them is they can be harsh on your skin. Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, using these harsh cleansers takes its toll on your face. Additionally, many solutions increase your sensitivity to the sun, making you more susceptible to sunburn. As crazy as it sounds, avoid using acne cleansers with high benzoyl peroxide or salycilic acid percentages and opt for gentler cleansers instead.

For acne-riddled people, the right face mask can be magical. They somehow manage to pull oil and dirt from your skin, leaving it cleaner and brighter. The best facial masks tend to be the ones you can make with ingredients found in your own home. One that has had pretty spectacular results for me is this recipe:

Ingredients:

quarter size of raw unprocessed honey 
half tsp nutmeg
half tsp cinnamon
a few drops of lemon juice (Optional — if you find your skin is especially sensitive, leave this out)

Once you combine the ingredients, you can either dab it onto individual pimples or spread it over your whole face. Leave it on for 10-20 minutes and see the difference once you wash it off. Keep in mind, these ingredients can cause some irritation for certain skin types, so if you feel horrible stinging wash it off right away.

No one enjoys having acne — from young teenagers to middle-aged adults, anyone who gets pimples hates them. By following a few simple steps and making healthier choices, you can drastically decrease the number of pesky pimples.