DIY Beauty: Nutmeg to erase acne scars
Friday, 20 February 2009
Nutmeg, a cooking and baking spice, is often cited as a kitchen ingredient which you can use for your acne scars and blemished marks. I have come across the recipe of using nutmeg and honey but the idea of using spice of my face just didn’t appeal to me, until Leon of Beauty Secrets Revealed suggested it when I complaint about my cheek acne scars.
Used historically for a variety of skin diseases
Apparently nutmeg has anti-inflammatory properties and was used since ancient times for a variety of skin diseases including ringworms and eczema. Add it with honey which has antiseptic benefits and the concoction is supposed to help erase acne marks over time.
Well, I took this recipe to test sometime back and what I found is that it did help to calm the acne, but I didn’t find it effective in reducing the marks and so I gave it up, until recently that is when I decided to try again due to a new mark thanks to my itchy fingers.
Recipe and application method
The recipe is easy. You only need nutmeg and honey, raw unprocessed if possible for the latter. What I did was to mix about half a teaspoon of nutmeg with about a quarter teaspoon of honey into a paste, apply some of it on my acne marks after washing my face and leave it for about 20 – 30 minutes before rinising off. No stinging but the nutmeg smell is strong, not unpleasant though. You can apply a few times a day but what I found a bit more effective is to leave the paste longer for about 30 minutes.
Use it in conjunction with aloe vera
I found this to be more effective the second time I used maybe because I left the paste longer for 30 minutes. On top of it, I also used aloe vera afterwards on the spot. My acne marks healed faster this time and although I still have scars, the tone appeared more even and the mark is less distinct like the others I had.
Milk in place of honey
Because I still have quite a bit of the paste left, I’m going to continue using this as I realized that patience is key with homemade remedies as this is not a miracle potion. But hopefully, I can really get rid of the acne scar in time if I can use it more consistently. However, I found another recipe that suggest using milk in place of honey and I may try that to see if it works better.
Update on 28 Feb 09
Nutmeg with milk seems to give slightly better results but the drawback is that milk apparently isn’t as soothing as honey, well at least for me. So with milk, you have to reduce the frequency to once a day as a spot treatment or your skin may burn. Or if you use it twice a day, leave the paste on for a maximum of 20 mins and wash off afterwards.
© www.vivawoman.net copyright notice
_______________________________________________________
Stumble This | 
Get Email | 
Subscribe to RSS
Posted in Homemade/DIY | 40 Comments »
previous post: Review: Muji unbleached facial cotton pads
next post: Viva Total Beauty Web Tour
Related Posts
- DIY Beauty: cinnamon & nutmeg acne mask
- What helped clear my cheek acne?
- DIY Beauty: milk & lemon whitening polisher
- DIY Beauty: aspirin & green tea for acne spots
- DIY Beauty: Song Hye Kyo’s skincare recipes
February 20th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Thanks Sesame!
Definitely will try this! =)
Dee: Hey you’re welcome! I hope it’ll help you if you try. I’m trying it with milk now as I type this. If it works better, I’ll post an update.
February 20th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Hey Sesame, Thanks for the link love:)
Combination of nutmeg and milk works but if u have acne prone skin its better to avoid milk:)
Leon: I didn’t know that about milk… thanks for telling me!
February 20th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
So its just those nutmeg powder that we find in the supermarkets and mix with honey, thats it?
Maybe I can try since the ingredients are so accessible. Thanks!
pf1123: Yes, it’s very simple that’s why I don’t mind trying it.
February 21st, 2009 at 12:18 am
i’ve tried mixing a portion of honey and meiji low-fat milk as a mask before, loved the way it brightened the skin. there are quite a few herbs and spices that seem to be known for skin ailments, like tumeric which is reputed to have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. i’ve been wanting to try honey mixed with green tea powder, but i cant find it anywhere. they say green tea powder masks can also sooth redness…
Raelynn: Yes I read that you can use tumeric to dry up the acne. I’m also looking for matcha. I read someone cut up the tea bag to get the powder!
February 21st, 2009 at 2:14 am
oh.. thanks i am gonna try it coz i also have scars on my cheeks .. lol
haha: Hope it’ll work for you…and just to let you know that this works for my new scars but not my old ones.
February 21st, 2009 at 7:41 am
Perfect timing for me. I’ve just gotten over a horrible patch of acne on my cheek. Acne seems to have cleared up but my acne scars are still red. I’m tired of concealer.
Elaine: I know what you mean about concealing. I had a hard time concealing mine and it always come out looking cakey and horrible when I’m in a rush!
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:10 am
For darkned acne scars i will mix turmeric powder with coconut milk and apply, no need wash and 1 or 2 weeks can see effect.
If u looking for matcha, can buy at taka b2 there is this ‘booth’ selling green tea. But not necessarily need match. Can use sencha or ryokucha. Both can be found at supermarkets usually in teabag. What i do is to brew my tea than keep the bag in fridge. Before using, just tear open the bag and apply the moist leaves. It will adhere to skin.
Moon: Ah taka! Actually I always forget about this…only remember when I look up to replenish my teabags. You mentioned tea leaves too…that’s interesting. I should give it a try if I have some time. Thanks for the tip!
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:53 am
I have horrible red marks left over from acne and this is the only thing that has lightened them to a purple color and some are almost gone.
Jeanna: You have success with this too? I’m using the nutmeg and milk concoction one and it seems to work faster. But there’s a warm spicy feeling to my skin compared to using honey which is more soothing.
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:48 am
I’ve tried this and it burned my skin after 10 minutes, I couldn’t last the full 20 minutes recommended for the nutmeg/honey. The tumeric I was told the strongest method is to use the root, not the powder, so I will have to try the powder, but how does one avoid looking a bit ‘yellow’ because it tends to give it a yellow tinged look. The coconut milk I was also told to use the fresh coconut juice from the coconut that you have to crack open, this is supposedly the best method. This is why it is so darn confusing LOL! So many methods LOL! Sigh….my acne stems from my overactive thyroid so I will always be riddled with it. I have consumed plain yogurt with honey and black seed to get the bacteria needed inside, this has lessen the painfulness and size of the acne but it’s still there, acne is more of a reaction to what you consume, a way of the body cleansing it self though it is quite ugly, not something that can be treated only topically, you have to also treat on the inside but there are so many darn remedies for that as well, like consuming aloe vera juice, or drinking water with drops of lemon, etc etc…etc….etc….
Cowsandlemonade: I’m so sorry that it burnt your skin! Oh dear… the honey is supposed to soothe and I didn’t feel any warm sensation unlike when I used the nutmeg with milk. I guess your skin is overly sensitive.
You’re right that there are so many topical application methods for acne and we just have to find one that works well for our skin. The thing with acne whether it’s caused by internal inbalance or external impurities is that it manifest outwardly and so we’re always concerned about getting rid of it! But yes, if it’s something internal, you need to treat it from inside out. If you have an overactive thyroid, does keeping it under control help to curb your acne outbreak? Or is it a side effect of the condition?
February 24th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
I can’t keep it under control, since the thyroid is in control of how much hormones to produce, the hormones is too high thus creating too much sebum, so it totally sucks when it’s that time of the month because that is when it is worse. Even with the medication, the sebum production is too much, I only get one week where it’s calm and that’s after my cycle is finished, that is the best week for me when the skin is calm and smooth though it’s heavily marked with past cystic acne. I think because of this my skin is extremely sensitive, I try a lot of products but in the end my skin can’t tolerate so I’ve pretty much given up but I’m going to try the aloe vera juice for awhile and see how that goes for at least making it less painful. Please continue posting your experiments, I love reading your posts and end results, it does give me hope that one of them will at least work for me
cowsandlemonade: Ah I see…I can feel your inconvenience… If your skin is sensitive, keep to really mild ones. Aloe vera is definitely cool. And if yours is also acne proned, then don’t try the milk or yogurt stuff. But maybe oatmeal can do something to soothe your skin too.
I’m also thinking that perhaps what you need is from inside out – stuff you take. But I’m not in a position to recommend you but it’s an area you want to consider if you aren’t already doing so.
February 26th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Does the milk and yogurt aggravate the skin for acne proned people? That’s interesting….I will let you know how it goes with the aloe vera juice, though I’m not sure about it’s price or taste LOL!
cowsandlemonade: For certain pple it seems so. Even drinking the milk and taking diary products can aggravate their conditions. More common for boys too. Aloe shouldn’t be too expensive. If you can, get the fresh one from the big plant. I bought one huge leaf which lasted me over a month!
February 28th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Can i mix this with egg white mask??
Boo: No. The nutmeg paste is for spot treatment, not recommended for your entire face.
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:01 am
[...] on my cheeks. I was trying to look for something that would help reduce them and i came across this post a few weeks back. Nutmeg supposedly has anti-inflammatory properties. I was a bit skeptic at first, [...]
March 27th, 2009 at 4:54 am
If there is acne prone wc one do you recommend with the honey or milk and can I mix the nutmeg with vitamin E
Lily: Use nutmeg with honey. I think you can apply the vitamin E (without mixing with the nutmeg) afterwards when the acne has subsided and you’re trying to get rid of the scars.
April 16th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
hi…i am 25yrs old..i ve lots of acne scars on my face…and my face and neck looks so dark than my body now a days am using nutmeg with milk…but i want to get rid of balck patches aroud my mouth,eyes and neck…shall i use nutmeg paste over on my face and neck…plz help me
Arsh: I wouldn’t recommend you to use nutmeg paste in this case cos it’s quite a big area and nutmeg is only good for spot treatment. I suggest you see a doctor for your problem.
April 25th, 2009 at 2:50 am
[...] on my cheeks. I was trying to look for something that would help reduce them and I came across this post a few weeks back. Nutmeg supposedly has anti-inflammatory properties. I was a bit skeptic at first, [...]
May 18th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
For cows and lemonade.. I assume you are conrolling your overactive thyroid with prescription based carbimazole right??? One thing i have learnt along the way and since i have suffered from the same problem, is that continous use of carbimazole and even after the thyroid has regained balance is that toxins can build up in the system and due to the body not completely consuming the carbimazole, and hence giving birth to acne like deep boils and spots. It a common fact that the body doesn’t totally consume artificial tablets and after time the remaining residue builds up to develop dangerous levels of toxins in the system. I personally have found that antioxidants such as selenium or even stronger can detoxify and flush out these harmfull toxins. There is no harm in using these cosmetic solutions to treat it from the outside, however I have in my experience found that flushing out the system with antioxidants works better in clearing up the skin and on a regular basis. I mean I havve suffered from an over active thyroid for decade now.. and never before in the first 8 years suffered from acne, well accept on a few occassions when I had been taking too much carbimazole and even after i had recovered, which caused these acne like spots and boils. If your thyroid is left untreated, then Im not entirely sure if its also causes Acne, and hence because I never got them when my thyroid went to its extreme and before it was diagnosed. Maybe its different for women!!!!! I really don’t know.. I hope this helps..
June 10th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
i have small skin colour acne allover my face.2 or 3 red ipmles also.some are just lik prckly heat type.others are lack and whiteheads.iamusing nutmeg with milk as paste for 30 minutes.no sensations.also no effect 2.can anybody suggest whether i can continue with this?
June 28th, 2009 at 4:21 am
about how often should one apply this per day? per week?
i read on about.com only twice a week but here i see its worn more often…
sesame Reply:
June 28th, 2009 at 10:45 am
It depends on your skin. For spot treatment, it can be more frequent but the nutmeg does irritate some sensitive skin so if yours is sensitive, then I’ll say cut down the usage.
July 31st, 2009 at 9:29 am
when using nutmeg with milk, doesn’t it gets too watery? or are u refering to milk powder? or can we mix all 3? milk, honey and nutmeg? i’m so going to try this, hope it helps with my scars
sesame Reply:
July 31st, 2009 at 10:08 am
You can mix but don’t use too much milk or yes, it’ll get watery and drippy.
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Hi, may i know what is raw honey and where can i find them? Also, the milk u use? what kind of milk did u use? Will milk be less irritating than honey for sensitive skins?
sesame Reply:
August 23rd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Actually the raw honey is available from supermarket. It’s not processed so you get the goodness of it. But if you can get your hands on manuka honey, even better.
I used normal milk for drinking – Meiji brand. Honey is okay for sensitive skin…I just found milk to work faster for this recipe but you got to be careful not to put for too long cos the nutmeg burns more for this recipe than using honey.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Hihi,
Thanks for replying. May i know where can i get Manuka Honey?
sesame Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
You can get this brand MGO from New Zealand at Guardian Pharmacy (should be available at the bigger ones). This brand has testified that their honey can be used topically. It’s not cheap though – about $50 – but manuka is the best honey and you can also eat it.
September 6th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Hi, does the honey have to be cold or normal room temperature?
thanks alot [: going to try very soon!
sesame Reply:
September 6th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
No need to be cold…room temperature is fine. But if you’ve kept it in the fridge which I sometimes do after concocting the mixture, it’s also okay to use cold.
September 12th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
hi i have been using nutmeg and milk for more than a month, it does make the scars on my legs unnotiecebale, i guess the scar is fading, but uhuhu i am wondering y i got this allergies on evry scar where i have put the treatment, it was very itchy and it cause me caress it i dono the right terms, using my nails where it turned out to be very red which i think it burned my skin uhuhu, dies this mean that i might have put to much nut meg on my scars? pls help… right now i stop the treatment for a while,..
sesame Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Nutmeg and milk can burn the skin if left too long. I mentioned that in my post so don’t use too frequently.
September 20th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
sesame tnx for the reply, i stop the treatment for 2 weeks, now my skin looks burned, i let the nutmeg and milk stay more than 3 hours on my legs, even overnight, wash it off in the morning, every scar on my arms and legs really burned, how many times shopuld i let the nutmeg and milk stay on my evry scar? only 3o minutes, not more than that, it will be ok for me to use the treatment again? and follow ur advise, is it ok also for me to use the treatment daily as long that i will leave it on my skin only 30 mins…?? hope to hear from u gain tnx
sesame Reply:
September 21st, 2009 at 10:14 am
Beth, your skin might be very sensitive. In this case, I suggest just leaving for 15 mins. This recipe by the way is recommended for acne scars…you mentioned you use it for your legs and arms so I’m not sure if it’s effective for other scars.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:53 pm
tnx for the reply again… actually i just read it from other website that nutmeg and milk is effective in removing any scars, it’s easy fast and cheap, i am so desperate to get rid of my scars thats why i tried the treatment for a moth, it does fade my scar slowly… haven’t you tried this treatment for any scars? just for acne scar alone?
sesame Reply:
September 24th, 2009 at 9:09 am
No, never tried this for other scars but it might work. Just don’t leave for too long cos it’ll burn. You can leave it on longer if you use nutmeg and honey cos honey is soothing.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Congratulations on your Stumble.
As a thought, I know you just used whatever milk you drink, and I’m *assuming* that that means it’s skim or two percent or such. Try some good heavy whipping cream and see if that’s more soothing. The fat will help cushion the skin, and is just better on the outside in general.
sesame Reply:
November 14th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Oh that’s a good tip! Maybe I can try it another time. But for those who are acne prone needs to be careful with the usage of diary products too.
December 16th, 2009 at 5:48 am
i have tried many different products and ideas, garlic is used to be a low level anti-biotic. I use garlic 4 to 6 times a week.It not ony helps keep you healthy it will fight your acne. I use mollasses on my face and my face feels very smooth after i use it.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:57 am
[...] is anti-inflammatory I’ve tried using nutmeg with success as an ingredient to erase acne scars but I’ve only used it as a spot treatment and never the entire face. Nutmeg has [...]
January 30th, 2010 at 10:58 am
This is seriously the best best facial i have EVER used. Its like it zapped away all those nasty black heads i had under my lip and on my chin, and my face isnt beat red from my acne, and my face feels incrdibly soft and smooth. I’ve had black heads on my chin since i was 10, and now that they are gone (I COULDNT GET RID OF THEM BEFORE!) im so giddy with excitement! thanks so much for the recipe!!!!
sesame Reply:
January 30th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
I’m so glad it worked for you! I recently added cinnamon and this works wonder for my fresh acne too. But just be careful cos cinnamon can burn some skin.