A number of readers have emailed me asking me the best DIY remedy to heal post acne marks. Well, there are a few such as milk and lemon or yogurt and lemon but based on my personal experience, spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and turmeric worked fastest for me. However, I have been hesitant in sharing this with those who emailed me because such spices can be too strong for sensitive skin type. Hence, you’ve got to use them with caution. But those who have no problems with them have only good things to share about them.
Nutmeg is anti-inflammatory
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. It is also supposed to help lighten skin tone. However, based on my experience, the results were not immediate and you need to be patient.
Cinnamon is a natural exfoliant
But it’s a different story with the cinnamon added. Cinnamon has been used for thousands of years as an antiseptic, astringent, antifungal and anti-viral aid, among its many other uses. Additionally, cinnamon is an exfoliant and can stimulate the pores, thus helping other ingredients to work on the skin as well. So a combination of nutmeg and cinnamon mixed with honey can really heal acne marks much faster.
Turmeric is a skin lightener
Popular in curry dishes, Turmeric has antioxidant properties and also help reduce the skin’s melanin production. So this is great for lightening skin blemishes, which is what you get during the healing process of your acne. I’m not too fond of turmeric personally because of the yellowish stains it leaves on towels, etc but I’ve mixed it with nutmeg before and it worked okay for me. I’ve read some users raving about a mixture of turmeric and sandalwood for post acne marks but I’ve yet to try that.
Mix with milk, yogurt or honey into a paste
I would not recommend all three spices to be used at one go because they are rather strong. Rather, mix one of them with milk, yogurt, honey or water into a paste or at the most, just two of them together, like nutmeg and cinnamon or nutmeg and turmeric. Leave the paste on your skin for up to 20 minutes and then wash off and moisturize (protect with sunscreen during the day). Another thing to add is that this should be used as a spot treatment and you might want to use it sparingly on alternate days. I’ve tried using them continuously without problems though but hey, I don’t know about your skin.
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About Sesame Blog editor of Viva Woman, Sesame is a skin care addict who is fond of using natural & organic beauty products. She also enjoys ogling at handmade jewelry & cute stationery.
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I’ve personally tried this recipe and it really works! I started using it as spot treatment as Sesame is recomend it, but the mix suited my skin really well that later I used it as a whole face and neck mask since I don’t have really sensitive skin issues. My favorite combo is honey/cinamon/lemon. I’ve also tried with nutmeg, but I liked cinamon better. I have not tried tumeric yet though. I know some people can find it a bit strong, but for me it was really good mix not only for marks, but also for active blemishes.
By the way, Happy New Year!
I’m glad it’s working so well for you! I was quite surprised that you used it on your neck…that was something I’ve never tried.
A very Happy New Year to you!
Turmeric is the best:x
Here in Vietnam, I use it all the time, both external and internal. I often mix some turmeric powder with honey or yogurt as a facial mask, and my skin complexion has improved. Turmeric helps healing the scar and lighten the skin tone. I love it a lot.
I can’t use it often cos it stains easily and I got fed up with yellowish looking towels. LOL. But it’s good for oral consumption, yes!
u r a saver!!!i truly need this ty…
I hope it’ll work well for you!
I haven’t even seen how nutmeg looks like or known how it tastes like. I just know that food-wise, cinnamon is a good substitute for it so I’ve only got cinnamon in the house. I’ve tried turmeric on my skin before and although it’s effective, it gave me a scary yellowish face, as if I’ve got liver problems, right after washing the mask off, haha. My skin is already yellowish to begin with so I guess that’s why it tints easily, too.
I have turmeric in the kitchen! I also have an annoying scar from an old acne attack on my cheek that won’t go away. Definitely going to try this out. Thanks!
Hope it’ll work for you. I know these spices do wonders for new scars but not so sure about old ones…may need to be patient for results.
Most of the Javanese body scrubs include turmeric & cinnamon. Don’t know if they put nutmeg in as well. I wonder if this will work for skin lightening (such as underarm to even out colors since I’m doing IPL)
Might do…give it a try. I also noticed that the Thai stuff also includes turmeric and cinnamon. I think it’s pretty Asian.
The MVO vit C have helped lightened some of my old scars & blemishes. However i’m still on the lookout for alternative products to speed up the process. This is a timely post! Will definitely head down to NTUC & try this over the long weekend!! Wishing you all the best for 2012 Sesame!
Hope the ingredients will work well for your skin, Mai. Happy New Year and all the best to you in 2012!
Interesting! I have both cinnamon and turmeric in my kitchen because I use them very often for cooking. I also sprinkle cinnamon on my breakfast, no matter what it is because I’ve read that it’s good for the skin and should be taken everyday.
I haven’t thought of applying them on the skin though! Next time I think I need an acne fix, I’ll try it. I wonder if this helps marks at other parts of the body too… …
Wow, cinnamon on breakfast? Sounds like something to try cos I love cinnamon rolls!
I had tried turmeric mixed with water as a spot treatment for my acne cysts and it worked beautifully…the acne cysts disappeared in a course of 3-5 days!!! haven’t tried cinnamon and nutmeg but someone told me that cinnamon didn’t work for her…no idea why!!!
I guess different ingredients work or different skin types. I find cinnamon pretty strong and can be irritating for sensitive skin!
I always put some turmeric in my homemade cleanser and I totally love it!
That’s a cool idea!
I have some acne marks on my skin, and because I wasn’t keen on removing them, they have been on my face for quite some time. Might these spices also work for long-term marks?
I am not too sure…I saw improvement on my new acne marks but didn’t take notice on old ones…I had some readers told me it worked for them but I wonder if it’ll take longer.
This is cheaper than derma stuff. I’ll try this one. I have acne for years so it’s good to try a good alternative. Thanks!
Hope it’ll work well for you.
Sesame, you mention that this is better used as a spot treatment (especially for new users); this means that we only have to mix a small amount right? Is the proportion of “base ingredient” (e.g. milk/yoghurt/honey) to cinnamon/nutmeg 1:1? i.e. 1 teaspoon of base to 1 teaspoon of spice? and if I only want to make half teaspoon, I just reduce both accordingly? cos if I only have 1-2 spots to use on, I only need a really small amount right? Or how long can I keep the mixture after I make it? few days at least?
Happy New Year, Sesame!! Long live vivawoman!!
I absolutely love your site – you’re a DIY queen! I’ve always wondered what would help get rid of acne scars. I’ll give these a try, thanks!
Haha…no queen…am still a novice in the area. But I admit that DIY gets me all excited! Hope this will help you if you give it a try.
Thanks for the information. I have never thought that just three simple spices from my kitchen would help in preventing the highly undesirable acne scars.
After reading your valuable information. I am sharing my own knowledge to help all of you out there. Take a look at:
http://blog.khoobsurati.com/acne-diet-to-reach-the-zenith-of-soft-smooth-and-acne-free-skin.html
Hi, thanks for the great post! interested to try tumeric and honey but what are the proportions like? thanks!
You can add 1/4 teaspoon of tumeric to one teaspoon of honey.