I’ve been going through some of my archives and realized that I’ve written a couple of DIY beauty recipes about combating acne. Some of the posts dated back to 2008 so I thought I’ll put them together in one post. I’ve arranged them in the order of my favorites, with some explanation and you can click through the link to read more about each recipe and review.
Cinnamon & nutmeg acne mask (click for recipe)
This is my favorite and I’ve actually improvised further by adding tumeric powder. It’s effective and works quite quickly to calm down and reduce acne marks. At one stage, I was using it every day. However, I’ll say this is strong and does not suit all skin types. Both cinnamon and nutmeg can burn the skin and hence, not suitable for those with sensitive skin.
Mung bean anti-blemish face mask (click for recipe)
It was a little hard to put this in second place because this one leaves no mess and is therefore, easier to use. However, I’ve to concede that it doesn’t work as quickly as the cinnamon and nutmeg mask. But this mask is definitely gentler and should not irritate most skin types that much although I did have some ladies reporting skin irritation due to the mungbean.
Evening primrose oil for acne (click for recipe)
Evening primrose oil is good to calm down acne almost overnight but it doesn’t get rid of them. The advantages are that this is convenient to use and the oil can double up as a face oil.
Strawberry mask for the acne-prone (click for recipe)
While I’ve tried this, I didn’t use it long enough to see much results. However, I had readers who tried and reported having their acne drying up faster after using the mask. So something to try out if you can resist popping the strawberries into your mouth. And it smells delicious for sure!
Aspirin and green tea for acne spots (click for recipe)
Okay, this one is good to draw out stubborn headless pimples but you have to be very careful with this recipe as once drawn out, the pimple can pop really easily. I think this is good when used in conjunction with the Nexcare Acne Patch as the latter can suck up the pus effortlessly.
Onion mask for a bad breakout (click for recipe)
I didn’t try this but was given this recipe by Jess, who used it to nurse her bad breakout. Be very careful to chill the mixture overnight though as your eyes can get hurt by the onion fumes if you don’t.
As always, do exercise caution with all recipes as some have reported allergies even with the gentlest ingredients. If your skin is sensitive, your best bet is to do a patch test prior to usage or use it on your jawline first to see if you develop any reactions. In addition, don’t expect miracles using these recipes. As with all homemade beauty recipes, patience is a virtue. And if your acne is mild, just use tea tree essential oil or emu oil. They’re quite effective in controlling the annoying red spots too.
pf1123
24 May 2010 at 10:09 amWow, cool!!!
I think I would give the aspirin and green tea one a try. I have some stubborn headless pimples on my neck which is very irritating! And my skin repair is very fast in my neck which really prevents the acne patch from sucking all the pus out. I believe I have used more than 10 patches on the same spot!!
sesame
25 May 2010 at 8:34 amThe acne on you neck sounds nasty. I hope the aspirin and green tea will work well for you.
pf1123
25 May 2010 at 9:57 amYes, it really suck big time!
My gosh, my finger was itchy last night and I was picking on it. I felt that there’s still something inside and I slap on another 2 patches, one after another, before bedtime. Golly!!! More pus. Arrggghhh!!!
sesame
25 May 2010 at 2:22 pmIt must be cystic or something. I hear sometimes when you pick, it burst inside and then cause inflammation…so do be careful.
pf1123
26 May 2010 at 4:17 pmRight. Maybe I should consult a doctor. There’s a patch under my right jaw to my neck where there’s a few of these type of acne.
sesame
26 May 2010 at 8:42 pmYeah, if it’s still persistent, it maybe better to seek medical opinion.
yay
24 May 2010 at 8:00 pmThanks for the recap on the DIY… u know any DIY for blackhead? i do get some acne here & there but blackhead is the worst..
sesame
25 May 2010 at 8:37 amBaking soda works well for me for the blackheads on my nose.
yay
25 May 2010 at 8:53 pmReally? i had been using baking soda for at least once a week or so to scrub the face… i’m not seeing any difference @ all for me… the only time i really see a difference is when i go get facial…it get expensive after awhile…usually it come back so i’m looking for another alternative…
sesame
25 May 2010 at 10:31 pmIt works for me, but I reckon not everything works the same for all.
ktee
25 May 2010 at 3:01 pmI can attest to the effectiveness of mung bean powder in clearing marks. I have bought the pre-mixed mung bean face wash powder from indian store and used it as cleanser and mask. The combination helped cleared my chicken pox marks within a few weeks! I also think that the pure aloe vera gel i applied as moisturizer helped in speeding up the healing process…
sesame
25 May 2010 at 8:21 pmOh that’s great! I must try to locate mung bean wash powder from Indian stores. Haven’t come across those.
KTee
27 May 2010 at 12:30 amI am sure you’ll be able to get it from any typical indian store. It’s very cheap. A word of caution though, it can be drying if you use it to wash your face daily. However, mixed with yogurt, it is a wonderful mask for radiant skin. Try it.
sesame
27 May 2010 at 8:27 amOkay, I’ll keep a look out. I wonder if it’s very different from the one I have cos it’s also meant for face washing.
Rinka
25 May 2010 at 6:45 pmi started taking evening primrose capsules like the one you pictured about 2 weeks ago, and i find that if i take the maximum of 5 (the bottle recommends between 3-5 a day) i actually got some break outs. it does however help with my mild ecszma so i think ill continue taking it, but just in lessser amounts.
reading the above coments makes me want to try the mung bean mask!
sesame
25 May 2010 at 8:19 pmEPO should used be sparingly. Maybe when you’re having PMS. For some women, it may cause hormonal imbalance. I discovered after I started taking and wrote an entry here about it.
http://www.vivawoman.net/2009/11/30/hormone-imbalance-from-evening-primrose-oil/
For the DIY recipe, I recommend using topically on your skin, not eating it.
deepali
7 Jan 2011 at 11:59 pmHi, I have found a seriously good anti-pimple face wash – it works like a charm… initially for like a week, teh acne increases, but after that, they clear out fantastically…. it also helps fade out stubborn marks… it is called Tarika ANTI-Pimple face wash… please do try it. my beauty routine, which previously was extremely complicated now consists of just 2 products. Tarika anti-pimple facewash followed by Olay total Effects… dont take my word for it, try it… it works for all kinds of acne – black and white heads, large ones and small ones, pus filled mega ones to small red blisters… and total effects is another magical cream altogether… clears scars & acne, evens out skin tone, tightens skin…. do try both for yoruselves and report back… results for either one of them are visible within 2 weeks…
sesame
8 Jan 2011 at 10:24 amAh…I think we can find it at the Little India here. I’ll head down one of these days to check out. Thanks so much for sharing!
Total Effects, well…not so keen to try the product. But maybe I’ll take another look soon.
deepali
8 Jan 2011 at 12:21 ami live in india and ayurlabs is in pondicherry, even here it is not widely available, but i have friends who live in singapore and US and they tell me it is available there too. i believe tehre are e-comm sites selling it online in US and in g apaprently Jyoti stores stocks it. Total Effects from Olay by P&G is pretty widely available everywhere…
Bee
10 Mar 2012 at 10:47 pmI have another good DIY recipe for acne prone skin or pimples. And the only thing you need is medicinal clay (healing earth). It is 100% natural and consist of minerals, just a kind of clay. It is available in most of the pharmacies or drugstores. Just mix the clay powder with a small amount of water until it becomes a paste and apply it on your face or problematic parts. After two weeks of regular use my skin got much better and you only need one ingredient and water for that mask. Healing earth has the effect of absorbing access moisture which makes it suitable for greasy skin, too. Moreover it makes inflamed skin heal faster because of the mentioned effect.
sesame
11 Mar 2012 at 9:01 pmOh yes, clays are great for acne prone skin.
Megan
16 Jul 2012 at 12:34 amI was wondering if you had a type of schedule of when you use these treatments. I am breaking out a little right now and going natural treatment crazy so I need some guidance with a schedule of sorts. Also what moisturizer do you recommend? Right now I use Cetaphil. I do not think it is the best. However, I really would like a SPF in my moisturizer like Cetaphil.
Sesame
16 Jul 2012 at 10:38 amI used them quite religiously back when I had acne…like alternate days and in some instances, daily until my skin condition stablized. However, I also did a detox and changed my diet, cutting out diary, refined sugar and taking a probiotic. That has helped.
As for moisturizer, I use an oil base sun protection oil prior to a moisturizing face screen from Marie Veronique Organics. It has sun protection ingredients.
Mila
11 May 2015 at 6:01 amLast week I had a huge pimple in my cheek, around my nose, and EVERYONE noticed it. It was so embarrassing, I barely get pimples that huge.
the best treatment for me is green tea for my acne spots.