How to Treat Acne at Home Easily in 8 Steps
About 12% of Indians aged 20-29 reported acne and other acne-related problems in 2019. While anyone can get acne, you may be at greater risk if you have oily skin.
But this anti-acne guide shows you how to treat acne at home without redness or scarring. What’s the Difference Between Pimples and Acne?
Pimples and acne are two terms that are often used interchangeably. However, if you want to treat pimples at home, it’s important to know the difference between pimples and acne.
In short, acne is the root cause of breakouts. If you have frequent breakouts on your face, the goal of acne treatment should be to address the underlying cause, whether it’s high sebum levels, skin damage, etc.
What are the causes of acne? Before treating pimples at home, it’s important to understand the cause! After all, you want to know what you’re actually healing.
Pimples form when the small pores on the skin become clogged with excess sebum (oil) and dead skin cells. The pores then become inflamed, leading to acne. In case you’re wondering what the acne-causing bacteria is called:
Propionibacterium acnes.
If you have oily skin or are regularly exposed to environmental pollutants, you may be at greater risk of clogged skin pores. In this case, following an anti-acne skin care routine will help you treat and prevent acne permanently.
Are Acne Harmful to Health? Although pimples are not dangerous to your health, they can affect your lifestyle and sense of well-being in a number of ways.
Acne often leaves long-lasting scars. Acne scars take time to heal. Therefore, it is best to prevent acne on the face to avoid blemishes and scars on the skin.
Whether in your personal or professional life, acne-prone skin can affect your confidence and self-esteem. The frequent appearance of pimples may indicate an underlying skin condition, such as excess skin sebum production.
You should keep an eye out for signs like pimples and acne for overall healthier, clearer, fresher skin.The Best Ways to Treat Acne at Home Are you looking for home remedies for acne that really work?
Experts recommend many home remedies for treating acne and acne-causing pimples. But before you try these methods, you may want to explore all the safe and effective ways to treat pimples at home to find out which works best for you.
#1 Apply ice to pimples: Ice cubes are an easy and hassle-free way to treat acne at home. If you don’t want to use skin creams to treat acne, freezing acne is an effective way to treat acne. The cooling and moisturizing effect
of ice can reduce skin inflammation around acne without leaving any scars.
Wrap some ice cubes in a plastic bag. Apply it to pimple-affected areas and massage for 3-4 minutes. Repeat these steps as many times a day as possible. This is the easiest way to heal pimples naturally and safely.
#2 Use a paste made from crushed aspirin. Aspirin tablets are available in almost every home or at most over-the-counter pharmacies. But not many people know that it contains salicylic acid, which is a miracle acne fighter that
can help you get rid of acne.
That’s it: Crush an aspirin with a spoon. Add a few drops of water to the powder to form a thick paste. Apply the paste to areas affected by pimples or acne. Using aspirin pills is one of the best home remedies for pimples due
to the presence of salicylic acid.
In fact, many acne skin creams use salicylic acid to heal and permanently prevent facial acne. Sesderma Acnises Young Roll-On Focal is an easy-to-use cosmeceutical from India designed to help you get rid of acne for good.
#3 Apply Apple Cider Vinegar: Using apple cider vinegar to treat acne at home is nothing new. Because it’s made by fermenting pressed apple juice, it’s actually considered one of the best acne cures naturally.
While it’s a popular home remedy for acne, it can cause skin irritation and burning in some people. In this case, it is best to stop using apple cider vinegar on the skin for acne.
#4 Use Green Tea Extract. Green tea has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also rich in Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), which has been shown to heal and prevent acne.
While drinking green tea regularly is helpful, many people also use green tea topically to get rid of facial acne permanently. You can use green tea for acne in a few easy steps: Remove a small amount of green tea leaves from
the tea bag.
Soak them in warm water with honey or aloe vera gel. Apply the mixture to acne-affected areas. Leave the mask on for 10 to 20 minutes, then remove the mask.
#5 Use an Acne Treatment Cream to Treat Pimples. When nothing else works, dermatology often does! Acne treatment creams have a modern formula that has been proven to fight pimples and acne.
By combining the healing power of natural extracts with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and other acne-fighting formulas, acne creams can heal your skin from the inside out. Best of all, your pimples won’t leave scars or stains.
#6 Hydrates the skin with hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most effective moisturizers for the skin. It binds moisture in the skin, thereby regulating sebum levels, which are responsible for the formation of acne.
Many anti-acne serums and skin creams contain hyaluronic acid. If your skin is prone to acne breakouts, Dermatica HA Pure Serum is one of the most popular anti-acne treatments with hyaluronic acid as its active ingredient.
#7 Use face masks to prevent acne. Since acne is caused by clogged skin pores, outside dirt and pollution can trigger or worsen the condition. The anti-acne mask gently exfoliates and cleanses the skin, helping to remove
impurities that can clog pores. Therefore, if you want to prevent facial acne forever, it is effective to use a mask every one or two months.
#8 Consult a Dermatologist From the Comfort of Your Home Tired of trying too many acne skin creams with no visible results? You can consult top dermatologists online from the comfort of your own home. Thus, you can clear up any
doubts about acne on your skin from a skin specialist.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
